As a teetotal student, heading into university was already a very daunting experience. I worried about not fitting in not being able to socialise due to my assumptions with it. However, this is completely not the case! Here are some of my experiences and what I have learnt from being a teetotal student at university so far. 

Welcome Week

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Welcome week (aka Freshers' week) is one of the most memorable and exciting weeks of your university experience; however, it is typically linked with drinking alcohol, so when you do not do that, it is normal to be worried about your experience heading in. However, I found that being honest about not drinking can be a great way to find common ground with people, as I found myself making friends with people who also had a similar attitude! Also, being teetotal does not stop you from having a fun week; you can engage with socials and club trips whilst sober and still have a good time! My main tip for fresher’s week is to be honest and open, as the week is different for everyone, and you can have a fun-filled week. 

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Nightlife 

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I mentioned previously about nightlife, which isa significant part of university life. A big fear when coming to university was that being teetotal would make it harder to socialise outside of university. This has never been the case, and I have had a great social life at university! Most people who drink do not and should not judge you for your choices, and being teetotal/drinking less is becoming more common with university students, with only 41% of university students drinking more than once a week! Whilst clubbing is not something I enjoy massively, I have enjoyed Exeter nightlife sober and have found friends to do it with.  I admit there will be some people who might not necessarily respect your teetotal choices, but this says more about them than it does you, and you can use it to find people you want to surround yourself with! 

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Societies! 

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Last thing I have found important being a teetotal student is the joy that is societies. Many societies regularly offer daytime and more sober–focused events, from film nights to coffee mornings; these types of events have helped me find friends and try out new things and experiences! Sometimes socialising in the evenings, especially if you are the only person not drinking, can make you feel out of place, so society events during the day that are not drinking focused can make you feel much more included and help make being teetotal less focal! Also, society events tend to have committee members who stay sober, making sure someone is always there to support people! 

My main takeaway is that if you are about to start university and you are teetotal, it can feel very nerve-wracking, due to the many assumptions of university being a drinking-focused experience. But being honest with others will help you find your people! Drinking does not be a necessity to enjoy uni life and its okay if your uni experience is alcohol free its just as valid and exciting!   

One of the first events I went to during Freshers' Week was the Big Night In, which was a great opportunity to meet people! You can see the many alcohol free Welcome Week events taking place on the Welcome Hub.

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