Societies are supposed to be spaces for students to come together and experience the more social aspects of university life, yet many STEM students find it difficult to get and stay involved.
STEM students are finding it tough to partake in Trinity’s society’s culture, with high-contact hours in class being a major stressor. With over twenty contact hours a week reported from multiple STEM students across multiple disciplines, it can be difficult to find society events that fit packed schedules. “I feel with so many contact hours it is difficult to find time to go to society events,” Ally Chase, a second-year maths student, notes. “A lot of society events are during the day, coinciding with lectures or our one-hour break for lunch. Even when we don’t have class and events are after school hours, getting to events after a long day of lectures and tutorials seems almost impossible.” High contact hours only play a part in the larger issue, however, with one medical student noting a physical distance component as well. “Medical students are already quite separate from the other Trinity courses, particularly due to physical separation as well as the difference in curriculum, like the third term or clinical hospital years”, Sophia Jemsby, a second-year medical student, remarks. “Many medical students participate in societies like Biosoc, but these are med-dominated and have limited yearly events, probably to accommodate the intensity of the med schedule. But for many, signing up for the yearly Biosoc subscription is simply an easy way to tick the ‘society check-box’.” Through the higher contact hours STEM students deal with, and distance from all of the society-action on campus, STEM students are at a disadvantage. With little time and energy to give, many STEM students are given fewer opportunities to partake in the key social and cultural exchanges and spaces that societies provide, not getting to experience the same highly integrated societies culture that so many others do. This is not to say that STEM students do not participate in societies, but rather that there are more barriers to their active participation. Higher contact hours mean more time spent studying in preparation for class and exams, for content that is often heavily memorisation-based and requires extensive time to do so.
For students across all courses, clubs and societies provide the possibility of branching out beyond their field of study and pursuing a variety of interests. As any incoming student has experienced, the Fresher’s Fair showcases the diversity on offer, whether it is theatre, debating, sports or a host of other activities. Joining societies is a cost-friendly opportunity “to expose yourself to new people, new activities, and new cultures,” says Chase. Jemsby highlights the benefits that society participation can provide for STEM students in particular. The sense of community within societies is integral for alleviating the intensity of STEM workloads and for forming friendships across different courses. “I find that what gets me through long uni days can often be looking forward to decompressing in a mixed-course society event,” she explains. “For me, participating in a range of societies keeps me involved in uni life, which can be easily lost in the rigours of med.”
Given the reality of STEM students having vastly greater contact hours, more measures are needed to encourage and enable connection with clubs and societies. The disadvantages they face necessitate greater action from the college, but also from societies on an individual level. “I think societies should do more to promote themselves across the entire campus,” argues Chase. She suggests that individual societies should make an effort to advertise events in buildings such as the Hamilton, as posters there “mainly consist of STEM-based society events and could be much more diverse.” Introducing a system where societies can advertise in the STEM buildings, like the booths available in the Arts Block, “could really expand their outreach.” Jembsy also advocates for greater interdisciplinary collaboration. “For example,” she says, “collaborations between med societies and other societies should be encouraged.” With over 20-hour academic weeks and even greater workloads beyond, encouraging society engagement is undoubtedly essential for the well-being of students facing such acute academic expectations. Despite these pressures, finding a footing between school and social life is incredibly important, for general school-life balance as well as students’ mental health. Being able to exist in spaces with other like-minded students outside of your course is not only a fun aspect of societies but also an enriching one, allowing students to access unique opportunities and interact with people they otherwise never would have.
Meeting, collaborating, and existing with people from all over the world across many disciplines is a core part of societies and clubs at Trinity, and an important aspect of going to university at all. While not a part of the traditional understanding of higher education, societies and their events act as a form of education all on their own, making them a key aspect of university life and one that no student should have to miss out on.
