Maddie Boden talks sports teams, societies, colleges and much more...
Staying in York for my entire academic career thus far has
been an effective way to develop some pretty deep social bonds. As an
undergraduate, I was able to try out different societies and sports teams,
learn about the collegiate system firsthand by living within it and get
involved with the students’ union (YUSU) who reached out to me as an
undergraduate often and effectively. Moving towards postgraduate study, I was
well aware of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and what they did and felt
comfortable getting involved from the start. Six years on and I’m starting to
feel like a piece of the furniture. However, I know that coming to York for the
first time and as a PhD student is a completely different prospect. Not only
are you thrown in headfirst to a new academic community, but that community isn’t
really geared towards you as a: mature (21+ years plus is really not that old),
humanities based (ever notice how *all* the science PhDs have their own office?),
and new student at York.
Well I come to you now, seven weeks into term, hoping to
offer up some of the wisdom that comes with staying in the same damn place for
this long. There are a huge number of ways of being involved as a PhD student
in life on campus - societies, teams, events and campaigns. They aren’t often
marketed as being particularly postgrad friendly, but I’ve been here long
enough to know that they are and they benefit from postgraduates being
involved. I also work at the students’ union part-time which helps to keep
track of new activities and events that are going on. I’ll proceed in listicle
form for ease of reading.
1.
Sports Teams
York Sport has made getting involved as a postgraduate
really approachable and easy. Teams now offer ‘taster’ sessions for
recreational players with no commitment to joining. According to the York Sport
President, Isaac Beevor, here are the teams that currently have the highest
number of postgraduate players:
1.
Volleyball
2. Archery
3. Ultimate
Frisbee
4. Handball
You can more information about these teams (and the 60+
others York Sport Union offer) and details about their upcoming sessions at http://www.yusu.org/opportunities/sport/clubs-a-z
2. Art Society
While Art History Society tends to err towards night’s out
for undergraduates and SHADY offers intermittent activities, the Art Society is
offering a unique opportunity to art historians who might also be artists! The
Wentworth Art Studios on campus are being refurbished and reopened at the start
of next term and Art Society is offering memberships for access to the studios
(which includes time in the studio and supplies) The studios have space for
painting, drawing, ceramics, and print-making. If you follow this link: http://www.yusu.org/blogs/view/2005/art-studio-keep-me-updated
you can sign up to the Art Studio mailing list where more
information will be circulated when the studios reopen next term.
3. Colleges
One of York’s founding principles was being part of a
collegiate system, akin to Oxford and Cambridge but with more opportunities for
students to have a say in college life. Today, York has 9 colleges (with a
further two planned in the next 5 years). Every single student is assigned to a
college at York, including PhDs. The default postgraduate college is Wentworth,
but there are postgraduates in every single college and you can opt to be in
any college you like. Some postgraduates are college welfare tutors, who live
and work in a college, providing a friendly face and first point of contact for
other students. College tutors also receive subsidised on-campus accommodation.
Another way postgraduates can get involved in colleges is through the colleges
junior common room committees (JCRC) JCRC are made up of a number of students
who work on events, campaigns and improving student life. There are
postgraduate and mature student roles on every single college committee that
often go unfilled because postgraduates remain outside the college ‘bubble’. A
great way to make a start to change this is by getting involved. College JCRC
elections have just been and gone, but colleges will be running by-elections to
fill empty positions early next term.
4. Give It A Go Trips
Give It A Go is a programme set up by YUSU to engage
certain communities of students (postgraduates in particular) in getting more
involved in student life. Feedback has shown that postgraduates that try one of
the Give It A Go sessions were glad that they did and said they would do it
again and recommend it to a friend. One of the most popular Give It A Go
programmes are the termly trips they offer.
On Saturday 26 November they are running a trip to the
Manchester Christmas Markets. For £12 (much cheaper than a train ticket) there
is a coach taking students there for the day to explore the markets. You can
buy a ticket for the coach at www.yusu.org/tickets
You can also pick up a Give It A Go booklet at the Student
Centre to learn about the other sorts of sessions they offer (societies, sports
clubs, volunteering, careers).
Many thanks to Maddie Boden, our SHADY co-ordinator, for contributing to our blog this week.. Look out for more guest posts in the coming months...
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