Starting university is a nerve-wracking experience for all involved. Parents are watching their baby birds leave the nest, and those birds are terrified to learn about real world responsibilities and how to find out who they are. On top of the coursework- that requires an astronomical number of hours to come remotely close to wrapping their heads around- things can get pretty overwhelming.
The main thing that I found helped me get through first year was my sports club: the University of Stirling Mountaineering Club (USMC).
I stand by the fact that joining a sports club can significantly improve not just your Fresher’s experience, but also the university experience as a whole.
Clubs can provide stability, routine, new opportunities and new experiences as well as friendships that will last a lifetime— ones that you’ll need to rely on.
Personally, I am not a sporty person in the slightest. I dreaded PE every single week in high school. In my own time, other than taking care of my horses, I avoided any kind of sporty activity that existed. So, it’s safe to say that joining mountaineering was a risk, and a great leap. However. I wouldn’t change a thing about that decision, as it turned out to be one of the best ones I ever made.
The USMC may seem like just another sport on the huge list of wonderful clubs to choose from, but it well and truly is special and entirely unique within itself. The community and the sense of togetherness is something that can’t be forced, and something that certainly cannot be replaced.
There’s no denying that mountaineering can be a somewhat dangerous and unpredictable sport. Because of this, I believe that everyone in the club are in some way friends, because in many ways we rely on each other, often both on and off the hill.
Mountaineering is a truly unique thing, and being surrounded by people who share the same passion and drive for adventure and exploration when many don’t dare to is a truly special thing and something to be cherished.
One of my favourite things about the USMC is the fact that adventures don’t have to be inaccessible just because equipment can be pricey. The club can often help provide kit.
The committee and club members work so hard together to help turn something quite scary into a really fun and cathartic experience. The thing I looked forward to most when assignments were bearing down hard and the workload (both academically and personally) were too much was going up a mountain at the weekend.
For me, the mountaineering club has been a support system and a lifeline for me in my first year – and now going into my second, I look forward to more trips, socials, experiences and adventures with my friends in the club. I know that when things get awry, and I feel overwhelmed by life, the USMC will be there to pick me back up and land me feet first on the rocky solid ground.
Up in the hills, nothing else matters. The only thing that does is getting up and down safely (while having fun). The problems that once seemed unsolvable and overbearing become insignificant and minuscule. For six to ten hours out of the day, after getting up before the sun and eating pre-prepared food and thing out of packets, all that matters is the mountain.
I would wholeheartedly say to anyone with a passion for the outdoors and a nagging sense of adventure, to join the USMC. There is well and truly a place for everyone of all skill and experience levels within the club – coming from someone with limited sports experience and absolutely no experience in mountaineering, the club has done nothing but help me build my skills, and more importantly my confidence.
Find out more about the University of Stirling Mountaineering Club here: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sports-union/6372/
Image Credit: Amelia Fryer
