The Vida Universitaria department (Student Life) started the first semester of the year with a welcome event open to the entire UM community. The event took place during the second week of March, in both campuses of the UM: the central campus in Parque Batlle and the UM building in Parque Tecnológico del LATU. For first year students of all degrees, Vida Universitaria organized a “sunset” party for Generation 2026, welcoming students from all over the country. The first part of the event started with activities so that new students could see first hand what it means to be a university student at Universidad de Montevideo and the various services available to them. Different areas of the universities gave informative talks to the newly arrived students: Vida Universitaria, Chaplaincy, UM Global, Alumni and Professional Development, and Initium (UM’s startup incubator). The event continued with a sunset picnic in the garden, where deans, academic coordinators, and other UM guests joined the new students. There were food trucks, a smoothie bar, a DJ, and a stand with welcome gifts.

Sports

The Sports department began its 23rd year of activities, offering sports teams with weekly practices that compete in leagues (basketball, futsal, hockey), as well as recreational volleyball and men’s recreational football teams. At the same time, the annual tournaments and championships at UM are already being planned, along with adventure tourism excursions of the Adventurers Club.

Service and Wellbeing

The Volunteering department of Vida Universitaria organized “Universitarios en acción” (University students in action), a weekend of social action in the countryside. On this occasion, 40 volunteers took part in a weekend of service in the neighbourhood of Cerrillos (Canelones) on the 21st and 22nd of March. Students completed maintenance and repairs to the school Colegio Santa Isabel, and visited a home for the elderly for an afternoon of games and music in the outdoors. “Universitarios en acción” started in 2018 as an initiative of Vida Universitaria, and since then has embarked on diverse projects in the countryside in the departments of Lavalleja, Canelones, Florida and Colonia.

During the first month of classes, the Wellbeing and Culture department offered a workshop on Neuroscience and Wellbeing called “New Year, Clear Goals”, an opportunity designed to transform wishes into concrete and achievable objectives. In this workshop, students could plan their year with intention, organizing ideas and clear goals that were realistic and aligned with their priorities.

Additionally, Vida Universitaria was involved in the classic “retiro express” (spiritual retreat) during the beginning of the semester, organized by both UM Chaplaincy and Vida Universitaria, where attendees could plan their semester and create clear objectives for different aspects of life such as family, friends, study, work, and faith.

A new generation of the Vida Universitaria Diploma

March was also the moment for newcomers to sign up to the Vida Universitaria Diploma. This diploma offers a certificate to recognize participation in the extracurricular activities that take place in the UM. The Diploma program aims to encourage participation in activities that allow for the development of skills such as team work, leadership, empathy, sociability, creativity, and innovation, among others. The program seeks to support the formation of well-rounded, passionate, and committed people, something valuable for both one’s social and professional life. It is made up of a range of activities to choose from, where students can choose those best suited to them. To obtain the Vida Universitaria Diploma, students must accumulate a minimum number of ‘points’ over their degrees, that can be obtained through participation in activities led by Vida Universitaria, or by other units in collaboration with Vida Universitaria. For more information, contact vidauniversitaria@um.edu.uy.