Bud in Hud!

Hello and welcome back to another blog about my University life as a postgraduate student. In this blog I will speak about Bud in Hud.

A place to make friends

Bud in Hud is a program organised by the Business School at the University where a group of students gather for two hours every week. The purpose of this is for students to interact and make different friends from all around the school. Every week there is a theme which students discuss and share their opinions. The theme of the week gets sent to students through email before the sessions. This not only helps them socialise with one another but also helps them develop skills that may be useful to them in the future. The best part about Bud in Hud is that it is open for students from any course, regardless of whether they are undergraduate or postgraduate students.

Learning from each other

Throughout these sessions there’s always a diverse range of students. Having a culturally diverse group always opens up more opportunities for students to learn about different practices or beliefs from all over the world. The discussions tend to be more interesting as everyone has something different to share that is new to the others. Another interesting factor about Bud in Hud is the number of students that come from different educational backgrounds. I have had the opportunity to learn about different academic subjects through some of the students I have met, both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Something new to discover every week!

The one thing I like the most about the sessions are the different topics and themes. Deciding on a set topic or theme before the session is good practice for students to come into the sessions having an idea about what will be discussed. Whenever I get sent the topic if it is something I am very interested in I have always looked it up or read about it before the sessions. I have realized that having a topic to discuss can help students open up more and converse better, rather than just asking them to socialise without a topic. Some of the topics include environmental issues, culture and mindfulness. Even if a particular topic doesn’t interest you, the topics change every week, so there’s something for everyone.

The sessions are usually divided into two parts. The first half of the session is more like warming up where we move around the room and introduce ourselves to different students. We usually are given activities, games and quizzes during the first half which are fun but also related to the topic. We then have a break where we grab a few snacks and drinks. During the second half of the session, the organisers Laura and Hana, give us a talk about the topics and have discussions with us. Even though these sessions are for socialising, at the end of the day I always walk out the room knowing more than I did when I walked in. I realize that while these sessions encourage students to meet different people and develop their skills, they also help them gain knowledge in different topic areas.

There are lots of ways to make friends and meet new people at Huddersfield. For more ideas take a look at Neha's blog about Global Campus Events and why you should get involved and Wiam's blog about Life in Huddersfield.