Student Who Gave up Alcohol Just Weeks After Freshers’ Says Uni Life Is Just as Enjoyable Sober

Real Fix

Credit: SWNS / Elysia Sanders  A student who gave up alcohol just weeks after freshers' says uni life is just as enjoyable sober - and she doesn't care if people call her "boring".  Elysia Sanders, 19, quit the booze in November last year after realising she didn't even like the taste - and 'hangxiety' was affecting her mental health.  The geography undergraduate returns to Durham University for her second year on Monday (25/9).  She says she's going to continue her sobriety - and have a good time doing it.

Transcript

00:00 that do hurt you or offend you. Remember that they probably wish they could do a

00:04 night out without having to drink. Not drinking at university. For some context

00:09 I'm just about to start my second year and I haven't had anything to drink

00:11 since November but I do still join in with nights out and university events.

00:15 This is how I've done it. You will make friends, I promise you. If the people that

00:18 you're with can't respect the fact you're not drinking then they shouldn't

00:21 be your friends anyway. First thing is to just always be straight up with people.

00:24 Don't be offended if somebody offers you a drink or tries to get you involved in

00:28 a drinking game. They're probably just trying to make friends with you but you

00:31 do not need an excuse. Just say "I'm not drinking tonight" or if you don't drink

00:35 full stop just say "I don't drink". If you respond first with an excuse people are

00:39 gonna try and push you on that. If you just say you don't drink you might get a

00:41 few questions asked about why you don't drink but people won't try and make you

00:45 drink. Second thing is that if you still want to go on nights out make sure you

00:48 have enough energy. When I started going out my caffeine intake went way up. Do not

00:53 act like you are the sober friend. Obviously if it's a super close friend

00:56 that you would be helping anyway then yes but do not let yourself become the

00:59 default person to clean up other people's messes. Fourth thing is to hype

01:03 yourself up. Make sure you have a good priest playlist. Look in the mirror and

01:06 tell yourself that you look gorgeous before you go out. That is my biggest

01:09 takeaway from not drinking is to still have the confidence to go and talk to

01:12 people, dance like crazy, sing along to the music. Remember that everybody else

01:16 around you is not going to think that you are standing out. Always have a drink

01:20 in your hand. A coke, a lemonade, whatever you like. It means that you can still

01:23 join in on things like drinking games. It's easier to feel like part of the

01:27 group in that situation. Actually one more bonus one. If anybody does make any

01:31 comments about you not drinking that do hurt you or offend you, remember that

01:34 they probably wish they could do a night out without having to drink.

01:39 [Music]

01:45 you

Category

Transcript

Recommended