Staying Active with Your Society

Written by Leah Oake 

Banner Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Summertime is the time of year where the majority of students take the precious time to relax, work, and try to do absolutely nothing. During the summer I am guilty of wanting to stay in my bed or at the beach despite having still very apparent responsibilities. But after spending almost eight months being a part of different societies and making some life long friends within them, it has become a bit harder to forget about the love societies are filled with. But, with the majority of societies being inactive during the summer months how can someone still stay active? Within this article, I will provide you with some options on how to stay connected with your desired society.

Friendships

A way to stay connected with your society is to stay present in your friendships. Once you have joined a society you will inevitably make friends solely because of your positions within your society. If you keep your friendships lively and active, then once the society activates in the fall you will immediately have someone (or people) to attend the events, activities and meetings with. You will be fully ready to be immersed back into society. Also, considering your friendships make your comfortability level in the society at a much better rate then you will be more prone to creating more and more friendships! Before you know it you’ll have a huge friendship courtesy of your society and the cycle for the inactive months can continue with ease. 

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

Preparations

Whether you are an executive member or a general member, you have something to add to your society. Executive members are almost always looking for ways to improve their society and they are always wanting to hear what the members want! Throughout the inactive months make a short list in case you think of any ideas that would benefit the society. It can consist of anything from minor fundraiser ideas to something as big as a gala. You not only would spend the off months keeping the society fresh in your mind but you also would be actively helping the betterment. If you are an executive member, you should take the summer months to throw yourself into planning and prep. If you start planning the upcoming year in the summer instead of September, your society will start off soaring! The majority of societies do not have their welcome back events until October. While starting in October is not something that is inherently bad, starting earlier can allow the upcoming year to be longer and be even more jam packed with fun! 

Research

Now, maybe you are in a different boat than some and have had a negative experience with your society the past year. If that is you please do not lose hope! SMU is full of societies that are catered for student success and fun, if one did not work out for you that does not mean another won’t come along to steal your heart. SMUSA’s website has a section where all the active societies are listed. Most of their Instagrams are linked there too! Whether you are a society sceptic or someone who just wants to become more involved, take a long look at the list. You may find a society that interests you that you would not have thought of otherwise. Researching societies is a great way to stay connected and be fully informed on everything SMU has to offer. This will prepare you for the fall! Once you’ve researched you can then be on the lookout at the next society fair for your desired societies! Love at first link! 

Starting your Own

So, above lots of tips were given in order to keep your already established society active but what if you want to create your own? Well, the prior advice still applies but you just have a couple extra steps. First you will need to ensure you have researched enough necessary information in order to have a solid society function and role. After that, you can move on to the ratification process. It’s super simple! You just visit SMUSA’s website and click the ratification form and fill it out. Before doing this though I’d recommend creating an Instagram account to try and reach others who would be either willing to be a part of your startup executive team or just be a part of your upcoming society! Take the summer months to flood students' socials with posts about the new and exciting society coming to campus – made by you! 

Societies are in my opinion a crucial part of the university experience. In my first year, I was unaware of the gravity that societies have on the student body. I wish I researched more so I could have a quicker integration process into a new community. Now, I am extremely versed on what SMU has to offer but I am still learning more and more! Take the time this summer to not only relax and rid your mind of school work but also learn about what societies are at SMU for you!