Campus.ie

Monday, May 21 23:36

Student Guide to Clubs and Societies

By Siobhán McGuire, Campus Contributor
Tuesday 30 August 2011, 13:28

So, you've just finished the trusty old Leaving Cert eh? Hundreds of pages were gobbled up throughout the past two years until finally examination day came and The Regurgitation contest 2011 kicked off.

The hard work is done now and all you can do is enjoy the summer and await the pending results, the next step is a whirlwind of drastic change, emotions run high on the 18thAugust and secondary schools across the country will bear witness to both tears of bitter disappointment and screams of sheer elation.

These results ultimately determine the transformation you will undergo. Whether you're living a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle in the home nest or surviving in the urban wilderness of a buzzing city, day-to-day living will bring with it fresh scenarios. One of the greatest struggle students face within the first year of college is loneliness. The start of college can be disorientating, you're coming from a school of maybe 500 students and now suddenly your daily walk to the colossal lecture hall is greeted by thousands of strange faces.

This new life takes a while to get used to. Yes it's daunting and it can feel scary but the easiest way to adjust is by getting to know more people. This is the greatest opportunity you will get to make friends for life so take it! The simplest way to meet new people is by getting involved in the college through its Clubs and Societies.

Every college has a sign up day and this is the perfect opportunity to get a free lunch…I mean, involved. But the free pizza Clubs and Socs are using to lure you in is a bonus. Take full advantage. Meander through all the little stalls and see everything on offer. College Clubs and Socs range from the tea drinking society, juggling society, drama soc, paintballing soc to the buckfast appreciation society. My advice is to join at least three of them, you're never going to keep them all up so it's always good to sample a few and discover new things. As a country bumpkin, moving from the rural pastures of County Galway to the manic streets of Dublin city, joining Socs made my first year college experience something I will never forget. Being a bit of a 'Monica from Friends' type I already knew what kind of societies were running and had a fair idea of what I'd join, but when it came to it I ended up joining way more than I had expected!

The drama society became a second family to me and made living away from the familiarities of home much easier. As well as meeting so many new faces I've also developed a bizarre infatuation with theatre! At the beginning of the year the society took their annual trip to the secluded hills of Connemara, somewhere we couldn't escape! We completed (I endured) a series of workshops, including improvisation and personal monologues. Having been on stage once in my life as an angel in the school nativity, these experiments made me feel sick to the stomach but at that stage it was too late, I was hooked and wanted more. This time last year I would never sit down to read a Brian Friel play, now I've read works of famous playwrights such as Beckett and Satre; people who I honestly had never heard of before I joined the society. The next four years are a period of learning and self-discovery, and plunging yourself into something that you've never tried before is, in my opinion, the best way to learn. College societies hold no boundaries; if you want to direct a play, do it, if you want to make a short film as part of the film soc, there's nothing to stop you! Even if you want to something as simple as have a tea party what's stopping you from starting up your own 'tea party' society? The opportunities are endless!

I can't wait to get back to college in September, and not just to get back into the routine and seeing the gang after a long summer apart. September means only one thing, and that's freedom, independence and a tinge of that scary phrase “adulthood”. They do say that these are the best days of your life and although I'm no expert, I think they're probably right, whoever “they” are. I can't wait to get back, to join even more societies, meet people and get involved in something new and different.

For more information about Clubs and Socs in your college or university contact them by email or have a look at their student union website.

Blanchardstown IT

Email: itb_lgb@yahoo.co.uk

Cork Institute of Technology

Email: info@citlgb.com

Dublin City University

Email: dculgbt@gmail.com

Dublin Institute of Technology

Email: LGBTdit@gmail.com

GMIT Castlebar

Email: GMITEQUALITY@hotmail.com

IT Sligo