When we come to uni, we are filled with assumptions, concerns and anxieties (hopefully as well as a lot of excitement and new motivation!) and one thing on your mind may be alcohol. I am sure many of the stories you have heard about uni have been centred around drinking games, pres, and crazy nights out. Students are suddenly free from their parentsâ supervision and, particularly in freshersâ week, have very few responsibilities. However, there is no pressure to drink, and uni without drinking is still as much (if not at times far more) fun! I have enjoyed plenty of drinking games with squash or coke, and Iâve been so glad to be able to clearly remember all the fun the next day!Â
No hangover and staying on top of uni work!
Walking into the kitchen to make lunch after a productive morning and seeing your friends from the night out crawl in to finally put something into their empty stomachs always made me laugh a little and feel glad that I hadnât drunk to the same excess as them! Plus, not drinking too much makes it so much easier to stay on top of the workload. At the end of the day, most of us have come to uni to get a good degree and, whilst we want to also enjoy the social life, we canât let that bring down our grades. Trying to read difficult texts or solve equations (idk Iâm an English Lit student) is going to be a far, far bigger chore when hungover! Save your head and your grades by drinking a little less.Â
Being with the right group!Â
If you feel that you canât have as much fun on a night out because you donât want to drink, then maybe consider who you have surrounded yourself with. People should never push you into drinking, nor ever make you feel left out due to the decision. Not drinking, or not wanting to drink every time a game indicates for you to drink, is never something to be ashamed of and there will be plenty of other people who donât drink for all sorts of reasons. Also, when youâre sober, playing drinking games with the right people can be hilarious and you have the fun of remembering it clearly the following day!
Remembering the night!Â
Whereâs the fun in having a great night and then not being able to remember it, or the references your friends continue to make about it? These uni nights really can be some of the best of your life and theyâre ones youâre going to want to be able to reminisce about. Rather than making you feel included, drinking too much could end up isolating you if you canât remember or if you do things out of character, leading me to the next pointâŠÂ
Less likely to have regrets!Â
I am sure we are all too well aware of one of the biggest cons of drinking: not being able to think clearly and make good decisions. When you are starting uni, friendships are formed quickly and are so important when youâre away from all your home friends and family, and so you donât want to do something on a night out which could jeopardise this. If youâre constantly causing your new friends to end their night early in order to look after you, you might find yourself feeling a little less popular on nights out.
Budgeting!Â
I feel I should also mention one of the more obvious reasons as to why some uni students donât drink too much and this is the tight budgets which arenât too accommodating for that expensive bottle of gin! When so many uni students feel they must sacrifice eating a healthier meal because they donât want to buy 5 different ingredients and yet spend ÂŁ20 on some vodka, something’s not quite right! Itâs so important to look after your health at uni when youâre finally standing on your own two feet in the world without someone to look after you when you become ill, and so maybe next time pick up a punnet of grapes instead of that bottle of wine and notice better health and bank account statements!Â
With these things in mind, why not try drinking a little less at the next pres, or even trying it sober, and see what you think! Itâs fun to drink, just not to excess! Stay safe âșÂ