More than "just" study­ing: My free time with the so­ci­eties at Im­pe­r­i­al Col­lege

In my view, the student unions in the UK – especially with their societies – are a great reason to choose a semester abroad here. Societies are student-run groups on all kinds of topics, such as sports, the arts or social engagement, where students can get involved in their spare time.

I first got in touch with the Imperial College Student Union during the “Welcome Week”. That’s when all 350+ societies had the chance to present themselves at a huge fair. You can imagine how busy and lively it was! I made the most of it and decided to join several societies: the Board Games Society, the Maths Society, and three outdoor societies – the Fellwanderers (hiking), the Kayak Club (white-water kayaking), and the Caving Club.

Before joining, you can try out the societies for free; after that, the annual membership fee is usually between 10 and 40 pounds. I chose many outdoor societies because I wanted to get to know the UK a bit better. But if you’re interested in other things – like languages, art or motorsport – you’ll definitely find something too. There’s a club or society for (almost) everything!

A “typical” week in a society – the example of the Caving Club

During term time, most outdoor societies organise weekend trips roughly every other week. These are subsidised by the university, so a whole weekend away often costs just 45 to 50 pounds – including transport, accommodation and food! For the Caving Club, I need to sign up a week in advance. Once the confirmations have been sent out, we meet on Tuesday evening to pack all the necessary gear – things like ropes and caving harnesses – which are stored in a basement next to one of the bars run by the Student Union. After packing, we head to the “social”, a relaxed evening in the bar or, in summer, in the courtyard outside.

On Friday evening, we load up a minibus, which the Union rents out at a low cost, and head off to a caving region – for example, Yorkshire in the north of England. Since there are no caves near London, the journey usually takes quite a while and we often don’t arrive at the hut until after midnight, after six or seven hours of driving. I normally go straight to bed – more or less! The next morning starts with a classic, home-made English breakfast, typically consisting of toast, baked beans in tomato sauce, eggs, sausages, fried mushrooms and tomatoes. Afterwards, we decide which caves we’re going to check out and get going.

We spend the whole day underground, exploring the caves, and return to the hut in the evening. Of course, preparing dinner together is an important part of the evening. After that, there’s usually some silliness – for example, seeing who can squeeze through the smallest opening (like a shelf or a bathroom window!). On Sunday, we do it all again, and in the evening, we drive back to London. From time to time, the Caving Club also organises special socials – like a curry night or a Bob Ross painting evening – all still under the banner of the Caving Club!

Societies and studying: A full schedule

As you can see, just one society alone could easily fill your weeks! To make sure I can still manage my studies, I always try to get most of my coursework done during the week. During the Easter Break (a one-month break before the third term), the Caving Club went to Sardinia. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join them because I had to revise for my exams coming up during the third term.

But I can join the summer tour instead! We’ll be camping for five weeks on a high plateau in the Slovenian Alps, continuing the exploration of Slovenia’s longest cave. The club has been doing this for over 30 years – it’s the biggest event of the year. Even after I return to Berlin, I’ll still be able to join trips as an alumni member of the Union. It’s definitely something special – and probably something you’d only find at a UK university.

28.07.2025