Inside MidSoc at Surrey
Joining a society is a fantastic way of making new friends, expanding your network and enriching your Surrey experience. We asked MidSoc president Freya to share her insider info on what the society gets up to and why it’s a great idea to join.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Freya, I am a third-year Midwifery student here at the University of Surrey. Before I began pursuing midwifery, I was embarking on a journey to become a photographer, studying digital media at Arts University Bournemouth. However, when Covid hit, it forced me to think about what really mattered to me. I quickly realised that what I really wanted to do was care for and empower women, particularly in pregnancy as this can be a very vulnerable time.
Part of my journey as a student midwife was discovering how important it is to feel supported and to build trusted relationships with other student midwives, so I knew I had to be part of the Midwifery Society. It has meant that I'm never alone in my training and I always have a group of friends to turn to and have fun with, and who completely understand my struggles.
What is the Midwifery Society all about?
Midwifery is one of the toughest courses you can do, and having friends there with you, celebrating with you, crying with you and supporting you is crucial! MidSoc is here to ensure that no student midwife feels alone or unsupported. Wellbeing is very important to us, so we do regular wellbeing walks (all dogs are welcome), and coffee and catch-up sessions. We also organise lots of exciting study days as there's always more to learn as a midwife. And lastly, we make sure we have fun, because it is possible to be a student midwife and go out and party! We organise alcoholic and non-alcoholic socials, usually with some crazy theme, and they are always a great way to let our hair down and make some lovely memories.
Joining MidSoc means you are automatically provided with friends who understand you! It’s a chance to connect with other student midwives, from any year of the course.
What does your role as president involve? What’s the best thing about it?
As president it is my role to ensure the heart of the society continues to beat. Making sure the events we put on are well organised and molded to suit what student midwives need and want. Being president has allowed me to give back to the students and to create a foundation of support in the society that I hope will continue once I have graduated. There is nothing better than putting the effort in to create events, study days and socials and seeing all the student midwives turn up and have a wonderful time, connecting and laughing and remembering that they are not alone, we are all in this together, and we are all doing ok!
Why should students join MidSoc?
Joining MidSoc means you are automatically provided with friends who understand you! It’s a chance to connect with other student midwives, from any year of the course. It also provides you with a host of opportunities to have a break from the hard hours of placement and academic work, whether that's through fun socials or structured wellbeing events.
What’s the most interesting or exciting event that MidSoc has been involved in recently?
It's actually being arranged right now! Every year, the Society organises a conference for all midwifery students which features visits from external speakers. It’s a day full of amazing talks and fun activities. This year, we are focusing on the ‘Unspoken aspects of midwifery’ and have invited speakers from all walks of life to talk about their personal maternity experiences. We are beyond excited. And the goodie bags look amazing!
To find out more about MidSoc, follow them on Instagram at @uosmidsoc.