Why Aussie Uni Social Life Sucks Ass

Summary

A student reflects on their four years of involvement in university social life, rating it a 4 out of 10. Despite forming some meaningful friendships and learning valuable skills, they express frustration with societal issues such as unmotivated executives, ineffective events, and pervasive cliques. They highlight the lack of altruism, the focus on resume-building over genuine leadership, and the disconnect between society teams and members. The speaker calls for a shift in priorities to foster true community and meaningful connections within university societies.

Takeaways

• 😀 Society executives often fail to meet their responsibilities, leaving others to pick up the slack.
• 😀 Many executives seem more interested in adding positions to their resumes than actually contributing meaningfully.
• 😀 Leadership positions in societies can foster drama, conflict, and power struggles rather than focusing on their core missions.
• 😀 Event culture in societies often prioritizes large-scale parties over meaningful, smaller events that help members form genuine connections.
• 😀 Larger events like pub crawls and balls reinforce existing cliques, leaving outsiders feeling isolated and excluded.
• 😀 Smaller events that encourage new friendships, like speed friending or creative workshops, are rare and often poorly scheduled.
• 😀 Society events tend to cater to internal members rather than providing inclusive spaces for general members to meet and connect.
• 😀 The 'us vs. them' mentality is pervasive, where the executive teams are more focused on their own relationships than on serving the wider society community.
• 😀 A lack of altruism within society leadership creates a toxic culture, which leads to burnout, disengagement, and a lack of long-term connections.
• 😀 There is a significant need for more social and study spaces on campus, where students can interact and connect with others in a less intimidating environment.

Q & A

What is the overall evaluation of university social life shared in the transcript?

The speaker rates their experience with university social life as a 4 out of 10. Despite learning valuable skills and making some lasting friendships, they feel the culture of most societies was flawed, particularly in terms of leadership, event planning, and inclusivity.

What are the three main issues highlighted by the speaker regarding university societies?

The speaker identifies three primary issues: ineffective society executives, poorly organized events, and a pervasive sense of 'clickiness' or division between society leaders and general members.

What problems does the speaker encounter with society executives?

The speaker finds two types of executives problematic: 'resume stackers' who contribute minimally while just seeking a position for their CV, and 'egotistical power trippers' who create conflict and drama, focusing more on personal power than on fulfilling their roles effectively.

How does the behavior of executives impact the rest of the society?

The behavior of these executives, particularly their lack of engagement and responsibility, leads to a demotivated team, poorly run events, and ultimately a burnt-out and disengaged executive team by mid-year.

What types of events are critiqued in the script?

The speaker criticizes large, one-off events like pub crawls and balls, which cater primarily to people who already have established friend groups. These events often fail to foster new connections for general members.

What kind of events does the speaker believe would better foster genuine friendships?

The speaker advocates for regular, smaller-scale events like camps, speed friending, and study sessions. These types of events allow for genuine interaction among participants, creating more opportunities for people to form meaningful friendships.

What is the critique regarding the scheduling and accessibility of social events?

Many of the social events are scheduled poorly—either as one-offs or at inconvenient times. If students miss these events due to other commitments, it becomes difficult to make new connections, leading to missed opportunities for engagement.

What is the 'us vs. them' mentality mentioned in the transcript?

The 'us vs. them' mentality refers to the division between society leaders (or internal members) and general members. Executives often focus on bonding with each other, neglecting their responsibility to engage with and include broader society members.

How does the speaker feel about the exclusivity within societies?

The speaker is frustrated with the exclusivity within societies, especially with groups like 'street teams' at UNSW, where leaders act as though they belong to an 'invite-only' clique. This creates an unwelcoming atmosphere for general members and discourages new participants from engaging.

What is the speaker's overall conclusion about university societies?

The speaker concludes that university societies suffer from a lack of altruism, with many members focusing more on personal benefits and friendships than on fulfilling the true purpose of the society—fostering genuine connections and building a community. They argue that this lack of responsibility leads to burnout and a negative overall experience.