Written by: Diego Altamirano
Societies
It’s impossible for me to name all the number of extracurricular activities you can take part in as a student at Newcastle University Business School.
At Newcastle there are over 160 societies which cover a range of hobbies and interests, ranging from the Book Club Society, the DJ Society, and even the Irish Dance Society. Focusing more on the Business School, you can find societies like the Business Society, Accounting & Finance Society, Economics Society, Entrepreneurship Society, and Investment Society.
You can have a glance at all these societies during Induction Week at the society fairs. This is a great way to find which societies match with your interests. I would highly encourage joining a society as they are a great way to meet like-minded people.
Intramural Teams
Aside from societies, other activities include the University’s intramural clubs. You can join for weekly practice sessions and matches of sports including basketball, football, rugby, badminton, and more. The sessions held at intramurals aren’t as serious as the official university teams making these sessions a great way to try new sports.
Give It A Go
If you don’t want to be committed to a particular society or team, Give It A Go is a great programme for you. It is a great way of experiencing different activities that particularly interest you. Give It A Go offers a wide range of activities such as a tour day to the Scottish Highlands, quiz nights and yoga classes. The activities vary throughout the year, and you can attend the ones that most interest you.
My favourite choices
I have always been an active person, all my life I played Tennis but eventually got tired of it. For this reason, when I came to Newcastle, I wanted to learn a new sport.
A friend told me of the intramural teams, so I decided to join basketball and I have been a part of the intramural sessions for 7 months now. I play every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday I play for 1 hour from 6-7 pm and then on Saturdays I play for 2 hours from 11am-1pm. Both days are practice for the weekly match played on Sunday against other intramural teams.
This has helped me to find a new passion and keep me active during my studies. I also take part in the Padel Tennis Society which is a sport that I used to practice back home. Similar to the Basketball Society, I have weekly sessions every Wednesday from 2-3pm. I have had great experiences with this society, one of my favourites was having a tournament against the Durham Padel Society.
Focusing more on my professional skills, I decided to join the Entrepreneurship Society. This society offers networking sessions and talks from experienced entrepreneurs that want to share wisdom with Newcastle University students. The Entrepreneurship Society is great for networking with people from different backgrounds and degrees. It gives inspiration and ideas that can be implemented in personal and professional endeavours.