PG recommendations: Outdoor and Hobbies

Our recent research has reinforced the notion that postgraduates tend to be less engaged in clubs and societies than undergraduates at Imperial.

This is often due to a wide range of factors that can't be shifted, however, we know postgraduates do express they want to be more involved in extracurricular Imperial activities.

So, to help you find a club or society to fit with your schedule, we’ve gone out and asked current Imperial postgraduates what they’re involved in, what their activities involve, and how it’s going alongside their studies.

Follow along this multi-part series to help you navigate finding a new club or society to join as a postgraduate student!

Here’s what current postgraduate students had to say about some of the outdoor and hobbies clubs they’re involved with at Imperial:

Book Club

The Imperial Book Club meets monthly to discuss a book announced at the previous meeting, which is a pace even a busy PG student can keep up with.

It's a casual, comfortable affair which nevertheless motivated me to keep up my reading habit, and they encourage you to join even if you've only read part of the book.

They also arrange for being able to buy the books at a discounted price, but this is not necessary for participation. It's also, of course, a good way to meet fun people.

Mountaineering

The Mountaineering Club (ICMC) works well for me because the sessions are only in the evenings, rather than in the afternoon. This means I don't have to miss work/study.

Moreover, the community is just very nice, and so it is quite a welcoming atmosphere to join in on. I would say for other PG students, the climbing scene as a whole is just very social and fun, so it is a pretty great way to meet friends. Also, going on weekend trips with the club and/or friends is a fun escape from London life.

The costs are somewhat steep initially – £60-£100 for climbing shoes and £12 on average per entry to the climbing gym.

Conservation

I am a member of the Conservation Club at Silwood Park, the largest society at Silwood Park campus. This society is a place for students to connect with nature and engage with biodiversity conservation and education.

Postgraduates and undergraduates from all campuses can participate in club events, which include Natural History Museum visits, birding trips, nature walks, campus clean-up efforts and outreach.

Previous nature walks are led by faculty, reserve rangers and students and focus on all aspects of biodiversity, including botany, herps, birds and mammals. Future outreach events include the Great Exhibition Road Festival and secondary school environmental education. This is especially important for postgraduate students to explore London and the surrounding natural landscapes in the short time that we are here.

The club is free to join and costs are calculated by a trip-by-trip basis (anywhere from £2-£25), with transportation costs split based on public transport and minivan mileage. Students of all experience and knowledge levels are welcomed to Conservation Club, and the club is an incredibly friendly community because we all learn from one another.

The community of Conservation Club has been a major part of this year in my postgraduate studies, as people have been incredibly welcoming and inclusive. As an international student, I am so grateful for the opportunity to explore the United Kingdom and its beautiful environment. A major goal of the club is to incorporate more members of the wider Imperial community, so we would love to see students from other campuses join us!

Stay tuned for more PG recommendations as part of this new blog series! We’ll be walking you through some of our other Management Groups, see you next time!

*Please note: Some responses have been slightly edited for clarity and length.