Being Part of a Society - Taiwanese Society
The Taiwanese society is classified as a cultural society dedicated to bringing students from Taiwan and those interested in the Taiwanese culture together. The Leeds University Taiwanese Society (LUTS) hosts a wide range of activities such as socials (i.e. Christmas balls, Chinese New Year Dinner), career-development talks, essay-guidance workshops and a cultural insight day widely recognised as Taiwan Day. Moreover, the society is also a platform to support incoming and current students through opportunities for Q&A’s, second-hand sales and guidance for legal documents (such as lost BRP’s [Visa]) etc.
My intention of joining the society was originally to meet people with similar ethnic backgrounds as myself, however, through the encouragement of my friends who I had previously met from a pre-departure event in Taiwan for Leeds, I ran for LUTS President and became part of the organising committee. This experience has been, by far, the most valuable opportunity for my first year in Leeds. I say this from the various challenges I have faced and the different events I was associated with. Whether it was seeking for external sponsors for funding, learning how to manage a team and dealing with administrative documents, being involved in LUTS was an exhilarating and eye-opening experience.
Whether it was being a member of the committee or a member of the society, there were always several ways to meet new people from attending different events. Joining a society and simply getting involved in extra-curriculum activities is always a beneficial way to reaching beyond your comfort zone and expanding your network. For instance, because of my responsibility as the President for LUTS, in addition to meeting people in the society, I was also introduced to another organisation known as SUROCUK. SUROCUK is an organisation managed by Taiwanese representatives in the UK who bring together all presidents of Taiwanese Societies across the UK. Although this added benefit may not be available for all societies, there’s always an element of surprise for simply being involved.
For me, taking on a role with great responsibility was definitely stressful, but it was also my escape from academics. From how I see it, university life reaches beyond lectures, exams and assignments. It’s really the little things and the people around that make life in university enjoyable. However, the only requirement is for you to take initiative and to step out of your comfort zone and just do it.
For more Information about the Taiwanese Society :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeedsTWSOC
https://www.luu.org.uk/taiwanese/
See other societies you can get involved with here :