Having arrived at university, unpacked and met your flatmates, one of the first big events of the year is Freshers Fair. The number of societies packed into one hall can be overwhelming, but it’s truly worth having a proper look since which societies you get involved in will determine not only what you spend most of your free time doing, but many of the people you’ll meet at university! I used the iLancaster app to have a scroll through the registered societies in order to get an idea of which ones I may join; this is a good way of making sure you don’t miss out on any that would be just right for you.

At first, it’s a good idea to go to the taster sessions of any societies which take your interest. They’re all free and you’ll get a much better idea of what goes on and whether you’d like to sign up. One thing to be aware of is that almost all societies have membership fees. Don’t let this put you off as they are put straight back into the society in the form of socials and equipment, generally fees will only be high for societies which require specialist coaching or locations.

The number of societies you get involved in is up to you. I have friends who are active members of three or four, go to all the sessions and love doing so many different activities. Personally, I am only an active member of one society and that works fine for me. I joined LUSWAC (Lancaster Street Workout And Calisthenics) on a whim as someone who used to only go to the gym. This society suited me perfectly as they offered a different form of fitness, hosted up to six sessions and had the lowest membership fee I’d seen (£5 a year). In essence, there was nothing for me to lose by joining. By the final term of first year, I put myself forward to be on the exec team (the group of students who run the society) and will be vice president in the coming year. Having a commitment to a group outside of my course at university really fleshes out the university experience to push it beyond being simply a place to study.

Finally, it’s worth noting that you can join societies at any time during the year. If you miss something during Freshers Fair that you want to give a go, you can always message the societies facebook page asking when you can attend a session, the execs will always be quick to respond! You can also go along with friends if they’re involved in a society you’d like to try.

The main takeaway is this, although it’s intimidating to join a group full of people you don’t know, societies are run by students for students. They’re the best way to get involved in the social side of university life and the place you’ll meet many of your closest friends during your time at university.

By Finlo Heath, MPhys Physics with Particle Physics and Cosmology, writer at uniqueunderstanding.co.uk