Cardiff Uni students speak out about pressure of drinking culture during Freshers’ Week

Cardiff University students have spoken out about feeling pressured by a heavy drinking culture during Freshers’ Week.

The university’s Freshers’ is often notorious for back-to-back club nights, drinking games at pres, and a pounding headache the following morning – then onto a cheeky “hair of the dog” before the cycle repeats itself.

Whilst it may seem evident that drinking can be a fairly integral aspect of student life, a new Bupa UK insurance research study has revealed the extent of our social attitudes to alcohol.

According to the findings, 80 per cent of students believe drinking is important within uni culture, with UK Google searches for “hangxiety” eight times higher than they were in 2021.

But even so, not everyone wants to spend Freshers’ with a drink in hand.

‘I didn’t expect the social pressure of going out and drinking every week’

An online poll published by The Cardiff Tab found 18 per cent of 350 students at Cardiff University intend to have a sober Freshers’ Week this year, with 11 per cent considering it, and 71 per cent planning to drink.

Despite the shift, three out of five 18 to 34-year-olds still think there’s widespread pressure to consume alcohol. For many students, that pressure feels impossible to avoid.

A second-year physical geography student at Cardiff University told The Cardiff Tab: “Last year I was a fresher and I was so excited to meet new people, but I most definitely didn’t expect the social pressure of going out and drinking every week, even after Freshers’ Week.

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“I didn’t intend on getting as sucked into it as I did, but it almost feels like you’re missing out if you don’t because of the quantity of students that partake. I think a part of it is also the pressure of making friends and kind of following what everyone else does.”

The student explained they’d looked at some of the sober events advertised by the Cardiff Students’ Union, but none of their peers wanted to join because they “just wanted to get drunk and go out”.

“It’s definitely hard because I am a Christian so I’d like to focus on my faith more in second year, limit drinking and take more ownership of my life!” they added.

Another second-year student said they found Freshers’ Week was so revolved around alcohol that it indirectly pressured people into drinking if they wanted to make new friends. They also feel the level of alcohol consumed creates rowdy environments “that are a nightmare for people with sensory challenges.”

They continued: “I think if there were more social events where alcohol isn’t as prominent as it is in YOLO, for instance, sober students would feel more confident in meeting new people without alcohol making people’s personalities blurry.”

Battling the Freshers’ Week hangover

For those who experienced one too many hangovers last year and are looking to change their habits, Dr Naveen Puri, Medical Director for Bupa UK insurance, has shared this advice: “Be consistent in what you want to say, and try to ignore any judging remarks from friends or family members.

“Remind yourself of the reasons you don’t drink, or want to cut down. It might help ease your mind to let people know in advance. For example, if you’re going to an event together. You could even let a few trusted friends know first, who can help to back you when challenged.”

He also hopes students seek comfort in knowing they aren’t the only people challenging their drinking habits, with Google searches for “non-alcoholic parties” increasing fivefold in the last four years.

So, how can Cardiff Uni better accommodate sober students during Freshers’ Week?