During Welcome Week there are multiple fairs on at the LSE Students’ Union (SU). I encourage you to go so you can get an idea of all the societies and clubs the SU have to offer. Although Welcome Week can be quite overwhelming it is a great place to get inspiration for new activities you would like to try out or to be reminded of old ones. In my instance, the latter was the case. Throughout my first term as a postgraduate student at LSE I rediscovered my love for football.
At first, I was a bit apprehensive about joining the club, because I was concerned that the sports clubs were mostly for undergrads and that I would feel too old or excluded. Moreover, I had not played football for around ten years, so I was nervous I would not be at the desired level for the club. I could not have been more wrong!
During the first weeks of term you will notice that most LSESU clubs have free sessions as part of the “Give It A Go” initiative. I decided to ignore my nerves and just try out to see if I liked it! At the LSE Women’s Football Club (LSEWFC), you will find that there is a huge range of skills and experience with football, and the team consists of both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The club is split into a first team for people who want to take the sport a bit more seriously, and a social team for those who might not be too experienced with football or who just want to play for fun. Regardless of which team you are in, we all train together.
One of the many reasons why you should consider joining a sports team is the social aspect of it. As a team sport you will bond with your teammates, which is a great opportunity to meet people from outside your programme. In addition to the sports aspect, you will also benefit from social events. The sports clubs are part of the Athletics Union (AU) who hold social events every week. Every Wednesday the sports clubs arrange a social activity for their teams and then they go out and party with the rest of the AU. I must admit that for a postgraduate student like me, going out every Wednesday and still managing to show up to class on Thursday is not the most sustainable of choices. However, the option is there for the party animals! Regardless of whether you attend every social or every training it is safe to say that if you join a sports club you will build strong bonds and friendships with people you might never have met!
In addition to the friendships, exercise and fresh air are good reasons to join the LSEWFC, or any other sports clubs. Coming to study in an expensive city like London I knew I might have to give up on a gym membership. If you join a club you will get organised exercises at least once a week. Sometimes there’s matches or the club organises gym sessions as well. It is also training that is fun and done together with teammates, so it does not feel like exercising! With a sport like football, you will also get some valuable time spent outside. Both exercise and fresh air are important to maintain your mental and physical health whilst pursuing your studies.
Moreover, joining a club is a great addition to your CV to show your personality and to have talking points during interviews. There are also a number of positions on the committees within clubs you can apply for. By taking on these types of roles you will gain important leadership, organisation and communication skills.
Whether you already have a sport or activity in mind you would like to join, or if you want to try something new, the SU has something for everyone. Remember that there is more to your studies than the academic aspect and I implore you to take advantage of everything LSE has to offer!
