Societies

GeogSoc

GeogSoc has an abundance of fun activities to partake in throughout the academic year, whoever you are and wherever you come from. Our Facebook and Instagram pages are a great way to find out what we as a society are currently up to and what unmissable events are on the horizon.

We pride ourselves on being one of the biggest societies at the University of Sheffield, with over 400 members. But not only big, one of the best. Last year we were voted by the Students Union as one of the top three academic and departmental societies.

Socials

There are so many ways in which you can get involved as a member of GeogSoc. One of the main ways is by coming on our socials such as our famous ‘Colouring in Social’ which attracts around 200 students every year.

Our socials include the Varsity social against Sheffield Hallam, Pub Quizzes and the Winter Soirée Charity Auction. The end of year ball is also attended by around 350 people including students and staff and is a great way to finish off your year.

A highlight of every year is the GeogSoc tour. After January exams we take around 80 people for a long weekend in a European city. Everyone has the most amazing time; seeing new places, meeting new friends from all years and having a few drinks along the way.

This year we are going to have an increased emphasis on non-alcoholic events, which will include trips to the alpaca farm, walks in the Peak District and a trip to the Manchester Christmas Markets.

Academic and careers support

This year GeogSoc now run its own weekly support sessions every Tuesday called GeogSoc Seminars. These sessions are an incredible way to engage further with your degree and will help you in many aspects of your time at Sheffield.

Our education officer brings in lecturers to help teach on topics such as exam/essay techniques or referencing. There are also sessions focused towards helping you find employment opportunities through alumni networking and guest speakers from the University and external organisations.

Volunteering and charitable work

GeogSoc runs lots of exciting charity fundraisers such as 10k runs and half-marathons, pub quizzes and auctions. This year, alongside Cathedral Archer Project we will be supporting a Sheffield based environmental charity for the first time.

As a society, we want to be at the forefront of aiding environmental protection in the local area.

Not only do we raise money for these amazing and influential charities, we also provide volunteering opportunities with some of them as well. As part of GeogSoc you will get a chance to help out at the Cathedral Archer Project’s food kitchen and at a local allotments.

Sports

Sports are one of the best ways to engage with new people at university and GeogSoc provides plenty.

We offer our members netball and football, both are open to everyone. We have four academic-year based 6-a-side teams, from first year to postgraduates and two 11-a-side teams at the weekend, which are picked by our sports secretary every week to compete in the intramural leagues.

These sports are a great way to meet people in your year and in other years to increase the amount of friendly faces you will see around the geography and planning building and campus in general.

The netball team combines all different year groups, and all abilities. Again, this is a fantastic way to get to know people you may not get to chat to in lectures. It is also a great opportunity to make friends in different years, this way you always have someone to go to for advice on the best lunch or pub spots around Sheffield.

Get in touch

We aim to provide a middle ground between the department and you to make your degree and university life as fun, rewarding and enjoyable as possible. The University of Sheffield is an amazing place to live and learn and we hope that we can be a part of your experience.

If you have any questions or want to get involved feel free to contact any of the committee.

• Email geogsoc@sheffield.ac.uk
• Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest events, socials and volunteering opportunities.

PlanSoc

PlanSoc hosts an array of fun social events as well as academic talks led by leading professionals and local government associations.

We are proud to represent a small yet diverse group of students coming together with the shared interest of studying the built environment and urban planning practices. Our work within the student community has seen the society, alongside previous committee members, win prestigious awards from the Students Union as a result of our work.

Our Instagram page is the best way to stay updated with all things PlanSoc - including the latest sponsorship deals, sporting opportunities and events.

Socials

PlanSoc holds regular social events throughout the year, ranging from themed nights out and afternoon sober socials in nearby cafes. All of our events culminate in our end of year ball, which sees over 75 students come together for the final time in the academic year to celebrate our collective and individual achievements.

This year, our social events will expand in frequency and range, with socials to include trips to Sheffield Christmas Market, Fireworks displays and the university-wide Dance Your Socs Off.

Local site visits

Many of our events include collaborating with the local authority and their project delivery partners to get insights to upcoming developments within Sheffield. This has recently included our Heart of the City Tour, led by Sheffield City Council. This gave our members an exclusive firsthand look at this innovative initiative, aimed at breathing new life into the city centre with a fresh perspective.

Local sight visits also include student-led tours by fellow members that have completed research or feel passionately about a particular area. 

This year, we are looking to put an emphasis on local people and local places. This will see us work with local volunteer groups, government organisations and Sheffield-based companies to understand the work they do for their local communities and how they shape the built environment.

Sports

Sports are a particularly important part of university life, especially here at Sheffield University. We continue to champion this through the provision of our sports teams.

In addition to the events we hold, we also compete against other societies across the university in a year-long football league. While this is a recent introduction to the things we do, we have seen great success in beating well-established teams.

While we do compete against other societies, our sports teams cater to all abilities as they form excellent platforms to meet people from across different years and people you may not talk to regularly.

How to contact

The best way to reach the society is via our email at planningsoc@sheffield.ac.uk - one of our committee members will aim to reach you as quickly as possible and help you as best as possible.

Alternatively, you can contact us on Instagram, where we post regular updates regarding upcoming events and socials.