A Journey through Student Clubs

Maria-Alejandra Halldén - Authorosqledaren@ths.kth.se

Defne Çelik - Illustratorosqledaren@ths.kth.se

Being a new student at KTH can be exciting and overwhelming. A lot is happening in just a matter of months. Some have to move from the other side of Sweden, while others move from other countries. Whether or not you call Stockholm your home, the associations are here to making you feel welcome at KTH.

I had the opportunity to contact various THS associations to get an idea of their atmosphere and vibe. Hopefully, this report will help students navigate the clubs.

One of these associations is Malvina. It is one of the largest associations at KTH. They welcome women and non-binary individuals to be members at their club. Giving my personal experience, the atmosphere at their event gives off a “girl’s girl” vibe where we support eachother. Malvina offers business workshops, JML workshops, and social events. One popular event is Malvina’s prom. I got to interview Malvina’s president, Siying:

To whom do you recommend Malvina?
I recommend Malvina to every female and non-binary student at KTH. Feel free to become a member and join any of our events that interest you! Membership is completely free.

What’s the best part about Malvina?
That’s such a hard choice! We have a wide variety of members from different programs, fun internal events like ceramics painting, Christmas mingle, and spring prom, as well as exciting networking events with companies like Scania, SVT, and BCG.

What can Malvina offer its members?
A safe and welcoming space with great networking opportunities, whether you want to connect with other members or meet companies. By the way, Scania is our main sponsor for 2025/26, and we have two exciting events planned with them, so stay tuned!

Insight is a club worth mentioning that is not listed on the THS webpage. It is a club for neurodivergent students. They strive to welcome and support neurodiverse and physically disabled people at KTH. I had the opportunity to interview one member, Irfan:

What made you interested in Insight?
I joined Insight to find a community of people who can relate to having neurodivergencies. I also find that there is a severe lack of access for people with physical disabilities to navigate through the campuses at KTH, and I wanted to change that.

To whom do you recommend Insight?
Insight is a group for students who are neurodivergent or have physical disabilities. Insight is for students who seek a community of like-minded individuals, network with others, hang out, and discuss special interests or topics related to the diverse subject of neurodivergence and mental health. If you have a diagnosis or have physical disabilities, you are welcome to join our group.

What’s the best part about insight?
We are primarily a social group. However, we are also an activist group that focuses on getting support for students with neurodiverse and physical disabilities. We are actively working with our institutions and faculties at KTH. We also work with companies to ensure support for people with disabilities. We organize bi-weekly social activities, such as meetups and games, as well as workshops with institutions and events featuring companies that center on the discussion of neurodiversity.

There are a lot of clubs at THS that focus on different hobbies. For example KTH Outdoor Club. One loyal member is Marietta.

How would you describe KTH Outdoor Club in a sentence?
They are quite open and diverse. You can plan big events or choose randomly what activities to do, for example, bouldering and climbing. The club is popular because we also plan big trips to Lapland. The club also lends out tools and tents. If you are a member, you get a discount.

To whom do you recommend KTH Outdoor Club?
It can feel overwhelming as a beginner to join, but Marietta says that most are beginners there and that some are trying camping for the first time at KTH Outdoor Club. There is one thing that can be improved, which is to reach out to people who want to join but don’t know who to contact.

There are community events that are open to everyone, like BBQ events that are open to everyone, or look at Instagram to see what they are doing at different events. Sometimes it's indoors, like during winter. Sometimes you have to pay extra to go to some events; there is a fixed price for membership, and then the costs vary for each event, for example, a trip to Norway to surf can cost more.

What is the best thing about KTH Outdoor Club?
The best thing is to get the chance to be part of big trips, the Lapland trip, that's what makes it "magical". It's also a big community; we're the biggest KTH club there is. If you have a dream trip, you can recommend it and get help organizing it. You can also be an event organizer, and then you get discounts on certain events.

The creative clubs at THS focus heavily on theater and music. Platoon DJ are, given in their name, a club for DJs. Here you can play cool beats, drops, and smooth cuts. It’s Stockholm's biggest DJ organisation. No previous experience is required to join, just dedication.

For anyone interested in theater and drama, Kårspexet might be the right club. There are lots of different ways to participate at Kårspexet. For example sewing, advertising, make-up, and acting. They perform around Stockholm, and they have performed internationally as well.

There are many technical clubs at KTH. There is KTH AI Society, KTH Formula Student and Tekniksa Högskolans Radioklubb (THR). THR was established in 1955, and is a place for people to practice their electronic hobbies. It mainly takes place at the clocktower. It has a beautiful view over Östermalm and an old, non-functional observatory as well as some old electronics. It fits perfectly into the vintage and charming atmosphere of the place.

There are many more clubs associated with THS, such as Muslim Students KTH, Speqtrum, and KTH Volleyball. Most of them are listed at THS website, as well as their contact information. You can also create your own club with your own niche, which is good for diversity. The more diversity, the more students will feel welcomed at KTH.