When I got to university, one of the first things I heard about was societies. Even as a final year student, when I meet someone new, they still often ask what societies I am in. The Student Union Society Fair is one of the biggest events at the start of the year and should not be missed. It is a great chance to meet societies in person and to find out more about them; you might even come across one that you never considered. The University of Manchester has hundreds of societies, from sports to academic, so there is something for every interest. It helps you quickly find a community and is a great outlet to take a break from schoolwork. What is nice about societies is that you can often choose when to participate so that it fits around your schedule. A lot of them will have socials very often, meaning if you don’t make it to one, there will soon be another chance to attend another time. There are also all kinds of socials, so it is a good way to try new things or discover more of Manchester.

Some societies have a focus on volunteering, and I knew that was something I wanted to get more involved in. One of the biggest ones is Enactus which combines entrepreneurship with tackling one of the 12 United Nations goals. Once I joined the society, there were different teams within that I could choose to join based on what issue interested me and the activities they held. I chose one called Next Step which focused on raising money for homelessness. I really enjoyed my time there and wanted to take on more responsibility; I ended up being Enactus’ Marketing Executive. I got to create Instagram posts and manage their other social media. Societies are a great way to gain work experience and explore interests in various business roles. Employers always like to see evidence of extracurricular activities and it is a great talking point in interviews. Joining Enactus was also one of the biggest reasons why I was able to gain the Stellify Award which is an amazing honour to have at the end of your studies. Lastly, through the Enactus network, I was able to find placements and even secure an offer. Doing your research and joining a society with a national network could bring incredible benefits.

Because I am studying BSc Management, I thought it would be best to further enhance my studies by joining a business society. There are various business societies that have a specific focus on different sectors. It is the best way to network with peers across all academic disciples and often they will hold unique speaker events from big employers or past alumni. Many of them go even further and work with outside organizations to volunteer expertise and allow society members to put theory into practice.

No university experience is truly complete without fully immersing yourself in a society you enjoy. With so many to choose from, it won’t take long before you find the right ones.

Written by Tiffany, current BSc Management student at AMBS

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