The Subcom Experience
What is a subcommittee? You just got here and everyone seems to be throwing around this word. A subcommittee (most commonly referred to as ‘subcom’), is a team of uni students who work together to improve a society, and in turn aim to improve student life at UNSW.
At CSESoc, we have different subcoms that help make different things happen! Whether it be organising fun social events, running industry networking nights, or making cool videos and articles (like this!) There’s a little something for everyone. Instead of hearing it just from us, let's ask some of previous year’s subcom what they got out of being involved with CSESoc!
- Amy Creative Subcom ‘22, Creative Director ‘23, Vice-President (Internals) ‘24
What made you choose the portfolio you applied for?
After finding out what each portfolio was responsible for, I was interested in being part of CSESoc’s content team. I wanted to learn how to use Adobe and Canva tools and effectively brainstorm design ideas for merchandise. I also wanted the creative outlet to have some fun creating something that I ideated from start to end. Though I may not have the best drawing skills, joining the Creative team was an opportunity and safe place for me to experiment, be inspired by people with similar interests and successfully publish creative pieces of my own to help CSESoc reach its wider student community - Amy
Favourite thing about being part of subcom?
My favourite part was meeting a variety of people that soon became my closest group of friends. Uni can be very daunting at first and it’s important to learn to balance the academic and social aspects to the uni experience. Being part of subcom gave me a place to be myself, get away from the stressful studies and go out with a group of friends for dinners, study sessions and roadtrips, which all added to the amazing memories that make up a great first year. - Amy
Favourite memory from subcom?
Towards the end of the year our Creative portfolio had weekly in person meetings every Friday. Although I didn’t have any scheduled classes on that day, I chose to come to uni every week because I loved being able to spend time to goof around with my crazy subcom members and directors. We always went out to eat around uni and in the city after the meeting and did fun food reviews. Loving the friendships we had within our team, our end of year Creative roadtrip featured almost everyone including my directors (my cse parents) and my directors’ directors (my cse grandparents) which was just an amazing time and one of my favourite memories.
Outside of just Creative and because I have too many favourite memories, CSEsoc’s weekly BBQs was the best time to mingle with subcom members from other portfolios, as well as other students from the CSE community, and that is how I met my closest friends and CSE family. - Amy
How do you think being in subcom impacted your uni experience?
Subcom made my first year uni experience a lot more fun for myself because as I mentioned, the work and the friends were a break from uni life which can often get stressful. Every aspect of subcom was also a learning experience, from interview skills and learning to deal with rejection if you didn’t get into a society or subcom you wanted. I learnt to work in a team and deal with conflicts, problem solve and use the skills I learnt in Creative to create content. I also became more confident being around a group of new people, despite being a relatively shy person at first. - Amy
Did you feel like you were making an impact on the CSESoc community? Favourite subcom achievement?
Being in Creative is very rewarding. I remember releasing my first banner on Facebook for a CSEsoc event and I invited my sister to the event even though she graduated uni two years ago 😀 Creative helps to bring attention to a lot of CSESoc’s events by setting the aesthetic and visual representation through the Facebook banners which then get marketed across all social media platforms. This helps to build community at our events where people are able to connect and have a great time with each other. So yes, I absolutely loved the impact we made on the CSESoc community. On top of banners, our Creative team was also responsible for producing merchandise. I remember absolutely shooting through the roof when I released my first piece of merch: a well-being sticker. Though it may seem small, it easily became one of my favourite achievements in the year knowing that it was something I worked on and created, and is now something people can use to decorate their laptops. - Amy
Any advice for those thinking about applying for subcom?
If you’re thinking, maybe you’re not good enough or you don’t really know too much about how to draw/edit videos/organise events or you probs wont get in and you hate interviews - just apply anyways. Subcom makes up so much of the first year experience and that includes learning skills on the way - don’t be afraid if you don’t think you have the skills already. Directors tend to look for your curiosity, interest and passion for the work a subcom does. If you want to learn more and if you want to get involved with the CSE community, there is no better free opportunity then joining subcom. Looking forward to seeing you all in subcom and at CSESoc events this year ❤️- Amy
Final Advice
Now that you have a better idea of what a subcommittee is and the fulfilment and impact it can make onto your university experience, it is time to start your journey. Put down the hesitation and apply to any port your interested in, take that leap forward for an amazing first-year uni experience at UNSW. Check out CSESoc 2024's subcommittee recruitment on early February.
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