Sports and Societies I'm Participating in as a Postgraduate at UCL GBSH

In my undergrad and even at my previous workplace, I've always loved to get involved- whether that was a committee, sports or clubs. When I came to UCL, I knew I wanted to get involved and find my social network by joining clubs where I could meet people with common interests! Luckily for me, UCL has tons of societies and sports clubs operated by the Student Union, so there is a club for anyone and everyone.

Finding the right society for you

During the first week of school, I started looking at the different societies that UCL offers from their societies page on the Student Union website. I picked out a few that I thought were interesting by reading their club biographies and looking at their upcoming events. The good thing about UCL is, that before officially joining a society, you can sign up for a free taster membership before buying a standard membership to the society you’re interested in. Taster memberships allow you to try out events that are hosted by the society during the first couple weeks of school so you can get a feel for the society and if it’s something you want to purchase a membership for. During the first week of school, UCL also held a welcome fair which had all of the clubs and societies attend, so you can meet all of the societies you’re interested in face to face and ask any questions you might have.

My experience in finding my societies

For me personally, when I was looking at societies, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the options because I wanted to join so many societies- they all seemed so interesting. As an MSc Global Healthcare Management student, I was looking for a society that would allow me to expand my network in the healthcare industry as well as build on my interest in the healthcare field. In addition to a society that aligns with my career goals, I was also looking at fun societies like the Cheerleading club and Project Active which are student union-led activities to keep students and faculty active.

During my first few weeks at UCL I signed up for a taster with the Cheerleading club, Medtech Society as well as the Consulting Society. Cheerleading was something that I have previously done and I knew it would be a lot of fun to be back in that team environment, so I signed up for a taster event and got to see what it would be like to join the cheerleading society. At this taster, we danced and got to stunt and it was a lot of fun getting back into that space.

I was also keen to join the Medtech Society, because I’ve always been interested in the intersection of healthcare and technology, and the first event I went to with the Medtech Society was a society meet and greet. During this event, I made a good friend who also studies at GBSH but not in my specific program, so it turned out to be a great way to meet new postgrads and make new friends!

The Consulting Society was also another society that interested me because consulting is something that I’m interested in getting into after my degree. What interested me most about this society was the events that they promoted. This society offers mentorship where you can be paired up with a consultant who can help guide you in your journey, and they host lots of networking events with different speakers within the industry, including CV workshops, and case study workshops to give you hands-on experience. One last society that I looked into was Project Active. This is a society with less commitment where they host various ways to stay active, whether that is run clubs, pilates or yoga sessions. I ended up joining a running club that they hosted and it was a great way to stay active while also meeting new people.

Deciding on my societies

The first few weeks were certainly flew by meeting tons of new people and deciding which societies I wanted to join. Ultimately, I signed up for a standard membership for the Medtech and Consulting society. I decided that I wanted to focus on continuing to build my network and set myself up as best as I could for my career. In addition, I continue to still join in on some of the project active run club sessions here and there. 

The importance of putting yourself out there and making the most of your time at UCL

As an international student living in London for the first time, I knew I needed to build a new social network from the ground up. To do this, I knew I needed to put myself out there and step out of my comfort zone to meet new people. Through all of the societies that I tried through the taster memberships and the society memberships I’ve purchased, I’ve since met one of my closest friends that I’ve made at UCL, I’ve expanded my professional network by joining the mentorship program hosted by the UCL Consulting Society and continued to stay healthy through my love of running by joining the run clubs offered by Project Active. Moving to a new country without knowing anyone beforehand can certainly be daunting, however, UCL societies allowed me to meet some amazing people who have given me that much-needed social and mental support- especially helpful in coping with the gloomy London days. As a student who has tried and joined all of these societies, I would tell all prospective students to say yes to new experiences, try new things, meet new people and if anything, it will be a well-deserved study break!