University is all about expanding your horizons, meeting people and learning new skills. Degree aside, what better way to do that than by dressing up as a pirate or dabbling in a little K-pop?
There are so many societies to choose from, it would be a challenge not to find at least one you’d enjoy. From the wacky to the wonderful, via Where’s Wally and the Whiffenpoofs, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer and compiled some of the more unusual ones to pique your fancy.
Before we begin: wise words from she who’s been there, done that and survived to tell the tale. Freshers’ fairs are chaotic events filled with seasoned students pimping their society wares and quelling gullible newbies into submission with lemon sherbets and supermarket own-brand sponge.
Your club of dreams is worth seeking out, but stay strong and remember that handing out your email address (or, heaven forbid, subscription fees) willy nilly in the heat of the moment will only cause problems down the line.
Let’s get started
1. Viking society – University of Plymouth
Although the Vikings didn’t settle in the south of England, that hasn’t stopped University of Plymouth students setting up a society in the Norsemen’s honour.
And why not. As well as feasting and learning to craft Viking clothing and equipment, members train with the Oathsworn Warband, a Plymouth-based Viking reenactment group, and compete in medieval fayres during the year.
Impressively for those who spend their days out in the fields doing battle, the society has both Facebook and Twitter accounts, although it looks like this Viking who jousts with the group is struggling to move beyond the medieval ages:
When they said 'Go get a twitter'. I went looking for supper. This is not what i expected. #confusedviking #modernvikingissues
— Modern Viking (@confused_viking) November 25, 2014
2. Quidditch club – University of Southampton
Winners of the British Quidditch Cup 2015, Southampton’s Quidditch club was one of 23 teams to compete in this year’s Harry Potter-inspired competition.
The complex sport bears a striking resemblance to its fictional origins, with players running around on the field holding broomsticks between their legs, leaving one hand free to catch, throw, tackle and shoot. Last month, France’s main keeper broke his shoulder at the European Quidditch Games, underlining the intensity of the full contact game.
It may be a bit obvious to point out that, unlike their fictional counterparts, players don’t fly in these games (they are muggles, after all), but at a time when puppies are surfing stairs and people are designing chairs to look like intestinal explosions, perhaps it’s worth reiterating that.
Quidditch teams are to be found across the country, so if you’re a muggle who likes to make magic, check out your university society list.
3. Whiffenpoofs – Yale University
Although we’re mainly covering UK societies, we couldn’t help but include the wonderfully-named Whiffenpoofs, Yale University’s a capella group. Claiming to be the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a capella group, “the Whiffs” – founded in 1909 – were jokingly named after a mythical dragonfish.
There are numerous a capella student groups in the UK, so if you fancy getting your Glee on, see what your university has to offer. Later this month, for example, the University of Aberdeen’s mixed gender a capella group, Aberpella, is performing at the Voodoo Rooms as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. To date the society has covered treats such as I See Fire by Ed Sheeran and Breezeblocks by Alt-J, throwing a bit of beatboxing into the mix while they’re at it.
4. Sheila and Her Dog society – University of Cambridge
You may well not begin university life thinking “if only there is a society out there where I can don a dressing gown before joining fellow gowned beings of an evening while we read children’s books in silly voices, drink hot chocolate and tuck into some biscuits”. Once you know such a society exists, don’t try and tell us you’re not tempted to head along.
The Sheila and Her Dog Society allows you to do just that. Although you will begin at the bottom of the hierarchy as a mere serf, there are opportunities to rise up the ranks. Rumour has it that the group is officially at war with the Pembroke Winnie the Pooh Society. But we reckon there is room in the Hundred Acre Wood for bears and dogs alike.
5. The great university bake off – too many to name
We warned earlier about not getting sucked into a society purely based on the sweet offerings they provide at the freshers’ fair. Ignore that rule here – any cake society worth its salt (or its sugar, butter, eggs and flour) should be offering delicious cakes with no soggy bottoms at every turn.
Unsurprisingly, the Great British Bake Off has caught the imagination of students across the UK, with university societies organising all sorts of workshops, TV screenings and competitions off the back of the show. The University of Manchester has gone a step further, hobnobbing with GBBO 2013 finalist Kimberley Wilson not once but twice.
With all the cake consumption going on, students might need to partake in a bout of Quidditch to put the sugar to good use.
Closing remarks
My how time – like Harry Potter – has flown. We have yet to delve into the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Society, are still to debate whether pole dancing societies really do offer the impressive sporting experience they proclaim (what if you just can’t get off the ground?), and are probably glad that we never got on to the BUMS society, innocent as it turns out to be.
If all else fails and you can’t find the club for you, you can always go down the route of Oxford University Student Union’s former president, Louis Trup, and campaign for the amalgamation of all societies into a single “Soc Soc”. You won’t eliminate societies altogether, but at least everyone else will be as rootless as you.
Read more stories in this series:
- Universities for the thrill-seeking student
- The past’s long shadow sends shivers down student spines
- Five university cities with a great nightlife
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