The impact of clubs and societies on my student experience at UoB

There are over 50 sports clubs and over 300 student groups and societies here at UoB, so there is certainly something for everyone. The clubs and societies I am a part of have had a lasting impact on my experience.

I am involved with the university football club, as well as the Match of the Day (MOTD) society. This is definitely the way that I have found the majority of my friends here at university, and sharing that common interest really settles any nerves you may have about finding your people. It is also very reassuring knowing that there is something for everyone at every level of sport here at the university.

The university football club provides 5 teams across the BUCS leagues, competing against various other universities. I am the captain of the 5s, and one of my favourite memories so far has got to be winning our league this year, being promoted to the 4th tier of university football. All of this, whilst playing football with my friends, has brought us very close and is very rewarding.

MOTD have two teams, one competing on a Saturday in a local men’s league and the other playing 11-a-side campus league on a Sunday, with opportunities to play 6-a-side throughout the week too. One of my favourite memories with MOTD is winning a cup penalty shootout, saving two penalties to send us through to the next round against a team from a higher league than us. Playing for MOTD provides a nice balance for me, as playing in BUCS is more intense whereas MOTD have a more laid-back approach.

It’s hard to talk about these sports societies without mentioning sports nights. Some of my best nights at university have come from this, from going round with 40 other Santa Clauses at Christmas to fancy dress flight club in the city centre, followed by the guild where you can meet up with friends from other societies and have a great time.

I am also part of the Economics Society. I have made many course friends through this, which helps as I don’t have to go to lectures on my own! It has also been very helpful in terms of boosting career prospects, with industry talks and networking sessions being provided. One industry talk given was by an alumni from Forvis Mazars, who came in to talk about their graduate roles and the day-to-day jobs they were carrying out. Having been someone who came into university unsure of what they wanted to do, this really helped me realise the potential opportunities available my degree brings to me. This inspired me to pursue a summer internship first and then hopefully, a graduate role in audit and accounting.

There definitely is something for all interests here at UoB thanks to our amazing societies, and I would recommend getting involved as much as you can. And who knows, you may find something you didn’t even know you were interested in, here!