The Student’s Union
Written by: Birju Galaiya
In the last few blogs, I talked about my course and
the projects we undertake as engineering students. This time round I am going
to talk to you about the Sheffield Student’s Union and what it offers to students. A
big chunk of your university life will be the things you do outside your
degree. Unlike school where there are classes throughout the day from 9am-5pm,
in university you will find that you will have plenty of time to achieve your
other ambitions such as playing a sport, helping the community by volunteering
for activities and being an active member of a society.
The Sheffield’s Student Union (http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/) is the
heart of the university and it helps you achieve your goals. With the students
running it, the Union has grown over the years to become the best Students'
Union in the UK in the Times Higher Education's Student Experience Survey for
the past 3 years running. Yes, that’s right- best in the UK! You may ask why
is it so special or what’s so good about it? Well, let me give
you some facts and figures that will dazzle you. At the beginning of the
2013-2014 academic year, the Union’s refurbishments were completed at a
cost of £5million. Now there are many more food shops, meeting rooms
and studios which students can utilize. Also it has a cinema where you can
enjoy watching movies at an affordable rate. The Union’s expansion
has allowed it to accommodate the increased student capacity. I tell you, it’s
a really incredible building!
One of the successes of the Student’s Union is its Volunteering
opportunities. Once in a while, it’s always good to help the community
around in Sheffield and the Union is proud in taking on the challenges by
collaborating with various charities. It encourages students to take part in
activities that range from a few hours to a project of several months. I
regularly take on these opportunities as you can build your skills and also
have a good time. The latest one was volunteering in a swimathon event.
Personally,
the ‘Give it a go’ scheme they have is great. In this
scheme, students have the ability to explore new, fun places in the UK, as well
as try out new activities and sports which they would not have otherwise. It’s
an opportunity to try out new things- from learning a language to learning a new
sport. I learnt the game of Goal Ball (Paralympic sport), self-defence skills
and iMovie editing.
I can go on
and on about the great experiences the Union has to offer. Instead why don’t
you come study in Sheffield and experience it yourself? J
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