Five reasons to join a Global Student Society

Balancing university life, part time jobs, studies and social life can be quite a struggle. So why do students get involved with Global Student Societies as well? Well, as an international student, joining an international society when I arrived in the UK helped me in ways I never expected.

I wanted to share a few reasons why I believe every student should get involved with such societies.

1. Coping with homesickness

Deciding to leave your family and friends miles away to study abroad in a completely unknown country can be challenging for any international student. Even after making plenty of friends at Huddersfield, I still missed home. I found joining BSSUH (Bangladeshi Student Society – University of Huddersfield) helped me cope with any homesickness. Joining a Global Student Society helps students to meet up with people from the same country, speak your language and share an authentic home-cooked style meal when you seem to be missing home the most.

 2. Getting involved

The University has a plethora of Global Student Societies that host events throughout the year. Participating and attending these events has helped me to meet new friends and enjoy new experiences. It provides an opportunity to socialise with a wide range of people and understand about different cultures from all around the world.

3. Representing culture

I once had a conversation with a friend in which I asked her to explain Bangladesh in a single word; and to that she replied “Bollywood”. That is when I realised how important it was to represent my culture at University. Being a member of a Global Student Society gives you the opportunity to represent your rich culture and break stereotypes. Hosting events with the other societies and showing others Bangladeshi food, games and crafts gives me a warmth inside which cannot be explained in words.

4. Sense of responsibility

Becoming the president of my society has given me a sense of responsibility that other aspects of my life cannot. It has taught me how important it is to maintain strong relationships with all the members of the society no matter what, in order to keep peace and harmony flowing. It has taught me how important it is to take everybody’s opinion into account during any decision making.

Becoming a member of an international society will teach you a high level of responsibility, as each member has an assigned task when hosting events, and every aspect of the planning and execution of an event needs to be completed on time to make sure everything runs smoothly.

 5. Expands your CV

Employers are always looking for extracurricular achievements outside of academic study. Showing employers that you were a part of an international society gives them an idea that you are good team player and have good communication skills. You can talk about all the events you took part in and how you’ve helped and been an active member of the society.

I have really enjoyed being a member of a Global Student Society, and would recommend it to all students at the University.

You can see the full list of Global Student Societies here.