Many students worry about joining societies past first year — but university research on extracurricular participation and graduate outcomes consistently shows that committee experience, whatever year you start, is one of the strongest CV signals graduate employers respond to.
Key Takeaways:
- How many societies should I join at university? Commit properly to one or two, and sample a few more in the first weeks before narrowing down. Two societies you actually attend will do far more for you than eight you only joined on paper.
- Can I join a society in second or third year? Yes — societies are open to every year group and take new members all year. There will be other late joiners, and the committee will be pleased to have you. The refreshers fair in second semester exists partly for this.
- Are societies worth it for employability? Particularly committee roles, yes. A committee role involves managing a budget, events, a team and problem-solving — all of which map directly onto skills graduate employers explicitly ask about at interview.
Societies are one of the few parts of university that almost everyone agrees are worth the effort — and one of the few that nobody really explains before you arrive. You will hear the word constantly during your first week, see a hundred stalls at the freshers fair, and be told vaguely that joining things is “a good idea.” This guide fills in the rest: what societies and clubs actually are, what you genuinely get out of them, how to choose without spreading yourself too thin, how to sign up, and — importantly — how to get involved if you are well past your first week and worried you have missed the boat.
It is written for students at any stage. If you are about to start, it will help you walk into the freshers fair with a plan. If you are in second or third year and have never joined anything, the section on joining late is for you, and the short version is: it is not too late. Making the most of societies is closely tied to making friends at university, and most societies are run through your students’ union, so those two guides are natural companions to this one.
What are societies and clubs at university?
A society is a student-run group built around a shared interest, identity, activity, or cause. A university of any size will have dozens, and a large one will have hundreds. They are organised and led by students, supported by the students’ union, and open to anyone who wants to join.
Societies vs sports clubs: what’s the difference
In everyday conversation people use “societies” and “clubs” interchangeably, but most universities draw a line between the two. Sports clubs are competitive and training-focused: they have fixtures, league places, regular practice sessions, and often a tryout or fitness expectation. Societies cover everything else — and “everything else” is a very wide field. The practical difference is commitment and structure. A sports club usually expects you at training every week; a society might meet weekly, monthly, or simply run events you attend when you fancy it.
The full range: academic, hobby, cultural, faith, campaign and course societies
The variety surprises most new students. Alongside the obvious ones, you will find societies for hobbies you already have and hobbies you have never heard of.
| Type of society | Examples | Typical commitment | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic / subject | Law, History, Engineering, Psychology | Low–medium; talks, socials, trips | Free–£10 |
| Hobby / activity | Photography, Baking, Climbing, Board Games | Medium; regular meet-ups | £5–£20 |
| Cultural / national | African-Caribbean, Hellenic, South Asian societies | Low–medium; events, celebrations | Free–£15 |
| Faith | Christian Union, Islamic Society, Jewish Society | Flexible; weekly gatherings | Usually free |
| Campaign / cause | Amnesty, environmental, political societies | Variable; meetings, actions | Usually free |
| Media / performance | Student paper, radio, drama, a cappella | High; deadlines, rehearsals | Free–£20 |
| Course / departmental | Run by and for students on your degree | Low; socials, study support | Usually free |
The categories blur, and that is fine. The point is that whatever you are into — or curious about — there is almost certainly a group for it, and if there genuinely is not, you can start one (more on that later).
Who runs them, and how they connect to the students’ union
Societies are student-led, but they do not exist in a vacuum. They are affiliated to your students’ union, which provides the framework around them: a budget, room bookings, insurance, training for committee members, and rules everyone has to follow. This is why “join a society” and “get involved in the SU” are really the same conversation from two angles. When you join a society you are, in a small way, already participating in your students’ union — most unions have an activities or societies officer whose entire job is to keep this part of student life running.
Why join a society? The real benefits
The case for societies gets made so often that it can start to sound like noise. Here it is properly, with the honest version included.
Making friends and finding your people
This is the big one. The single most reliable way to make friends at university is repeated, low-pressure contact with the same people around a shared activity — which is the exact thing a society provides. Your flatmates are luck of the draw and your course is assigned to you; a society is the first social setting at university you actually choose. Everyone in the room has opted into the same thing you have, which gives you an instant, genuine point of connection and removes the hardest part of meeting people: finding something to talk about.
This matters more than it might sound. Loneliness is common in the first year, and the students who settle fastest are usually the ones who found a small group early. If that is on your mind, the making friends at university guide goes deeper on it.
Building transferable skills and your CV
Societies are one of the most efficient ways to build the kind of experience employers actually ask about. Running events, managing a small budget, promoting things, coordinating a team, handling a setback — these are the situations behind every “tell us about a time when…” interview question. Research on student employability consistently finds that taking part in structured extracurricular activities is linked to better graduate outcomes, partly because of the skills and partly because of the networks and confidence that come with them.
| Benefit | How it actually shows up | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| New friendships | A small group you see regularly | Join early, go consistently |
| Transferable skills | Teamwork, organising, communication | Take on a role, not just attend |
| CV evidence | Concrete “time when…” examples | Get involved beyond membership |
| Wellbeing & routine | A fixed, enjoyable point in the week | Pick something you’d do anyway |
| A sense of belonging | Feeling part of something | Stick with one or two, long-term |
You do not get the CV benefit simply by paying a membership fee, though. It comes from doing things — which is why the section on committee roles below matters.
Wellbeing, routine and a sense of belonging
A society gives your week a shape. University, especially in first year, can have alarmingly little fixed structure, and unstructured time is not always good for you. A weekly society session is an anchor: somewhere to be, something to look forward to, a built-in reason to leave your room. Many students find this is quietly one of the most valuable things a society does — less dramatic than “made my best friends” but doing real work for their mental health and their sense that they belong somewhere.
The honest version: what societies won’t fix
Societies are good, but they are not magic. Joining one will not instantly cure homesickness or social anxiety, and the first session can feel awkward — walking into a room of people who seem to already know each other is genuinely uncomfortable, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. The honest truth is that the benefit comes from going back a second and third time, past the awkward stage, and that not every society will click. Some you will try once and never return to, and that is a normal, successful outcome, not a failure.
How to choose the right societies for you
The freshers fair will try to get you to sign up for thirty things. You should not. Choosing well is the difference between societies being a highlight of your degree and being a source of low-level guilt about all the WhatsApp groups you are ignoring.
Start with your interests and what you want out of it
Before you look at any list, decide what you actually want from a society this year. Most students want one of three things: to make friends, to get better at or explore an activity, or to build something for their CV. They are not mutually exclusive, but knowing your priority changes your choices. If it is friends, pick something social with regular meet-ups. If it is a skill, pick something with proper sessions and a bit of structure. If it is your CV, pick something where you can realistically take on a role.
How many is too many? Avoiding the overcommitment trap
The classic first-year mistake is signing up to eight societies in a burst of enthusiasm, paying five membership fees, and actually attending none of them by November. Aim to commit to one or two, and feel free to sample a few more. Two societies you show up to consistently will do far more for you — friendships, skills, belonging — than eight you are nominally a member of. You can always add more later; it is much harder to claw back time you have over-promised.
Practical factors: cost, time and location
Enthusiasm is not a plan. Before committing, check three practical things: the membership fee and whether it is annual or per-term; when and where the society actually meets, and whether that fits your timetable and your energy levels; and any extra costs beyond membership (kit, trips, competition entry, socials). A society that meets at 9am on the other side of the city is one you will quietly stop attending, however much you like the idea of it. If money is tight, plenty of societies are free or nearly free — and the managing money and budgeting guide can help you fit a couple of fees into your term.
Try before you commit: taster sessions and trial periods
Almost every society runs taster sessions or a trial period at the start of the year, precisely so you can find out whether something suits you before you pay. Use them properly. Going to one taster does not commit you to anything, and committee members fully expect people to try a session and not come back. Treat the first few weeks as a sampling exercise: try more than you will keep, then narrow down.
| Shortlisting check | Score it (1–5) |
|---|---|
| Genuine interest — do I actually want to be there? | |
| Cost — fee and extras I can afford | |
| Time — fits my timetable and energy | |
| Social fit — did the people feel welcoming? | |
| Skills value — can I take on a role here? |
Run candidate societies through a quick check like this and the ones worth keeping tend to be obvious.
How to actually join a society
The mechanics are simple once someone explains them, and almost nobody does.
The freshers fair, and how to work it without being overwhelmed
The freshers fair is a big hall full of society stalls, usually held in your first week. It is loud, busy, and a bit much. Go in with a rough shortlist rather than wandering aimlessly, but stay open to the stall that catches your eye unexpectedly — those are often the best finds. Talk to current members; they are the best source of honest information about what a society is really like. Signing up at a stall usually just adds you to a mailing list — it is not a binding commitment or, usually, a payment. The freshers fair is the busiest moment of the year for societies, and it overlaps with everything else in freshers week, so do not feel you have to sort your entire social life in one afternoon.
The refreshers fair and joining mid-year
If you miss the freshers fair, or your interests change, most universities run a refreshers fair at the start of the second semester — a smaller version of the same thing. Beyond that, the majority of societies take new members all year round. There is rarely a real deadline.
Membership fees: what to expect and how to budget
Many societies charge a membership fee. It is usually modest — often somewhere between £5 and £20 — and it typically covers either the whole year or a single term. The fee generally goes towards the society’s running costs: equipment, room hire, speakers, subsidised socials. Ask at the stall exactly what the fee is, what period it covers, and what it includes, so you can fit it into your budget. If a fee is a genuine barrier, say so to the committee — many societies have hardship arrangements or can be flexible, because they would rather have you there.
Taster sessions, sign-up and what happens next
Once you have signed up, you will usually be added to a mailing list and a group chat — that is how most societies communicate. The first proper session is the one that counts. Going to it is the single most important step, and also the one most people quietly skip because turning up alone feels daunting. It is worth pushing through that: the awkwardness of a first session is real, brief, and shared by everyone else walking in.
Is it too late to join? Joining after first year
This is one of the most common worries students have about societies — and one of the most misplaced. If you are reading this in second year, third year, or beyond, this section is the important one.
Why it’s genuinely never too late
Societies are open to the whole student body, every year of your degree, not just to freshers. They do not “fill up” and close. Committees actively want new members at every point in the year, because membership numbers matter to them — for funding, for energy, for simply keeping the society alive. Walking into a society in October of your second year is completely normal and completely welcome.
Joining as a second or third year
The thing that stops people is the fear that everyone else will already know each other and they will be the odd one out. In practice, two things are true: there will be other people joining at the same stage as you, and the existing members were all new once and remember exactly how it feels. Committees are generally good at folding in new faces because they have to do it constantly. The refreshers fair exists specifically to make second-semester joining easy, and many societies will happily take you any week of the year if you just email and ask.
Joining as a mature, postgraduate or commuter student
If you are a mature student, a postgraduate, or you commute in, societies can feel like they are not aimed at you — and a lot of the marketing genuinely is aimed at 18-year-old freshers. But many universities have societies specifically for mature and postgraduate students, and plenty of interest-based societies have a wider age range than you would expect. If you commute, look for societies that meet during the day or right after teaching, so involvement does not depend on a second trip in. The value of a society — friends, structure, belonging — is arguably higher for students whose circumstances make the default social routes harder.
How to walk into an established group and feel at home
The practical advice for joining late is the same as joining early, with a little more deliberateness. Email the committee before you turn up, so someone is expecting you. Go to a session that is an activity rather than a pure social, because having something to do removes the pressure to make small talk cold. Give it three sessions before you judge it — first impressions of any group are unreliable. And remember the committee is on your side: a new member is good news for them.
Going further: committee roles and starting your own society
Membership is the entry point. The students who get the most out of societies — in friendships, in skills, in things to actually say at interview — are usually the ones who go a step further.
What committee roles actually involve
Every society is run by a committee: a small group of students elected by the members, usually each spring, to run things for the following year. The standard roles are president, secretary, treasurer, and a set of others that vary by society — social secretary, events officer, welfare officer, publicity. The time commitment is real but manageable, and most roles are very learnable; you do not need prior experience, just willingness. Committees are elected at an annual general meeting (AGM), and in smaller or newer societies, roles are sometimes uncontested — meaning if you put yourself forward, you are in.
Why committee experience is CV gold
A committee role is the difference between “member of the photography society” and a concrete story about organising a fifty-person exhibition on a budget with a team you had to motivate. Being a treasurer is, genuinely, managing a budget. Being a social secretary is event management. Being a president is leadership and delegation. These map directly onto graduate job competencies, which is why committee experience consistently comes up in advice on graduate jobs, careers and internships. You do not have to be president — any committee role gives you the kind of specific, ownable experience that interviews are built around.
How to start a brand-new society from scratch
If the society you want does not exist, you can create it. The process varies by university but generally follows the same shape: check it does not already exist under a different name, find a small group of interested people (unions usually require a minimum number of founding members), gather a set number of signatures or expressions of interest, write a short constitution (the union normally provides a template), and submit it to the union for approval. It is more administrative than difficult, and the activities team at your union is there to help you through it. Founding a society is also, incidentally, an exceptional thing to have done — it is initiative, organisation and leadership in one.
Making societies pay off — especially for widening-participation students
There is an uncomfortable pattern worth naming. Research into student employability has found that students from more advantaged backgrounds are more likely to treat societies and committee roles strategically — as deliberate ways to build the “social capital” and CV profile that graduate employers reward — while students from widening-participation backgrounds are less likely to participate in extracurriculars and less likely to fully see the value employers attach to them. The participation gap is real, and it has consequences.
The takeaway is not “everyone must grind societies for their CV.” It is that the benefit is there for everyone, it is not automatic, and it should not be a hidden advantage available only to students who already knew the game. If you are the first in your family to go to university, or you have not had much exposure to this kind of thing before: societies, and especially committee roles, are open to you, they are worth your time, and the experience they give you is exactly what employers are asking about. You are not “doing it wrong” by joining late or starting small — you are doing it.
Conclusion
Societies work best when you treat them as a sequence of small, manageable decisions rather than one big leap. Work out what you want from them — friends, a skill, your CV, or just a fixed good thing in your week. Sample more than you will keep, then commit properly to one or two. Use the taster sessions, check the practical stuff before you pay, and push through the awkwardness of a first session, because that is where the benefit actually starts. If you are joining late, join anyway: it is genuinely never too late, and the committee will be glad you did. And when you are ready, go further than membership — a committee role or a society of your own is where societies stop being something you attend and start being something you can point to for years afterwards.
The next step is simple and small: pick one society that interests you and go to a single taster session. See how it feels. Everything else follows from that.
For where to go next, the students’ union guide explains the bigger structure all of this sits inside, making friends at university covers the social side in more depth, and the social life hub collects the rest of this part of student life in one place.
Frequently asked questions
How many societies should I join?
Commit properly to one or two, and feel free to sample a few more in the first few weeks before narrowing down. Two societies you actually attend will do far more for you than eight you only joined on paper.
Do societies cost money — and how much?
Many charge a membership fee, usually modest — often around £5 to £20 — covering a term or the year. Some are free. There can be extra costs for kit, trips or socials, so ask at sign-up. If a fee is a real barrier, tell the committee; many have hardship arrangements.
Can I join a society in second or third year?
Yes. Societies are open to every year group and take new members all year. There will be other late joiners, and the committee will be pleased to have you. The refreshers fair in second semester exists partly for this.
What’s the difference between a society and a sports club?
Sports clubs are competitive and training-focused, with fixtures and regular practice. Societies cover every other shared interest — academic, hobby, cultural, faith, campaign, media — and the commitment is usually more flexible.
Do I need to be good at something to join?
No. The large majority of societies welcome complete beginners, and many exist specifically for people trying something new. Competitive sports clubs may have tryouts, but societies generally do not.
What if I join a society and don’t like it?
That is a normal, successful outcome of sampling — not a failure. Try a couple of sessions, and if it is not for you, move on. Nobody expects every society to be a match.
How do I start a new society?
Check it does not already exist, gather a small group of founding members and a set number of signatures, write a short constitution using your union’s template, and submit it for approval. Your union’s activities team will help you through the process.
References
- Tomlinson, M. (work on graduate employability and the value of capitals). Studies in Higher Education / Higher Education Research & Development. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2024.2325154
- McCafferty, H. (2022). An unjust balance: a systematic review of the employability perceptions of UK undergraduates from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Research in Post-Compulsory Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13596748.2022.2110774
- Students’ Union UCL. (n.d.). It’s not too late to join societies. https://studentsunionucl.org/articles/its-not-too-late-to-join-societies
Further reading
- Research on extracurricular activities and graduate outcomes — peer-reviewed evidence on how society and committee involvement links to employability.
- Students’ Union UCL: It’s not too late to join societies — a students’ union’s own reassurance for later joiners.
- anonfess: Making friends at university · Getting involved in the students’ union · Managing money and budgeting