Freshers Week Survey: Are non-drinkers left out?

Did you enjoy your first week? Did you have nightmare flatmates? Did you leave your Freshers tickets at home? Or is it all just a blur of Ring of Fire and ‘Down it Fresher’?

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“If you’re not playing a drinking game then it’s hard to get involved.”

“I didn’t realise you had to buy Freshers tickets.”

“I went out in the city instead.”

“Why would you want to go out every night for a week in the same place?”

These are just some of the opinions heard by the Tab team when we hit the square last week to get your views on UEA’s ‘Welcome Week’.

We spoke to a sample of 100 students about how they experienced the bag of nerves, excitement and, of course, drink, that is a large proportion of students’ first Freshers week. Here is a summary of the results we uncovered:

– 63% thought opportunities to meet new people were limited if you didn’t drink.

– 85% of you enjoyed Welcome Week.

– 73% of you got on well with your flatmates.

– 46% of you went to 3-4 of the LCR club nights.

– Most who went to less than 3 gave lack of tickets or not enjoying the LCR as a reason.

– 36% of you felt there wasn’t a great enough variety of events in Freshers.

– More than 2/3 of those who felt there wasn’t enough variety would have enjoyed a barbecue.

– 38% of you felt under pressure to drink more than usual.

Many students we spoke to had been completely unaware of the need to buy tickets to attend Freshers events.

With a capacity described as “1550 for gigs and slightly higher for club nights” (www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk ) the LCR can cater for less than half of UEA’s Fresher intake.

This is not even considering the proportion of tickets bought by second and third years using the not-so-secret Freshers ticket link.

With LCR nights being a large part of the ‘Welcome Week’ experience (82% of you attended at least one), are non-drinkers being left feeling isolated?

UEA’s website claims that “regardless of what you’re interested in, there are lots of activities on offer to help you meet like minded people!”.

There are, of course, a huge range of societies to join, but when it comes to events designed to help first years integrate with their flatmates it would appear that the majority centre around club nights.

Although it is not necessary to drink at UEA’s student union, is the drinking culture that surrounds the LCR something which prevents integration for a lot of students? Would you have liked to have seen a greater variety of organised events in your first week at UEA?

Have your say in the comments box below.