How joining a society changed my University experience

Starting university feeling unsure

When I first started at UoBD, I was excited, but also a little unsure about what university life would actually look like beyond lectures and assignments. Like a lot of students, I came in focused mainly on my degree and didn’t really know how important student societies would end up being.

I kept hearing people talk about joining student societies, but I wasn’t convinced at first, and wondered...should I join one? I worried I wouldn’t have the time, or that it might feel awkward showing up alone. Still, I decided to give it a chance, and that decision ended up completely changing my university experience.

Joining my first society

I joined ACM in my first year because it made sense academically. As a Computer Engineering student, it felt like a good way to stay connected to tech-related events and meet people studying similar subjects. At the beginning, I mostly attended sessions and observed how things worked, without putting too much pressure on myself to be heavily involved.

By the second semester, I found myself naturally becoming more involved in ACM. I understood how the society ran, recognised familiar faces, and felt comfortable enough to take on more responsibility. I eventually became Secretary, which was my first real leadership role at university.

That role changed how I experienced campus life. I wasn’t just attending events anymore, I was helping organise them, communicate with members, and keep things running behind the scenes. It gave me structure outside of academics and made me feel more connected to the University on a day-to-day basis.

Creating Women in STEM

Around the same time, a friend of mine came up with the idea of starting Women in STEM (WiSTEM), where I served as Vice President. Being part of a society from its early stages was a very different experience compared to joining an established one.

It meant being involved in the practical side of things, planning and running a mix of fun, social events alongside more educational ones. From organising sessions and coordinating people to dealing with timelines and last-minute changes, I learned a lot about how much thought goes into making events meaningful rather than just putting them on for the sake of it.

Balancing both sides taught me skills I didn’t expect to gain at university, especially around planning, communication, and working with different priorities while still keeping up with coursework.

The opportunities that followed

Getting involved in societies opened far more opportunities than I expected. One role naturally led to another, whether through meeting the right people, gaining experience, or simply feeling more confident putting myself forward.

Over time, this led to roles within the Students' Association, becoming a Student Ambassador, and later working as a Marketing Intern alongside my studies.

What surprised me most was how interconnected these opportunities were. Each role built on the skills I had already developed through societies, and each one pushed me a little further outside my comfort zone. It made university feel less like a series of isolated experiences and more like something I was actively growing into.

Skills and experience gained

One of the biggest changes I noticed at university was in my confidence. In high school, I actively avoided extracurricular activities and hated the idea of putting myself out there. I didn’t see much value in them at the time.

Getting involved in societies and taking on responsibilities slowly changed that. Working with students, staff, and external partners helped me become more comfortable communicating, handling feedback, and navigating new situations.

Along the way, I also picked up a strong sense of professionalism. From writing emails and coordinating meetings to representing the University in different settings, skills that I wouldn’t have developed through lectures alone.

Learning to manage multiple commitments

By my second year, I was balancing several roles at once, including WiSTEM, ACM, my position as Education Leader within the Student Association, and working as a Student Ambassador. Managing all of this alongside coursework forced me to become more organised and realistic about my time.

It wasn’t always easy, but it taught me how to prioritise properly and be intentional about what I committed to. Learning when to step up and when to step back became just as important as keeping up with a busy schedule, and it helped me approach both university and responsibilities with more balance.

Looking back

As I moved through my degree, my priorities naturally shifted. In my second year, I stepped away from ACM during the first semester, not because the experience wasn’t valuable, but because I wanted to be more intentional about where I focused my time.

Later on, when the original WiSTEM team stepped away, I took on the role of President to ensure the society continued smoothly. I focused on maintaining continuity, bringing in people who were genuinely interested, and passing on what I had learned about running a society. By the first semester of my third year, once everything was stable and in good hands, I stepped down.

Looking back, it’s surprising how much societies ended up shaping my university experience, especially considering how much I used to dislike extracurricular activities before university. They gave me confidence, practical experience, and a sense of direction beyond academics. More than anything, they taught me that getting involved doesn’t have to be permanent, it just has to make sense for you at the time.