PsycSoc: Back in Business
2022 PsycSoc Ball. Source: Lavender Turner (@lavenderturnerphoto.nz).
PsycSoc is an affiliated academic and social club designed to connect, and provide resources for, Psychology students during all stages of their education. Having disappeared around seven years ago, 2022 finally welcomed its return. This is largely due to Tom Leslie, who put out initial feelers halfway through his second year to see if people were keen.
Tom, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Philosophy, explained that aside from himself, “50 or 60 people registered interest, and [he] took that as a sign halfway through the year to actually give it a go.”
The initial goals for PsycSoc were to bring the Psychology cohort closer, and to provide a sense of unity and opportunity to explore the field outside of the classroom. Tom explained that his vision was to help create community and social events, and for members to study together.
You may be wondering what the vibe of this club was when it first got off the ground. Apparently, absolute chaos!
Initially, there was a lot of running around: reaching out to the UCSA for support, creating posts for social media, and learning how to book rooms and order food. Out of all the events in 2022, the best hits were the end-of-year Ball and the Mickey Finn’s night, where the bar in town was booked out and a range of clubs which were loosely related came to mingle.
Tom held the position of President for one year before passing it to Izzy Millar and Finn Ferguson-Lees in mid-2023, which brought a bigger budget and more opportunities.
This included events catered towards Mental Health Week such as yoga and breakfast, and being sponsored by Supreme Coffee, as well as bringing back the biggest happenings from the past year due to popular demand. A lot of excitement!
Some of PsycSoc’s events so far:
Quiz at Bentley’s (2022)
Mickey Finn’s Night (2022, 2023)
Connect the Community with SVA (2023)
PsycSoc Ball (2022, 2023)
Psychology Pathways Night (2022, 2023)
Mental Health Week: Morning Yoga, Tutoring, Volunteering (2023)
Beerlympics, in Collaboration with UC Science clubs (2024)
Club logo for 2023. Source: @ucpsycsoc on Instagram.
Following an AGM that saw her elected for the 2024 year, Izzy Millar chairs the club as sole President. She is leading an executive team of eager students who are excited to create some enjoyable experiences for everyone.
When getting her input, Millar expressed that “[she] looks forward to our Mental Health Week and hopes we can raise even more in support of the Mental Health Foundation and connect with people!”
She also touched on the importance of having a community for like-minded students, whether in an academic or social context. She said, “university is supposed to be a time of excitement and learning, and we do our best to provide that to our members through parties, competitions, study sessions, quiz and cocktail nights.”
You can contact PsycSoc via Instagram (@ucpsycsoc) and Facebook or check out the club’s page on the UC website for more information about joining.