One of the largest contrasts I have found between my life at USC and the University of Limerick is my use of time. At home, I have many clubs, leadership positions, and friends to tend to outside of classes. When I got to UL, I had none of these. All of these aspects are what have truly made my USC experience great, so my first inclination was to get involved at UL to experience clubs, practice more leadership, and make friends abroad. However, the club environment differs between every school, and even more between countries.
The first thing I noticed about involvement at UL is that the main options are categorized as clubs or societies. The UL Wolves website shows all of them, along with their different involvements, biographies, activities, and more. Pursuing these options taught me that there are not as many clubs here as there are at home, but that is because each club is more focused and established. The website is very user-friendly and makes learning about clubs easy and fun.
To join a club at UL, all you have to do is click the “Request Membership” button under the club’s profile and pay between 5 and 10 euros. This is much cheaper than back home. Additionally, no club has required me to submit an application, audition, or try out. All of this is part of the more casual and less competitive inter-university view of clubs in Ireland. This being said, many sports teams are very competitive in tournaments, but there are not often restrictions on who can join. This makes life as an international student very easy because you can join whatever you like at a fairly low price. However, some clubs may charge you more depending on if you decide to go on specific trips or compete in particular events.
Furthermore, none of the clubs I have experienced at UL have attendance requirements. You can choose however many practices, meetings, or trips you attend. You do, however, have to confirm your attendance at events by booking on the UL Wolves website. Additionally, the structure of meetings is often much more relaxed than at home. For example, when I went to my first Kayaking Club meeting at the pool, I had to be the one to approach a member of the team and tell them I was new. The Irish participants just go with the flow and start working, without having the typical introductions or structures that a practice at USC would have. This was similar to my experiences with the Crafts Club where participants can just walk into a room, grab supplies, and complete the activity for the week without being told anything. At USC, there would be more instruction and formality. All of these structures have their benefits, and it is interesting to explore them.
Some of the most interesting clubs that UL has include skydiving, GAA, trampoline, underwater hockey, game development, motorsport, and more. At the beginning of the semester, there is a Clubs and Societies Fair, which is similar to the Organization Fair at USC. However, not all of the clubs show up and they will not seek you out as much as those do on Greene Street. It is best to come with specific questions and clubs in mind. This was still a great opportunity to find out more about clubs I had glanced over on UL Wolves before paying for membership. At UL, I have participated in some capacity in the kayaking, yoga, crafts, outdoor pursuits, and fashion clubs and societies. The one that I attend the most is the Crafts Society because they just hold weekly meetings on Wednesdays where members can complete a specific craft. Some examples are Valentine’s Day card making, pillow case sewing, knitting, puzzle painting, and bracelet making. The Yoga Society also has weekly meetings, offering 3 euro classes every Tuesday. The Outdoor Pursuits Club offers multiple events per week: independent climbing sessions, beginner climbing sessions, day trips, and various courses. The Fashion Society meets every Wednesday with a. different prompt, whether going around campus and finding good outfits, presenting members’ silly outfit pictures, planning their annual fake MET Gala, planning clothes swaps, and more.
The extracurricular environment at UL has been different and refreshing. I enjoy the loose structure, though it makes me have to come out of my shell more sometimes. I absolutely recommend joining clubs at your new school to meet new people and do new things.
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