Non-drinkers at university

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Times have changed, when I was at University basically everyone I knew regularly got hammered, by regularly I mean three times a week. But as others have said, I think there will be others now who don’t drink, albeit a lot of drinking will still go on. She will be fine I am sure.

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I went to Uni and didn't regularly get hammered (I think I've been "hammered" about 4 times in my life). All the friends I knew didn't get regularly hammered either. We did drink sociably, occasionally we got a bit drunk, but we were rarely hammered.

Students aren't supposed to go to Uni to drink copious amounts of alcohol. I find it a bit sad that there's this general assumption that students are all a bunch of alcoholics.

[arosiem]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

I went to Uni and didn't regularly get hammered (I think I've been "hammered" about 4 times in my life). All the friends I knew didn't get regularly hammered either. We did drink sociably, occasionally we got a bit drunk, but we were rarely hammered.

Students aren't supposed to go to Uni to drink copious amounts of alcohol. I find it a bit sad that there's this general assumption that students are all a bunch of alcoholics.

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We know different types of students... 😂
I graduated my masters this year. First year I got drunk. A lot. Not necessarily hammered, but I got drunk / socially drank a lot, as did everyone I knew - and I studied law.
First year doesn’t count towards your final uni grade now, and I assume that this is because they know that in first year it’s often the first time that students have lived away and are finding their feet and exploring the new found independence - including getting drunk with all the new friends they’ll make!
Even if you don’t drink, I can bet that that student will still want to go out and join in socially with their flat mates or course mates - uni would get awfully lonely otherwise.

Then, after first year, you knuckle down and crack on with your degree! Third and fourth year a barely went out at all and when I did I was home early to make sure I could study the next day.

I don’t think everyone should think students are alcoholics, however majority do drink a lot as, aside from being in new places surrounded with new people, most have just turned 18 and are enjoying their new found freedom to go out legally! Freshers have fun. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by arosiem

I don’t think everyone should think students are alcoholics, however majority do drink a lot as, aside from being in new places surrounded with new people, most have just turned 18 and are enjoying their new found freedom to go out legally! Freshers have fun. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

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If the majority do drink a lot throughout their student life and regularly get hammered then, yes, the majority are alcoholics. And, yes, that is a bad thing.

Sure, if it's just for a short period (eg. freshers week and a couple of weeks after) or they drink sociably and only infrequently get hammered, then that's one thing. I don't have an issue with that. A few drinks here and there isn't a problem and isn't a bad thing. But if they're going out drinking most nights and getting stupidly drunk on at least 3 nights a week then that's not going to be good for their livers, for their studies, and for everyone in general. I certainly wouldn't be promoting that as a good thing. Medical advice certainly doesn't.

[novocastrian]

^^

students or just normal 18 year olds its the same surely

a lot drink a lot and are out more than in, some stay in / have other interests, each to their own and i dont think either are missing out on anything

when i was 18 (didnt goto uni) i was out every thursday friday saturday sunday and maybe tues/wed as well !.. as where most of my peers. we got hammered most of the time . TBH my life revolved around working/drinking/football/ gigs

dont think this is any different now for students or other teenagers

[sam7]

Many universities have facebook pages for future freshers, my DD made friends with quite a few people before she even got there, one in her flat. Also encourage your DD to look into joining some clubs, DS was a member of a TaeKwondo club, they went on lots of social outing to places for non drinkers as many of the members did not drink.

[arosiem]

Eeee, calling freshers alcoholics 😂 no - that’s just part and parcel of most students lives I’m afraid - and each to their own. Does not mean they’re ‘alcoholics’ because they drink often (given the lack of dependency...) and does not mean anyone is less of a ‘student’ if they choose not to drink.
If they’re not harming anyone, then it shouldn’t be a bother to anyone. My liver faired just fine and I was out or drinking more often than not in my first year!

[arosiem]

Just an FYI - I never developed alcoholism either 😜

[Gill H]

Just depends on the crowd you hang with. Even back in the 80s there were plenty of students whose lives didn’t revolve around alcohol. Not knocking anyone, but it isn’t compulsory!