Whether it’s a yoga club, bird watching society, cinema club or barbell society, social clubs offer students the ability to foster new connections and explore new passions at a university level.

For many first-year students, starting university can feel like entering an entirely unfamiliar world, and adjusting to a new environment can often be overwhelming. A survey by Youth Insight found that 14 percent of students felt completely disconnected from their university, with students aged 18-25 preferring in-person contact. It also found that 69 percent of students with a stronger sense of community were less likely to experience frequent stress than those who, with 77 percent experiencing this frequent stress.

For  first year students like Anna Costigan, social clubs were a vital part of the transition period into university. Costigan, who recently joined La Trobe’s book club, says that joining a social club was a great way of “extending her social circle”.

“I wanted to extend just meeting people through my law classes, because there’s so many new people, I was able to meet through a club.”

“Walking around now, I say hi to people I know, and it’s sweet,” she says.

Jaya Slater, fellow book club member and first year Bachelor of Arts student says it has help her social confidence.

“Now I’m a bit more willing to talk to people, even if it’s just in my classes,” she says.

The book club also  operates as a network of support and connection for people with similar interests

“Everyone has similar ideas. It’s cool. There isn’t a lot of personality clashes.”

The benefits of social clubs extend beyond social friendships. They can also help positively impact students who may face emotional distress due to the demands of university. Senior Coordinator of Regional Health and Wellbeing at La Trobe, Zibet Szacsvay, works with students who are impacted by the demands of university, and can sometimes involve feeling isolated and alone.

“I often speak to students who may be struggling with the transition into the uni, and often part of the reason as to why they are struggling is because they haven’t found people to connect with,” she says.

Szacsvay will often suggest joining a club to encourage students to find connections on campus.

“It’s really important for students to build that sense of belonging and start to feel connected to La Trobe and to the campus that they are studying at,” she says.

Social clubs are also a great way to explore similar interests and passions with students from different universities across Melbourne. Grace Barnes, a first-year Melbourne University student is part of a theatre club and a production club, says she feels like she has been welcomed into a “loving community that discusses and interacts with different passions.”

“I’ve met people not only through my university but RMIT and other unis,” she says.

Vice President of the La Trobe book club, Elif Turac, has been in countless social clubs, starting as a first-year student in the Dungeons and Dragons club. She’s built meaningful friendships through her involvement and discovered a newfound confidence as a leader.

“I was able to meet a lot of people and make genuine connections with some of them that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t joined any clubs in the first place,” she says.

Elif finds that since joining social clubs, her social skills have improved, and social anxiety has lessened since she began “challenging [her]self with club activities and situations”.

“Someone I’ve never spoken to, but I know from a club or old class, might wave at me if we cross paths,” she says.

“For all of that, I am thankful because it does make university feel like a second home.”

Article: Kate-Lily Pavic is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communication (Journalism) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on X at @KatePavic

Photo: by RDNE Stock project, found HERE and is used under a creative commons license.