Joining societies and clubs in college: "It’s crazy how much it’s brought us together"

While picking the person to sit next to you was a surefire method in junior infants, making friends in college takes more than a shared desk. So how do you do it?

No, it’s not by asking your classmates their favourite colour. It’s by being a grown-up and joining a group of people who watch The Simpsons together. Weekly.

That college clubs and societies can be so specific is amusing – but it’s also what makes them such an easy way to find people who are on your wavelength. And to be honest, Springfield is as good a place as any to start.

From predicting world events to introducing us to words like ‘yoink’ and ‘embiggen’, the  cultural impact of The Simpsons is immense, something University College Cork’s Simpsons Soc was set up to celebrate.

Though they do champion Springfield’s residents, Publications Officer Juice Walsh explains that, for many, the Simpsons element of their meetings is simply a conversation starter.

“A lot of the time it would have been the free food that brings people in,” Juice jokes. “But mostly, the social aspect of watching the episodes together is enough for people.”

While going to a meeting for free food sounds like the most fitting way to celebrate Homer Simpson, Juice’s point still stands – and their own experience is a testament to the show’s ability to bring people together.

“When I first joined the society,” Juice recalls, “I hadn’t many friends in college, and that’s why I went for it – so I could talk to people who like The  Simpsons. I became friends with them and was even living with them last year. It’s crazy how much it’s brought us together.”

Screenings are the main event, but it’s just one of the ways Simpsons Soc stays active. They’ve run fundraisers, boardgame nights, and quizzes, earning a ‘Societies Choice’ award for their efforts.

Juice says that Simpsons Soc has been a huge help to both them and their close friends, describing societies as integral to their college experience, both in making lifelong friendships and learning new skills.

“I’ve done panel work and I’ve interviewed people,” Juice notes. “It’s all stuff I wouldn’t have been able to do without societies.”

While most people would have heard of Simpsons Soc’s theme, the same cannot be said about our next club. Whatever it is about hockey, it seems to attract people intent on making the game harder to play. While many would stop at ice hockey, University of Limerick’s Underwater Hockey club (UWH) goes even further.

Imagine a group of snorkelers chasing a puck around the bottom of a pool, and you’re about halfway to visualising what a match looks like. To us landlubbers, it might seem like a strange choice of pastime. Club treasurer Chris begs to differ. “Swimming lengths is boring,” he says. “UWH is exciting!”

Asked how people get into such a unique sport, the club’s treasurer Chris says that UWH “really sells itself.”

The Limerick team compete in 4-6 tournaments per year. As for the social aspect, as Chris puts it. “Our club is a great way to meet other water loving weirdos!”

He believes the attraction of the sport derives from how unashamedly bizarre it is. As he points out, you can’t play it in many places outside UL.

While our previous two examples have been fairly underground, the UCD Caving and Potholing Club (UCDCPC) is literally thus. While the word caving evokes images of those TikTok adventurers doing their best impression of the coins in your sofa, Safety & Training officer Lylian Martinez says this is far from what they get up to.

“It’s important for people to know that social media has painted caving as a lot more extreme than it really is,” he says. “Certainly, it exists, but we don’t do that. There’s moments where you have to concentrate, but usually there’s less of a focus level. We talk, or some people sing.”

It’s not all underground raves, either. The club holds meetings at the UCD climbing wall, to show new members how to use the equipment correctly. In addition, Lylian explains there’s several inter-varsity events, with members going on trips with clubs from Belfast and Limerick. “We chat with them, sharing experiences and stories,” he says. “I’m in contact with people from almost all those clubs.”

Whether ABBA or hurling, if you’re into it, there’s a high chance someone else is too. Whether you want to learn new skills or court new friends, it’s clear that it’s worth seeking your community to get the best out of your time in college.

Read the full Student Special in the current issue of Hot Press – out now: