For as long as anyone can remember, drinking has been a key part of the student experience – but this is changing. An increasing number of young people are turning away from drinking, with a 2024 poll by Student Beans finding that half of first-year students did not plan to drink during their freshers’ week.
If you’re considering a teetotal uni experience, or want to limit your drinking, here are four places to look for sober fun.
Societies
One of the easiest ways to find like-minded people and make friends without alcohol is to join any society that you’re interested in. There are more than 10,000 societies across all universities in the UK, with at least 50 to choose from at most universities, many of which do not involve alcohol.
Georgia Burdis, a vice-president of activities at Northumbria University, says that for “students who don’t drink, university can still be a very rewarding social experience when you find the right spaces” and advises teetotal students to “seek out communities that align with your intentions rather than the social norms of alcohol consumption. This way you will naturally build meaningful friendships”.
Parties
It is absolutely possible to go to parties where people are drinking and still have fun while sober. Although it might be outside your comfort zone, try at least one to find out if you enjoy it.
If you want to go to a party with other people like yourself, there is a surprising amount of choice. Sober parties have fast become normalised, with events spreading across the country. In Glasgow, for example, Good Clean Fun puts on monthly ticketed events that combine a variety of musical genres with activities such as meditation.
Enjoy the outdoors
A study by the Mental Health Foundation found that 39% of students did not do regular exercise, often citing tiredness and a preference for socialising. So how about combining looking after your health with making friends in the process?
Most universities will have great sportsfacilities and a plethora of teams you can join, with something to suit all ability levels. Ask at your fresher’s fair to find the perfect fit.
For something more intrepid, outdoor societies such as Dundee University’s Rucksack club, the University of Plymouth’s Adventure & expo group and the University of London Mountaineering club take advantage of the local countryside and are open to people of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Games
You might think only mature students would enjoy playing board games – but you’d be wrong. One study by Edge Hill University (pdf) found that 26.9% of board game players are between the ages of 18 and 25.
There are a surprising number of games clubs and campus societies dedicated to them. Edge Hill has several, including the Poker and card games society, which says new members should “feel free to bring along any card game you wanna play and I’m sure we’ll enjoy playing too!”.
