At UBC, we have both undergraduate student societies and student associations. These are communities run by students working to connect others to their faculty.
Undergraduate student societies
Think of your student society as the “mentors” within your faculty—they’re senior students who have gone through it all and are happy to help you make it through, too.
Each student society has an elected executive team that works to organize events and create support networks for students—whether that’s through orientations, socials, tutoring, mentorship, or student involvement.
Participating in these programs and events are some sure ways to meet people and make connections within your broader faculty community. Who knows—maybe one day you'll be an executive member sharing your wisdom to new students, too!
Below are a number of undergraduate student societies. It’s not an exhaustive list, but these societies are the main ones for undergraduate programs.
Undergraduate student associations
Associations are kind of like the “best friends” within your faculty. They consist of fellow students within your major or department—people who can offer advice (and sympathy) to help you get through any rough patches. For example, let's say you're an Arts student but your specific department is Psychology—that association will be filled with fellow Psych classmates.
Student associations work to create events relevant to your major/specialty. This could be bringing in guest speakers in your field of interest, organizing networking events to support your career development, or having study and tutoring sessions to help you get through exam season. Joining a student association is a great way to get to know people in your specific program. Yay—new study buddies!
Having connections within your faculty creates a great support network during your degree.
