Almost every subject at UoB has a dedicated departmental society, and in materials engineering we are no exception. If you’ve ever seen someone around campus wearing a t-shirt saying “I <3 BUMS”, don’t be too alarmed: they’re probably a member of Birmingham University Materials Society.
Despite our slightly unfortunate acronym, BUMS is a great society with loads of support for its students, and definitely the source of many great memories for me during my time at university. Here’s my six reasons why every Birmingham materials engineer should get involved with BUMS:
- It’s free!
Our society doesn’t charge a membership fee, so every undergrad or postgrad who joins a course in the materials department becomes a member from the moment they enrol at university. You’re free to participate as much as you like, but everybody is always welcome and encouraged to come along – and with free membership, why wouldn’t you?!
- Socials? There’s something for everyone
Socials are the bread and butter of any student society, and BUMS has a wide variety on offer, so there’s something for everyone. The BUMS social calendar kicks off each year with the annual ‘BUMS v Nucsoc’ club night, but if clubbing isn’t your thing, other events include the Christmas meal, the summer BBQ and the famous Materials Ball. Or for those with a competitive streak, BUMS regularly offer a range of friendly socials including quiz nights, karaoke, bowling and board games.
- You can join a ‘Family’…
…both in the figurative sense, because the materials department is a great tight-knit community, but also the literal sense! BUMS operates their very own mentoring system of ‘Families’, which groups freshers with two older students, or ‘parents’. Freshers get together with their families to do challenges as part of welcome week, which is a great introduction into the wider society, and having an older student mentor comes in very handy if you’re not sure where you lecture rooms are!
- Take part in sport (without the 7am training!)
If you’re interested in playing sport but don’t want to commit to a formal team, BUMS has three sports teams to get involved with: football, netball and basketball. They’re always looking for people to represent in the intramural leagues; sometimes BUMS even makes the playoffs! BUMS also have regular social badminton sessions, but the highlight for many is the Staff vs. Students cricket match which takes place in summer term.
- Get to know some career options
It’s not just social events: BUMS is committed to helping their members explore their careers options by holding an annual careers fair within the department itself, geared towards careers in the materials engineering discipline, and students in past years have used this to secure internships or graduate opportunities. BUMS also organise site visits and tours of industrial sites; recently we’ve toured Arconic’s aluminium rolling mills, for example.
- We know how to ‘have a ball’…
Whoever said engineers can’t be glamourous? BUMS definitely prove them wrong every year with the glitzy Materials Ball. This is a highly-attended evening where staff, students and alumni come together for some with fine dining and questionable dancing. Held in the beautiful Great Hall, it’s easily the highlight of the BUMS calendar and always provides an unforgettable night.
Stay tuned for my next blog coming soon! Bee 🙂