{"id":2600,"date":"2021-11-03T16:28:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T16:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/?p=2600"},"modified":"2021-11-03T16:30:49","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T16:30:49","slug":"how-societies-shaped-my-university-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/2021\/11\/03\/how-societies-shaped-my-university-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How Societies Shaped my University Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ disabled=”on” global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

As a 20-year-old fresher, starting uni slightly later than everyone else alongside working much of the week shackled by the restraints of retail, there\u2019s no other way to say it than making friends was initially\u2026hard. <\/em>I didn\u2019t reside in University halls so I couldn\u2019t really build relationships organically. Confidence wise I was crippled by my own preconceptions and anxieties about starting something new anyway, let alone doing it completely on my lonesome! I put a protective guard up to shield myself from the realities of having to make new acquaintances. I wanted to make friends, but it scared me. I worried people would wonder why I\u2019d come to uni when I did, I worried I wasn\u2019t as clever as my peers who delivered the most intellectual and impressive of answers in seminars. And so for a few weeks, I struggled. Until, that is, I joined Fuse FM \u2013 the student radio station.<\/p>\n

It was the Students\u2019 Union that helped to connect me with the society that would not only settle me happily into university life, but also in turn to boost my boldness in personality. The society fair was an absolute must. In fact, I wasn\u2019t even sure I wanted to go, and was reluctantly dragged along by a course-mate that would later end up as one of my dearest friends.\u00a0 There was stall after stall and friendly student after friendly student on hand to explain what their society offered and offer a lot they did \u2013 everything from a 90s Hip Hop Society to a Surf Society was on offer. Any interest, anything you\u2019d always considered dabbling in, even things you didn\u2019t think you wanted to do \u2013 the vast array of societies boasted possibilities of socialising alongside as engaging in enriching activities that seemed almost too good to be true. And yet one stuck with me more than the others. Fuse FM. <\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m an avid record-collector, and couple that with being a bit of an unashamed motormouth (as my mum would say, I could talk the hind leg off a donkey, though I doubt the logistics of this). Radio just all of a sudden seemed like a \u201cEureka!\u201d moment. I\u2019d be forced out of my comfort zone kicking and screaming. The thing with radio is that you\u2019ve got to carry a show entirely with the sound of your own voice, so confidence is key. As soon as I joined Fuse FM I met with likeminded peers who loved music. But also, I was reunited with an old friend of mine who I didn\u2019t even know attended the University \u2013 we decided to join together and create Bits N Bops With Mads & Neve, <\/em>an hourly genre-based show in which we\u2019d have a natter and a spin of our favourite tunes. It was a match made in musical heaven. Mads and I grew closer and closer. The team trained me by finetuning my speaking skills as well as helping me be a bit more concise in my expression, which has actually bled over into my academic work and helped me not ramble as much! My confidence by second semester was now at a point where I was speaking up more in seminars, making study groups and forming bonds with my course mates, and it even inspired me to start up my own extracurricular radio shows and podcasts. I now work on Redwall Radio, alto fm and Whaley FM doing solo shows and shows with Mads. I\u2019m now considering a career in the long-term in radio, and I never did previously. Thanks to biting the bullet and joining a society, I enter my third year feeling as ready to take on anything as ever. First stop Fuse FM, next stop 6music, baby (that\u2019s the best station, duh).<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Related<\/h1>\n

Related posts:<\/h3>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Is joining a society really worth it?<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

9 Reasons to Study the New BA Global Social Challenges at Manchester<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Global Social Challenges in the Wake of the Queen's Death<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”3.0.106″ area=”sidebar-1″ orientation=”left” show_border=”off” background_layout=”light” locked=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Connect Title” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” _builder_version=”3.0.90″ background_color=”#1d1d1d” module_class=”footer-section” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” global_module=”380″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” global_parent=”380″ locked=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” parallax_3=”off” parallax_method_3=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” make_equal=”off” module_id=”footer-row” _builder_version=”3.0.89″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

Contact Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us” global_parent=”380″ text_text_color=”#aaaaaa” parent_locked=”off” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” module_class=”contact-us” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

+44 (0) 161 306 6000<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Find Us Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

Find Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Address” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” module_id=”address” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

The University of Manchester
Oxford Rd
Manchester
M13 9PL
UK<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Connect Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

Connect With Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Social Media” global_parent=”380″ parent_locked=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n