PAT MCCARTHY
UCC Societies President
First and foremost, congratulations and welcome to
the UCC family! Now, your adventure begins! Over
the next few years you will make life-long friends, unforgettable memories and many, many, bowls of koka
noodles.
Here in UCC we have over 100 societies. So there
really is something for everyone! If you like to sing,
dance or vlog then maybe one of our creative societies
is for you. If you would prefer to supplement your
academics with some practical hands on experience,
there are over 40 academic societies in the university.
And if you are neither creative nor academic, then
we have activism, charitable, debating, development,
religious, social & political societies that might interest
you. I should also mention, if you can’t find a society
you’d like to join on our a-z list, then you can start
your own from scratch.
But how can we sign up to all these societies Pat? Well,
there are many ways you can sign up to societies, first,
you can do so by going to societies day on the 14th of
September in Devere Hall. This is a great opportunity
to see what every society is like and talk to someone
involved in a particular society. Second, you can send
the societies an email and ask to become a member
and be added to the mailing list. Third, just turn up to
any of a society’s events through the year and ask to
become a member.
SOCIETIES PRESIDENT
In UCC there is no limit to the number of societies you
can join and they are also free to join, so try as many
as you want. But if there is any part of you that is
scared or nervous to attend your first event, I will offer
you one piece of advice, don’t be afraid. I know it is
a lot easier said than done. Society people are lovely,
and they know exactly how it feels to attend their first
society event. In fact, they will probably tell you it’s
being the best part of their time in college and will
most definitely welcome you with open arms! I didn’t
get involved in societies until my third year of college,
and while I wouldn’t change anything about my time
in societies, I know my fresher year would have been
totally different if I had gotten involved sooner.
This may sound cringy, but it was hard trying to find
a few hours to write this little bio, so I found myself
on the train to Dublin, watching the world pass by
very quickly. Don’t let your college experience pass
you by, don’t be afraid to get involved or to go out
of your comfort zone and try something new. Take
each experience and make the most of it. If at any
stage through the year you find yourself with a
question about societies, then the Societies Executive
and myself are hear to answer any of your questions.
You can find our contact details on page 5 of this
magazine.
I hope to see you at some point through the year!
Pat :)
3