QU ISSUE 16: Spring–Summer 2014 | Page 12

Join the club Queen's clubs and societies By Kristina Mulh olland A great way to find new friends, learn different talents and unwind from the natural stresses that come with university life is to join one of the many clubs and societies that Queen's Students' Union has to offer. QU | Your guide to life at Queen's 10 If you are into sport, you could get stuck into one of over 50 (yes 50!) clubs devoted to sports. Choose from clubs like basketball, dance and judo or even try something new – such as cav ing, dodgeball or skydiving – or compete at elite level with hockey or one of the sporting academies: GAA , rugby union; rowing or soccer. If you fancy something a little mor e intellectual, there are over 130 societies covering a wide range of hobbies and interests, such as Queen's Rad io, Photography or Origami! If you prefer to stick to your subject you can choose from an array of School-base d societies – Law, Scrubs, English and Philosophy are just a few on offer – all of which provide countless opp ortunities to learn more about your chosen field through con ferences and guest speakers. Other societies such as SWOT (Students Working Overseas Trust), St Vincent de Paul, Red Cross and St John Ambulance give you a chance to volunteer your time to wor thwhile causes and secure placement opportunities within the charity. Joining a club or society is one of the best things you can do at university. It's not just a grea t way to meet up with or make friends with other students on your course outside the lecture theatre – it will give your CV an extra boost and help you set yourself apart from other job-seekers in a competitive market. This is than ks to the teamwork, organisation, communication and often leadership skills you will gain as an active mem ber of a club or society. Queen's now offers students the opp ortunity to use these experiences as credit towards the Degree Plus initiative. This scheme offers you recognition for all the work you put into the running of your club or society – giving you a chance to provide a record of achi evement and gain extra certification at graduation! Not only that, it offers reward and recognition opportunities thro ugh the Students' Union Awards, the Volunteering Excellen cy Awards and national competitions such as BICS. There are lots of ways to find out mor e. Simply visit www.qubsu.or