The Sports and Freshers’ Fairs are on the horizon so I thought I’d share some tips on how to get the most out of your time at both events! You certainly don’t need to be a fresher to attend either of the fairs as all clubs and societies welcome everyone, no matter which year you are in or which course you are studying, so I hope this helps anyone interested.
Invite some friends along! If you have flatmates, they’re usually the easiest to persuade, but just try to get a little group together when you go. This way, you’ll be introduced to some clubs and societies you might not have thought of because of your friends being interested in them. As well as this, if you join clubs and societies with your friends, you can go along to events with them and not feel as nervous or intimidated as you would going alone!
Take some change. A lot of societies especially have a small matriculation fee, usually around £1, so if you intend on becoming a member of any societies, bring along some change for sure.
Have an idea of which clubs or societies you want to get involved in. If you have a list of a handful of clubs or societies it makes your time at the fairs much easier! It can be a little overwhelming if you turn up without any idea of any clubs or societies you’re interested in as there are hundreds of options for you.
The diversity is definitely something you should take advantage of though, so don’t just stick to your list! Have a really good look around to make sure you don’t miss anything that could be perfect for you.
Bring a bag or backpack. You will be handed SO many bits of paper, flyers, sheets, freebies etc. so it’s best to bring a bag to make sure you don’t drop anything or leave anything behind. This also means you’ll have your hands empty for the free pizza…
When you get back home, sort through what you have in your bag. You’ll probably have some stuff that you can throw away because you weren’t really interested in that club or society, just the freebies they had on their table (let’s be honest we’ve all done it) so you should get rid of the rubbish first. Then, make sure you make note of any important dates to do with any clubs or societies you’re interested in before the flyers get lost!
Finally, make sure you go to the induction events, whether they be the give-it-a-go training sessions with clubs or the first meet-ups or pub quizzes etc. with societies. As scary as it can be entering a new group of people, you really will get out of it what you put in, so push yourself to go to those first few events and you’ll make some amazing new friends and have a great time! And if a specific club or society isn’t for you, that’s okay! You never know unless you try.
I’ve put the key dates and times here at the bottom so get them into your diary and get involved this academic year!
Sports Fair Friday 13th September 11:00-16:00 @ DUSA
Freshers’ Fair Saturday 14th September 11:30-16:00 @ DUSA