When arriving at a university, every student has the fear of not fitting in or not finding people who they can connect with. Especially when you're flying from a different country and adapting to a whole new culture!
One of the best things about societies and sports clubs is that there are a whole range of them and based on multiple interests. There's a high chance that you can find a student group at our university that is driven by the same passion. 
At Your Students' Union, you can find a range of societies based on categories such as Special Interest, Music & Performance, Faith, International & Cultural and much more! 
In preparation for this International Festival, we collected small testimonies from international commitee members and society members on their experience and the importance of societies for them! 

Testimony of Darine, president of KPOP Dance Society (2023/2024)
As a member, the community that the society gave me was invaluable. For my first two years at University, 2020 and 2021, I had little to no opportunity to interact with those who had similar interests as I did, and for this reason I struggled to make any friendships at uni, which caused my mental health to suffer and many negative associations to form when I thought about uni. But since becoming a member, I have truly been able to make friendships that I believe will last me beyond uni, and I am so grateful to the society for allowing me to meet people with those similar interests as I have. As a committee member alongside those same friends, my friendships have grown deeper and I have managed to make even more friends! Although it has come with it’s hardships, I am grateful for the experience for all the friendships I’ve been able to make along the way and the personal growth experiences I’ve had!

Testimony of Shaila, member of MENA Society (2023/2024)
So far it’s been a lovely experience meeting people from different backgrounds and finding similar cultural common grounds with other members, these experiences and societal events help make the university experience more fun and enjoyable

Testimony of Tereza, vice-president of Politics Society (2023/2024)
It helped me meet new people with shared interest and provided me with a safe space to share my opinion.

Testimony of Devraj, president of Aerospace Society (2023/2024)
As the President within the Aerospace Society, I've had the privilege of actively contributing to our mission of promoting innovation and collaboration within the aerospace community. Being at the helm of this dynamic organization has profoundly shaped my university experience. Through organizing engaging events, facilitating workshops, and fostering connections with industry professionals, I've honed my leadership skills, deepened my understanding of aerospace technologies, and forged lasting relationships with fellow enthusiasts. The Aerospace Society has provided me with a platform to inspire and empower others while nurturing my own passion for aerospace engineering. Joining the Aerospace Society has not only broadened my horizons but has also equipped me with invaluable experience and a network of like-minded individuals dedicated to advancing aerospace knowledge and innovation. My experience leading the Aerospace Society has been immensely gratifying and enriching. I have thoroughly enjoyed spearheading the Society and have gleaned valuable insights from the role.

Testimony of Vishnu, president of Kerala Cultural Society and Events Manager of Indian Society (2023/2024)
From the first week I arrived in the university, societies have been a big part of my university experience. Especially International & cultural society helped me settle in to the new city by giving me a platform to make new friends.

Testimony of Nishita, president of Bollywood Society (2023/2024)
I think leading an international-cultural society has given me an opportunity to represent an asian community that I belong to and provide recreation and entertainment to like minded individuals. Especially, as international students, we need a community away from home while studying at university and it gives me immense joy to be able to create such opportunities for others.

Testimony of Andreaa, president of Japanese Society (2023/2024)
As a committee member of the Japanese Society, I have had the privilege of meeting many individuals with whom I established strong bonds, both from a professional and personal perspective. Being part of this socially active society which hosts weekly meetings with its members and any other student who is interested, I have realised how important it is to interact with people who are either similar to me or with whom I can relate in some way. The society united us and now we are a powerful group. Not only it was beneficial in terms of well being to be surrounded by such like-minded individuals, it was also a good opportunity for me to become more responsible in order to help make our events happen. It is very important for international students to talk to, learn from, and spend time with other international students regularly. From my own experience, I could say that it made me a friendlier, and more open, enhancing my personality which everyone nowadays is very focused on constantly developing. Studying and all other parts of university life become much easier when there is so much diversity!

Testimony of Asmaa, member of MENA Society (2023/2024)
I can finally see more familiar faces, speak my home language and really enjoy my time with people ,who understand my culture. It's a different vibe that I really look forward to everytime. I met wonderful people and its nice to be outside of my studies once in a while.