Make the most of your University experience

Explore your interests and make friends at the University. Join societies and sports clubs, take an art class, or become a volunteer or student representative.

Join student groups

The Students' Union (The SU) has over 160 groups you can choose to join. This is a great way to make friends, develop new skills, and do something you love.

You can find groups about cultural values, the arts, ethical and political issues, and a huge range of activities, including:

baking
comedy writing
dancing
juggling
tabletop gaming

Getting involved in student groups can also be a way to learn and develop skills that you might need for your career. As part of a group, you can practise marketing, organise events and trips, or apply for a position on a committee. You could also start your own society or apply to help run The SU itself.

If you're a postgraduate student, you're automatically a member of the Postgraduate Association.

If you are from outside the UK, you're automatically a member of the International Students' Association (ISA).

Get involved in sport

Take part in a wide range of sports and make use of our state-of-the-art facilities, whatever your level or ability.

Join a club

We have 48 sports clubs here at Bath and you can join whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just want to try something new. Each club has regular training sessions for both performance and recreational sport along with social events.

Find out more about SU Sport.

Use the sports facilities on campus

When you start at Bath, your library card comes with a Sports Pass. This gives you free access to facilities¹ like the:

Olympic-sized swimming pool
tennis, squash, and badminton courts
athletics track
astroturf pitches
indoor sports hall

If you want to use the gym, go to fitness classes, or use other sports facilities, you can get a discount on your gym membership or pay as you go.

Compete against other universities

Many of our sports clubs compete against other universities as part of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).

All BUCS matches are held on Wednesday afternoons (when there are no lectures) or weekends so you can fit competitive sports into your schedule.

Find out more about joining a BUCS team.

Explore the arts

If you’re interested in art, dance, music, or theatre, or how the arts can support your wellbeing, we’ve got the facilities and passionate student leaders to support you and help you get involved.

You can join arts societies through The SU, including:

Make your voice heard

There are many ways you can share your views with your community and campaign alongside other students.

Go to a SUmmit

Take part in a SUmmit to share your views and help tackle some of the challenges students face.

Get involved in politics

Join a politics and activism group to get involved in local and national politics and create change for a cause you believe in.

Run your own campaign

Make an impact on the student experience by running a campaign for something you believe in. The SU can help you every step of the way.

Join the media group

If you're interested in working in radio, film or news, the media group is always ready to welcome and train new members. Develop journalism skills and help share the news from around the University.

Get involved in fundraising and volunteering

You can support local and global issues by taking part in fundraising and volunteering activities by:

joining our student-led volunteering groups, like RAG and V Team
applying for a volunteering opportunity or volunteer placement

You can also receive awards and recognition for your fundraising and volunteering to support your CV and career prospects.

Find out more about volunteering

A student showing school children a science demonstration

Become a student representative

Stand for election as a student representative to support other students and improve the University.

You can represent students from your course, faculty or accommodation, or represent the University's students at a national level. You can also develop valuable skills and get experience working with your peers and senior University staff.

Posts you can run for include:

You can become a student representative during any year of your course.

Students campaigning for the SU election.

Make the most of your SU membership

The SU helps you get the most from your experience at Bath. As a student-led organisation, it provides a welcoming community, social activities, support, and opportunities for representation.

You can also apply for a Totum student card from the National Union of Students (NUS). It gives discounts on shopping, travel, entertainment, and more.

When you register with the University, you automatically become a member of The SU.

Opting out of membership

You have the right not to be a member of The SU. See the Code of Practice for The SU for information on opting out.

Student Annaika holding two Bath travel mugs. — — Annaika Ahuja Fourth year, Management with Marketing

¹ We cannot guarantee that facilities will always be available because there may be changes in law or official government guidance, including measures on social distancing which may occur through the course of the academic year and other changes to the operating environment for Universities which may be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.