Ottilie Owen
On the second day of freshers, Ottilie shares some science, technology and sustainability societies…
Now that it’s Welcome Week, it is once again that time of the year when students turn their attention to trying out various societies. Although this year’s Welcome Fair was slightly different from any other due to COVID-19 and social distancing, this should not deter you from exploring all the diverse societies that Nottingham has to offer.
Here I will focus on science-, sustainability-, and technology-related societies. If this is something that interests you, then this article will help as a guide to talk you through the myriad societies that Nottingham offers in these areas.
All STEM-based courses have their own societies (such as ChemSoc and PhysSoc). These are a fantastic way to improve your social network on your course, alongside meeting people who share your interests and passions. Many also have active sports teams. A representative from these societies will probably makes themselves known during the first weeks of your course, so keep an eye out. Though you can always contact these societies via email them or social media.
If your course is not STEM-based or you want a society tailored more to your specific interests, then Nottingham also offers broad range of non-coursed based STEM societies, under the umbrella of science, technology and sustainability. These societies are open to everyone no matter their degree and help to extend your social sphere outside of your course.
These societies range from the Sustainability Society itself, which aims to brings together like-minded people who are interested in sustainability. The society offers frequent socials, careers opportunities, film screenings, workshops, cloth swaps, and even discounts! They also plan trips to ecovillages, renewable energy companies and conferences for an annual membership of just £2.
Extinction Rebellion is a society for both students and staff who support the environmental conservation organisation Extinction rebellion’s principles and demands, whilst fighting the climate and ecological breakdown. Their strategy is non-violent, disruptive civil disobedience.
Vegan and Vegetarian Society are a collective community of people who support a more sustainable way of living and plant-based lifestyle. The group is open to vegans, vegetarians and anyone who is curious, to share their ideas and experiences. Their socials include meals at Nottingham’s best vegan friendly restaurants and cafes. The society also benefits from discounts at the many restaurants they visit, last year the committee negotiated a discount for their members with some of the best vegan/veggie restaurants in Nottingham, by showing your VegSoc membership.
Conservation and Nature Society, for students who are interested in conservation, or those who are looking for social fun outdoor activities. The society meets weekly and works alongside local and national organisations to conserve Nottingham’s local green areas. The society also offers trips, visiting sites of special scientific interest. They also have a community garden and carry out a range of practical conservation tasks.
Engineers Without Borders, a society whose aim is to drive a movement that inspires, influences and enables global responsibility engineering. The society works on projects, such as wind turbine and solar panel installation to develop sustainability. The society also has contacts in local schools, with the aim to inspire the next generation to pursue higher education in STEM.
Women’s Engineering Society is a student led group that is fully affiliated with the professional organisation of the same name. The society aims to create a diverse community of female engineers, across all engineering disciplines and related STEM sectors at UoN. The society helps its members to create important networks alongside developing key skills, they also host events where members can get involved in some exciting and hands-on team building experiences. This society is open to all genders, to create a united front for gender equality within the workforce.
HackSoc, which is the Hacking and Programming society at the University of Nottingham the society aims to get its members building learning and sharing new tech. The society is open to all, as long as you have an interest in tech.
As there are so many STEM-based societies not all of them have been mentioned in this article. If any of these interest you, or you would like to see the full selection of societies then head to the UoN Students’ Union societies page. Make sure you check any societies are still running before you buy membership. Be sure to check out Impact Podcast’s new Science Show later in the week to listen to an interview with HackSoc and Green Economy Society!
Ottilie Owen
Featured Photo by Akil Mazumder from Pexels. Image licence found here. No changes made to this image.
In article images from Instagram: @NottsSustainability, @VegSocUoN, and @WESNotts
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