University has a brilliant array of opportunities for your child however it can be daunting at first for them to know where to look. Nabil Alizai (Activities Officer for 2011/2012) from the University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union would like to share his top 5 tips on how to help your child make the most of their time at university.
Encourage your child to head along to an activities fair – you never know what society is available and it’s a great chance for them to try out new (and sometimes slightly bonkers) activities! For example, the University of Sheffield Students’ Union has a Medieval Re-enactment Society, who’d have thought it?!
Pack them off with a sports bag and encourage them to head down to a sports fair! From University team trials, to intra-mural sports between departments and residences, to one-off opportunities, to supporting their University in their highly prized Varsity matches, there are so many ways for your child to keep active at University!
So your child’s more of a community spirit? Do they enjoy giving back? If so, encourage them to get involved in local volunteering programmes. From our award winning Volunteering programme, with over 200 long term and flexible opportunities involving over 1500 students in our dynamic Raising and Giving (RAG) programme, there’s a million and one ways to boost their CV skills and meet like-minded students!
Are they worried that they’ll be the only one wanting to get stuck in? Take a look at this video from the University of Sheffield Students’ Union – it demonstrates the amazing array of societies available to your child when they join: http://youtu.be/ZL_yc_NKN5A
Worried your child might be afraid of making a commitment? Why not try see if they want to try something like our ‘Give It A Go’ project – a chance to try something new and if they like it, they can join the club or society. If not, they can head on down to another event!
Nabil Alizai is the Activities Officer for 2011/2012 at the University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union.
