A 'Fresher Perspective' blog: is the media right about students?
Introduction
Sophie will be posting her thoughts and experiences of uni every week during her first year to give a frank portrayal of university life and the role alcohol plays in it. This week she questions whether the media's portrayal of students and alcohol is true.
Am I normal?
This week has been pretty much alcohol free, which is quite distressing when I’m required to write a blog about it.
I began to really get into my artwork and found myself just sleeping after uni…I’m not sure about my classmates habits, but I assume the ones staying in halls are still “living it large”! My boyfriend seems to be the same as I regular receive drunken phone calls to tell me he loves me. I guess it’s flattering but irritating too as it is just another reminder of his party lifestyle.
The media regularly highlights the dangers of binge drinking and university culture. But to be honest I haven’t seen much, maybe what I consider a normal night would actually be considered a “binge” in unit terms. It seems like people have got accustomed to a heavy drinking culture, where it’s not until someone is physically sick or can’t move that they consider it a “binge”. So technically if I’m correct about units, I guess you could say uni is as bad as the media says.
This weekend, my boyfriend and I spent our Saturday night in a comedy club in Covent Garden. This is where my small but very pricey intake of vodka was consumed.
It was a nice change from clubbing, which I sometimes just find a little repetitive. I always feel proud when I haven’t drank much. It feels like an achievement to have a good time without it being a necessity.
Oh dear I sound like I’m ready for retirement in this blog!
I’ve been thinking about maybe switching to a different uni next year or even just finding a job as it’s definitely not what I expected. I’m finding the concept that art students are pretty laid back really difficult and I feel like I need to do something which has more of a buzz to keep me motivated.
However, I’m back off to Nottingham Thursday which is more than likely to result in a good night out.
And…I think the party season should be technically be arriving soon. I do find it funny that the skimpiest outfits come out in the coldest months of the year… yet because of the drink, you can’t feel the icy conditions as much. Is that why those St Bernard rescue dogs have barrels of brandy on their necks in the snow?
Dramatic subject change… it would be brilliant to hear from any student or young person reading this who has maybe experienced the same thoughts about life, or even their drinking habits?
Till next week I guess! Sophie :-)
- Page last updated by
- Matthew Bateman, 19 Nov 2009.
- Page checked on
- 19 Nov 2009
8 comment(s) on this article
Date: 24/11/09
Posted by: melanie
drinking is so fun and so cool but it can affect you and some thing bad will happen. It is your option if you want to do it then it is all up to you lol
Date: 25/11/09
Posted by: Bex
I understand what you're saying about art students. I study fashion and some people just think that i 'cut and stick' into sketchbooks all day, but a creative course is mentally and physically challenging, so by the time i've done a whole day at uni I just want to go home, have a cup of tea and go to sleep, literally like an old lady! You're not on your own on that one, Sophie!
Date: 26/11/09
Posted by: Tamsyn
Hiya, Loving your blog. I'm a fresher and was alittle concerned about the whole alcohol thing before coming to uni. Wasn't a big drinker, didn't even go out all that much. However, I did look back over my first few weeks the other day and think, wow, there isn't all that much alcohol involved, and infact, I'm not actually going out that much either. Last week a friend from uni rang me, feeling homesick, I suggested we go out. She refused, when I asked her why she said, I don't feel like getting drunk tonight. I said you don't have to get drunk. In the end we went to this cute little bar, sat and drank diet coke all evening and chatted. It made us realise, being sociable, going out and having a good time does not = alcohol/get slaughtered. So basically, to anyone out there thinking uni isn't all it's cracked up to be. It doesn't have to be. Make the most out of little occasions. And at uni, nobody is normal =D x
Date: 26/11/09
Posted by: Katy
I think that if you have a less demanding course, especially in first year where there is less pressure, you have the time to socialize more, so you drink more than other uni years. I found that living in halls also meant that you had the constant company of other students, which means that you were more likely to drink together and socialize.I definately drank about 3 bottles of wine a week in first year, which is binge drinking, as I would drink a bottle at a time. Really interesting blog, I will keep reading!
Date: 26/11/09
Posted by: ben
i was a student for the past 2 years, and i used to drink pretty much every day. i stopped drinking (not entirely, im only human!) about 13 months ago and almost every aspect of my life has improved. i dont go to clubs anymore as the loud and usually terrible music coupled with over priced drinks is nowhere near as much fun as a brew and a quiet night in watching films
Date: 27/11/09
Posted by: Mat
Granted, whenever there's a night out, it practically always involves alcohol, but very few people specifically try to get insensibly inebriated. Most normal people can tell if they've had too much and stop, and frequently when people drink too much and make a fool of themselves, they regret it in the morning (or at least the hangover) and most of the time will learn from that.
Date: 27/11/09
Posted by: Nic
I don't drink (maybe 1 every six months or so), and my friends are always urging me to drink. When I refuse they ask me how I can have a good time without it, but I don't need it, just good company and a fun evening (well, until I here them telling me the same thing for the fifth time in their drunkenness). The result? a great bank balance and 1st Class grades! Oh yeh, I had a brill time clubbing in Ibiza on non-alcoholic cocktails too!
Articles from the same month:
A 'Fresher Perspective' blog: how alcohol affects some people's livesA 'Fresher Perspective' blog: big weekend in Nottingham
A 'Fresher Perspective' blog: birthday weekend
Date: 20/11/09
Posted by: Rumman
Don't drink alcohol, it is the cause of all evil.