Student life is about more than study. It's about more than sex and drinking. There's a goldmine of opportunities in sport, music, Rolf Harris appreciation… anything.
Employers are impressed by graduates simply because they have a degree, but what makes them begin to salivate is a candidate with a degree
and a CV full of other interests and experiences.
But the best part of it is that gathering CV points isn’t a chore. These extra-curricular activities are as much a part of student life as falling asleep in lectures or discovering that Baileys and cider don’t mix.
Most universities offer a gob-smacking variety of opportunities to pursue interests — new or old. But, and we think we may have said this before, not all universities are the same.
If you’re into karate, you may find yourself breaking bricks on your own some places. Or if politics ticks your box, you may find yourself somewhere where, even if there were an apathy party, none of the students would be bothered to vote for it.
While some are stronger or weaker across the board, every university has its extra-curricular strengths and weaknesses. Standards swing from the profoundly professional to the amazingly amateur.
During the course of your student life, you’ll almost certainly find yourself involved in activities that you thought you’d only ever do under the influence of mind-altering substances — but you can probably already think of a few things that you‘d like to try (or be able to continue).
When choosing a university, check out what students can get up to apart from study and drink. If you have a particular interest, make sure it’s catered for. If you haven’t, see what else is on offer and whether there’s anything that stirs your cup of tea.
In this section is a breakdown of some of the things students get up to. At some universities, some of them are obsessions. At others, they’re not even on the radar.