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, like an indie publication stocked at a cool magazine shop. 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, helping shape it into the best version it could be. This experience brought with it a warmth – of community, collaboration, and creativity – that thawed the ice that had settled over my university experience and reminded me just how much I loved to write, when I needed that reminder the most.

What has been a standout GUM moment?

Isaac Quirke: The launch event for the first issue of GUM last year, ‘Satiate’. The team held a potluck dinner, there was live music, and it was a beautiful candlelit evening. It was incredibly surreal to see my work printed in a magazine for the first time, which had been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I kept opening the magazine to make sure my piece was still there. Lots of people told me that they had read my article and liked it, which was the most weird but cool feeling. That was also the event where I feel like Kitty and I became true friends.

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 is also not subject to as many economic pressures as professional publications. We can create more unique, specific journalism that expresses our creativity without worrying about website view targets or turning a profit. 

Kitty Rose: Don’t be scared to write, and make your voice heard. Writing is vulnerable. Writing asks you to share pieces of yourself you might never have shown to anyone before - to reveal parts of your inner world to faceless strangers, distant acquaintances, or, perhaps even more terrifyingly, your loved ones. But try and let go of the fear, even just a little. GUM is not a space for judgment, but one that exists to celebrate and uplift individual voices. The aim is to create together, to stay curious, to grow as writers and creatives, and to be each other’s cheerleaders and supporters.

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's been a standout Era moment?

Gabriela Bernabeu Rodrigo: The last issue–our 20th–felt really special. It was something of a turning point for Era, having finally settled into some sort of rhythm, but also in a way opened up a new chapter. Our Art Director, Mabel McLeod, refined what had been a nascent visual style into something much more cohesive and established. She brought in some very talented people, too–like Jake Evans and Helen Yang for our photography–and we were equally fortunate with the performers at our launch event at The Horse Hospital, with memorable readings and music acts, among them an experimental cello performance.

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. 

What's been a standout Lippy moment?

Bea Butterworth:  For me, ‘The Soul Issue’ (AW24) is a real standout. Lippy Magazine’s prints are themed around a different word each issue. ‘Soul’ was a brilliant blend of music, joy, introspection, community and activism. I loved watching the society members interpret, twist and bring to life the theme of ‘soul’ in ways I never imagined.

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. I am so grateful that Lippy was a welcoming and safe space when I first started University and keeping the society as accessible as possible is a priority for me.

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.

Why is student media important to you?

Charlotte Hardie-Watts: Student media is incredibly important to me. I’ve developed a huge sense of dedication to Quench as it’s provided me with so many growth opportunities. I wrote my first reviews with Quench and got to interview some fascinating individuals. I believe student media gives you strong insight into what it’s like to work in the media. As Editor-in-Chief this year, I’ve already developed strong leadership, relational and organisational skills that will benefit me throughout my career.

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.

Why is student media important to you?

Rebekah Wright: I think the importance of student media manifests in its ability to create community and to speak truth to power. We cover a lot of Students’ Union politics at The Cheese Grater and I think this is really important in increasing awareness about Union democracy. It should also empower students who read our stuff to get involved and make a difference.

Malvika Murkumbi: I think universities, especially big universities like UCL, suffer from a crisis of student political engagement and a lack of a “campus” feel... I believe student media can help get students engaged in SU politics and create a sense of cohesion that can sometimes get lost when a university has a massive student body, like at UCL.