By Anamil Kochar
When I first came to Sheffield, I was excited and wondered what Sheffield had in store for me. I had no idea what to expect. The number of activities one could get involved in at Sheffield astonished me, and right then, I knew I would make the most of my time in Sheffield.
There are more than 300 sports clubs and societies in Sheffield suiting diverse tastes. You can get involved in national or cultural societies, departmental and academic societies or any creative and special interest society like Bird Watching and Debating society.
If you are interested in fundraising, you can get involved in RAG (Raising and Giving) or Bummit. These societies hold a lot of fundraising events from bake sales and food crawls to high rush adrenaline events such as Bungee Jumping and Arts Tower to charity hitchhikes across UK (Baby Bummit) and one across Europe, that happens during Easter (Big Bummit). I have taken part in Bungee Jumping and the Big Bummit 
Charity Hitchhike to Romania and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Last year, RAG and Bummit managed to raise over £200,000 for charity!
Apart from this, Sheffield also has a number of volunteering societies if you are interested in regular volunteering. Sheffield University Conservation volunteers run conservation and ecological related events in Sheffield and the Peak District. Sheffield volunteering also offers volunteering in teaching centres, day care’s, hospitals, churches and almost any area you can think of.
If interested in Journalism and Media related societies, there is Forge. Forge is a student run group and offers services like Forge Radio, Forge TV and Forge Press. You can get involved in this, and be an editor for the local newspaper, a radio jockey, or a television host apart from being hosts for various sports matches, elections etc.
Being an international student, I wanted to travel around UK as much as possible, and the student’s Union City day trip idea was excellent. It allowed me to travel to Newcastle and various Christmas markets in between breaks from studies. Being cheap and affordable, it provides us the perfect way to experience different cities.
‘Give it a Go’ is another set of activities offered by the university. It is exactly what the
name suggests and offers a unique opportunity to try new things, meet new people, or learn a different skill or sport. I have enjoyed taking part in archery and scuba diving. It is a good way to know where your heart lies and follow it.
University of Sheffield Enterprises offers various activities, and challenges for budding entrepreneurs such as the module making ideas happen, the university business challenge, skills building sessions and a skills of work certificate. By taking part in UBC, and making ideas happen, I have learnt the abc of entrepreneurship, brainstorming and thinking out of the box.
Taking part in all these activities does not impact studies and it is very easy to balance studies with extra-curricular activities if you manage your schedule well and maintain a calendar.
In Sheffield, you are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities, these are not only fun but also look great on your CV and help students stand out from the crowd in the real world. By participating and contributing in various activities and events, I have learnt a lot and made myself personally and professionally more presentable, which is very important for employment and to succeed in life in general. Improved interactions with the team, ideation, people skills and taking up responsibility are just some of the direct benefits I see.
Sheffield Graduate Award is recognized by employers because of its commitment to personal development. This award showcases one’s extra-curricular achievement by recognizing valuable skills and experience gained at the university outside of the degree. Participating in all these activities also helps you as a student move a step closer to the Sheffield Graduate Award.