There are a few commonalities that thread through the Dazed team: most studied an arts degree of some kind, some of us ran fan accounts and Tumblr pages, and more than a few were involved in – or wish we were involved in – student media back at university.

University unions will sell you a hundred different societies, including countless sports clubs, extreme hide-and-seek, and even a Nettspend appreciation society. But whether you’re looking to pass the time, meet people or cut your teeth on the industry, student media is worth paying attention to.

With just enough freedom to fail, experiment and try again, student magazines are a crash course in  journalism. You can be as involved as you want to be: whether that’s occasionally contributing an article when the mood takes you, or spending your time editing, figuring out how to stretch a shoestring budget into a print run, and most rewardingly, seeing your vision come to life.

Below, we speak to student editors-in-chief across UK universities about their experiences, their advice for freshers, and why student media is so important.

GUM, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

Isaac Quirke and Kitty Rose are the co-editors-in-chief of GUM.

How did you first get involved with student media?

Isaac Quirke: As soon as I saw the articles and artwork GUM had posted on their Instagram, I knew I had to get involved. It looked so polished and glamorous… I very quickly became obsessed, going to every contributors’ meeting and social event. Whenever I spoke to one of the editors, picked up a pitch, or attended one of the launch parties, I knew I had found my place.

Kitty Rose: In the dark depths of a lonely first-year Scottish winter, I wrote my first article for GUM… I’ll never forget the feeling of having someone else read my work and take the time to edit it with such genuine care and love. This experience brought with it a warmth – of community, collaboration, and creativity – that thawed the ice that had settled over my university experience.

What has been a standout GUM moment?

Isaac Quirke: The launch event for the first issue, ‘Satiate’, was incredible. There was a potluck dinner, live music, and it was surreal seeing my work printed for the first time. People telling me they had read and enjoyed my article was the weirdest but coolest feeling.

Why is student media important to you, and what advice would you give to others wanting to get involved?

Isaac Quirke: GUM’s motto is ‘every voice heard’, and it feels like an environment that is uniquely capable of upholding that. Student media gives people the opportunity to use their voices and create work they’re passionate about without the barriers of professional media. Anyone who wants to take part should feel welcome – it’s a wonderful way to find a community of like-minded creatives.

Kitty Rose: Writing asks you to share pieces of yourself you might never have shown anyone before… but GUM is not a space for judgment. It exists to celebrate and uplift individual voices. Don’t be scared to write, and make your voice heard.

ERA JOURNAL, UCL

Abigail Lally and Irine Teneishvili are the co-editors-in-chief of Era Journal. Olivia Wachowiak and Gabriela Bernabeu Rodrigo are the magazine’s former co-editors-in-chief.

Why is student media important to you?

Gabriela Bernabeu Rodrigo: Student publications are some of the few spaces in media where you have the freedom to create on your own terms. At Era, it also feels uniquely democratic – everyone has an equal voice, and that collaborative form of organisation gives it a distinct character.

Olivia Wachowiak: As an art and culture magazine, we were able to showcase the work of creatives who might not otherwise have found press coverage. At the same time, by giving our writers the opportunity to cover major events in the art world – such as Frieze London, the BFI London Film Festival – Era added a young perspective to the wider cultural conversation in London. Emerging voices are the future of art, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

What would you say to others wanting to get involved?

Irine Teneishvili: Get involved early and use student media as a space to experiment with form. With university being a time of growth through experimentation, let that be true in the way you write, too. Student media provides the best community to learn from the people around you – engage completely with the space and you’ll come out of it as someone realised in their work.

LIPPY MAGAZINE, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

Bea Butterworth is the editor-in-chief of Lippy Magazine.

How did you first get involved with student media?

Bea Butterworth: You could say that my love for Lippy was at first sight. I attended their ‘give it a go’ event which is held every year for freshers. Despite my incredible awkwardness, I still came away with a feeling of familiarity and inspiration. To feel like you belong, in the midst of moving to a new city and desperately trying to make new friends, is powerful in and of itself; but to feel positively intoxicated with creativity and ideas, well, that was addictive. I’ve been hooked ever since.

What would you say to others wanting to get involved?

Bea Butterworth: Do it! Do it scared, do it stupid, do it and fail and then do it again. Chances are, there are at least five other people in whatever room you’re walking into feel the same way as you. 

Why is student media important to you?

Bea Butterworth: Its accessibility and ability to facilitate exploration. Exploration of the self, of your writing style, what’s important to you and what’s important to other people. I’ve met incredible creatives through the society that have permanently altered and influenced both my approach to writing and art.

QUENCH MAGAZINE, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

Charlotte Hardie-Watts is the editor of Quench Magazine.

What has been a standout Quench moment?

Charlotte Hardie-Watts: Our Women’s Day Special Issue that came out in March of this year. I found an incredible artist called Cara Walker to interview for the culture section. This experience was amazing and she delivers such a strong message through her art and addresses really important topics like heritage and Welsh identity. As a team, we also had a photoshoot together for the cover and photography of the issue, which was a lot of fun.

What advice would you give to others wanting to get involved?

Charlotte Hardie-Watts: I would suggest starting as a contributor; it’s really easy and you don’t need to step far out of your comfort zone. If you enjoy it, apply to be a part of the team the following year! You’ll meet some amazing like-minded people and gain a wealth of journalistic experience!

THE CHEESE GRATER, UCL

Rebekah Wright and Malvika Murkumbi are the co-editors-in-chief of The Cheese Grater.

How did you first get involved with student media?

Rebekah Wright: When I first came to UCL, I was allocated a new student accommodation that they failed to build on time. I spent the first five weeks of uni put up in the Radisson Blu hotel. I discovered The Cheese Grater through the society’s list on our SU website... and thought it would be perfect because I had a story for them! ‘One Pending Street: Communication Failures Worsen Accommodation Delays at UCL East’ was the first story I ever published at the magazine and I’ve been involved ever since.

Malvika Murkumbi: When I first got my offer to study at UCL, I went through the Students’ Union page and found The Cheese Grater Magazine Society. I was immediately hooked by the name... I was a part of a student magazine in high school and did some satirical writing for them, and I wanted to get involved in something similar at university. I attended some initial meetings during my first term and immediately fell in love with the publication.

What’s been a standout The Cheese Grater moment?

Malvika Murkumbi: My favourite issue is from this January – I’m biased, because my story was on the front page. The piece was about a student’s negative experience with the university’s misconduct reporting system... Right before publishing, the editors at the time received significant pushback from both the university and the Students’ Union. They published it anyway, and the student at the centre of the article thanked me for platforming their story. This is definitely one of my favourite memories from my time at The Cheese Grater. It was an important reminder that the stories we’re telling can actually have an impact.