You’re normally encouraged to spend your time at university putting your best skills and knowledge into practice and striving for an amazing academic experience – but that shouldn’t be all that you get out of it! Whether you’re at uni for a year, three years or even six, trying new things both inside and outside of your studies can make this experience long-lasting and something you’ll cherish forever! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Start a sport
A lot of people come to uni looking to continue their sporting interests, having already been a part of a team in their college or community, while others join without any sporting experience or knowledge. If you’re one of the latter (like me!), try to branch out a little, even if you just want to play for a social team and enjoy all the nights out without the training and early mornings. Trying a new sport at uni is not only good for your physical and mental wellbeing, but can also help you to make new friends and learn some new skills along the way!
2. Find your hidden talent
If sports aren’t really your thing – that’s totally fine! There are loads of other activities that allow you to develop a new skill and have fun. At KCLSU, we have a wide range of great societies that might be able to spark your interest or an inner talent that you didn’t even know you had. If you’re slightly curious about something, try to see whether there is an existing society or student group that are also interested or passionate about it. You could be great at knitting, writing, singing, playing the piano, painting or protesting – but you’ll never know until you try!
3. Get into volunteering
Okay – so you don’t want to play a sport or join a society, and the whole point of trying something new is to help you discover what you like. So why not do something positive for your community? There are lots of volunteering opportunities at KCLSU, organised both by students and established organisations, which you can join and help to make the world a better place. Volunteering is something which can help make your time at uni all about skill growth and giving back. Plus – sometimes, there are even doggies involved!
4. Dive into events
If you are looking more for a one-time thing rather than a weekly commitment, have a look at what’s happening around you and try out a new event or one-off club! London is a huge city with an array of events and activities happening at every second, and whether you are after a feminist book-club, yoga in an inflatable hot pod or an early-morning, alcohol-free rave, you can find almost anything in the city.
5. Learn something new
We’re all about having fun and trying new hobbies while at uni, but the truth is, for a lot of your time spent here you’ll be studying and working through exam stress. Though some assessments may be similar to what you’ve experienced at school, revising for your degree can be really tough and completely different to what you may have done before. Because of this, your usual methods of studying might not work for you anymore – and that’s not a bad thing - just make sure to trial and error lots of different techniques while revising, and you will find what works for you. Whether that’s posters, repetition, post-its, highlighting, or studying with a group of lecture mates, find what makes you feel comfortable and helps you digest as much information as possible!
Even just swapping your usual library spot for a coffee shop might help to stimulate your mind!
