Five reasons to STAY SOBER during Freshers’ Week

I know that Freshers’ Week is all about letting go, having fun and celebrating independence, but you can do that without getting plastered. Here are a few reasons why staying sober may not be a terrible idea.

1. You don’t know your limits.

Not knowing your limits can lead to blacking out, passing out and vomiting – let’s be honest; most of you have not drunk enough to learn your limits before you get to Uni. To those that have: you will, during Freshers’, meet and exceed those limits. Do you really want to spend your first week in a new place feeling awful because you drank too much, vommed on your chinos and don’t remember the code for W block? I didn’t think so.

2. You don’t know anyone.

Getting drunk around friends is one thing- they have loyalties and responsibilities, they will look after you. During Freshers’ you are on your own. Would you escort a chundering stranger to A&E to get their stomach pumped? Probably not – they’re not your problem and you’re not anyone else’s problem if you end up being the one in need.

You also don’t know anything about the people you are meeting; be they other freshers, other students or just locals looking to take advantage of some drunken first-years. There have been too many horror stories about drunken freshers being more than ‘taken advantage of’ in their first week at University – don’t let that be you.

3. You won’t remember anyone.

Surely the actual aim of Freshers’ Week is to meet people and make some friends. Sure, you will meet people at the nightly piss-ups, but will you remember them the next day, let alone create any lasting friendships from it? You may even have that awkward moment where people remember you but you were so wasted when you met that you have no idea who they are – or worse, what you told them about yourself during your first week.

 4. You don’t want a reputation, yet.

Do you want to get so drunk you wet yourself in public? So drunk you vom on someone whilst making out? It can happen. It does happen, and once it does, it’s a brilliant, hilarious story that you will NEVER rid yourself of throughout your university career. So why not stay sober, stay in control and don’t leave Freshers’ branded the girl who slept with ten guys in one night, or the guy who cried when offered a threesome.

5. Your liver will thank you.

It goes without saying – alcohol can totally destroy your liver. What used to be a middle-to-late-aged ailment, liver disease is starting to show in people a lot younger (early twenties) thanks to our binge-drinking culture. I don’t want to lecture you (you’ll get that enough over the next three years here) but bear in mind – just because you haven’t had enough to get drunk, you are still damaging your liver. Three units a day max please…and that’s just two jagerbombs.

For a selection of reasons why drinking is a great shout during Freshers’, click here