Societies

Hello! I’d like to take some time in this post to talk about societies.

During high school and sixth form I’d never really been part of a “club”. I did guitar lessons and used the gym, but I never did things as part of a team. I was your stereotypical un-sporty, maths geek type that was much more comfortable at home behind a computer than on a sports field with loads of people. And for that reason I never really saw myself getting involved in clubs at uni. Up until university, we’re always taught that clubs are for sports. If you’re not sporty, you won’t be part of a club. But as you get older, that changes.

When I got to York, I was blown away by the amount of societies there were. Whether you like playing Frisbee, or you secretly love fashion, there is literally something for everyone. Last year my girlfriend helped organise a fashion show Anna Wintour attended, my housemate ran around a field with a plastic sword, and a friend became manager of the Football team. There are so many “non-traditional” societies, it’s insane.

Personally, I became involved in two. MathSoc and Investment and Finance Society.

Lets start with MathSoc. It IS the best society. You won’t find another that balances academic and social so well. Do they have public lectures? Yeah. Do they have mad nights out? Hell yeah. I was at the Winter Formal last week and it was honestly one of the best nights I’ve had this year. I think the main thing I love about it is that it tries to deny the stereotype around us maths geeks. We don’t just sit in our rooms, clutching our calculators and doing sums. We’re just normal people that are good with numbers. We enjoy a night out as much as the next person and the society realises that! Not to mention that I’m on the committee…

Moving on to the Investment and Finance society. This is one I’ve only recently joined, but it’s probably one of the most useful out there (especially if you want a career in Finance). For starters, you get a free Financial Times subscription, which when you’re a student is like Christmas come early. They also put on loads of events geared towards interviews and getting internships and work experience. It really is a fantastic society if you’re thinking about banking as a career.

I’ve only scratched the surface here of the societies on offer at York, I just don’t want to preach for anything I haven’t experienced first hand! My experience has been more than positive and I’d encourage you to try as much as you possibly can!

I’ll speak to you soon,

Jack 🙂