non-drinker

superhero87

Starting college in september recently quit the booze for the long run, any non-drinkers want to share their experiences of college life?

partyatmygaff

I'm not actually a UCD student (TCD). I don't drink and I don't feel as if i'm missing out on anything at all. It's fine really. Not everyone takes college to be a 4/5 year long liver-killing mission.

Witcher

I'm a UCD non-drinker myself, it's not going to hold you back and make you a pariah but you'll have a pain in the arse being handed leaflets for clubs etc. and hearing the 'Tom had 25 shoulders of Vodka last night and made it in for a 9am lecture' ****e.

tl;dr You'll be grand.

Crow92

There's 2 or 3 people in my course who don't drink. One who doesn't he's always out and it doesn't bother him one bit. I've been sober on nights out and didn't find it a huge difference (though I don't drink vast amounts either). You still buzz off other people.

WoollyRedHat

Crow92 wrote: »

There's 2 or 3 people in my course who don't drink. One who doesn't he's always out and it doesn't bother him one bit. I've been sober on nights out and didn't find it a huge difference (though I don't drink vast amounts either). You still buzz off other people.

Even going out and having maybe 1-3 pints in there is still good fun sometimes.. plus you can actually enjoy your drink rather than slugging it down as is the prevalent culture for pre-drinks in the clubbing scene.

gradlife

I think getting involved on a club would be beneficial to you. Something that doesn't have drinking as its primary social activity, such as a sports club. Class events outside of lectures can turn in to all out drinking sessions to be perfectly honest.

bailarinabela

I don't drink either and it hasn't hindered me at all. In first year I got some really ignorant and stupid comments, but so long as you don't let that get to you it's not an issue at all. I learnt pretty quickly that I wouldn't want to spend nights out with them anyway. I'm postgrad now, and most of my class have passed that stage, so a lot have calmed down/stopped drinking too. I think in first year it's the worst because a lot of people go a bit wild, but come second/third year it's easier.

bnt

The thing that makes me sad is the way "do you drink?" is a yes/no question, and one that has such a huge impact on student life. "Yes" means you get wrecked, "no" means you're teetotal. Are those the only options?

No, but there's little room at UCD for folks like me who can drink but usually don't - who might enjoy a pint or two every other week. That level of drinking has no impact on anything else I do, so I hesitate to answer "yes" to the question, since I don't get wrecked, and don't want people thinking I do.

Riamfada

I think you have the perception that alcohol is a larger part of life in UCD than it actually is.

ironclaw

Anything non course related revolves around drink in college. It either starts or ends as such. The key difference I suppose is if you go along with it or not. Some people take it way to serious and deny their blatant alcoholism, others are far more social. Its perfectly acceptable not to drink in college, I don't and I regularly drive into and out of town on nights out.

I suppose as long as you are comfortable in yourself not drinking on nights out, then there is no reason why you won't enjoy college even more than those who do drink! In fact, your often shown great respect if you can be as social on nights out as others who have ample 'dutch' courage.

icicle2000

I don't care much for alcohol/going out, and yeah, it kind of does interfere with the whole getting to know your class stuff, because all that tends to happen on nights out. Same with most clubs, cheap drinks are the selling point for most clubs.

superhero87

A year later and I'm now very comfertably a non drinker, haven't started college yet I defered it to this year. Was actually quiet depressed and anxious when I asked the question origionly, I've put all that behind me. It's nice to look back to see how far you've come, thanks for your responses.

RoundBox11

Yeah dont worry about it at all! Im in 3rd year and I know a load of people in ucd who dont drink.

In fact, the person whose the most fun on a night out of all my friends doesn't drink at all. Still gives it socks on the dancefloor! :P

beepop

I'm in my early twenties and I don't really drink, sometimes I might have the odd one but that is the height of it and I still manage to have as good a night as the person beside me who can't stand up

electrictrad

You will have a great time in UCD as a non-drinker - the clubs and the societies I'm involved with have little to no drink 95% of the time, and we have unreal craic.

Just bear in mind you will get a lot of "You don't drink?!? Really?!? Is that hard?!?" from people in your course, but it'll have no impact on your social life in college. In actual fact, you'll probably have more fun than the majority of the drinkers

Colinoneill

Can't believe this conversation is happening, im not even in college (6th year) and this is cringeworthy. I doubt it will affect your life in UCD any more then it currently does..

ironclaw

Colinoneill wrote: »

Can't believe this conversation is happening, im not even in college (6th year) and this is cringeworthy. I doubt it will affect your life in UCD any more then it currently does..

College makes some people, ruins others. With respect you have a lot to learn.

Colinoneill

ironclaw wrote: »

College makes some people, ruins others. With respect you have a lot to learn.

What do you mean it ruins people? Don't be so dramatic.

what.to.do

Don't be so sure. College life is very different to secondary school life, in almost every respect (of course, if you stay living at home, some aspects will remain the same).
I've seen the high-fliers in school, we all know them, the ones that study a crazy amount and get their 500+, crumble to nothing in college because they have too much fun. It can ruin people in that respect, in my experience. Seen one guy I know fall into trouble with drink too.

ironclaw

what.to.do wrote: »

Don't be so sure. College life is very different to secondary school life, in almost every respect (of course, if you stay living at home, some aspects will remain the same).
I've seen the high-fliers in school, we all know them, the ones that study a crazy amount and get their 500+, crumble to nothing in college because they have too much fun. It can ruin people in that respect, in my experience. Seen one guy I know fall into trouble with drink too.

This. Sums it up really.

College hits some people like a ton of bricks and its a real wake up call for most. I know plenty of people that crumbled, chose the wrong course, got into trouble or just generally flake'd out. Other wasted 2 years of their lives and then dropped out, to start another course. Such a waste.

On the other side, plenty of people that I thought would do excellently academically or just generally were the top sports people, just ended up in the same groups 4 years later and never branched out at all.

College is a huge change and as a Leaving Cert. student your in no position to call people out on being dramatic on college life.

Colinoneill

ironclaw wrote: »

This. Sums it up really.

College hits some people like a ton of bricks and its a real wake up call for most. I know plenty of people that crumbled, chose the wrong course, got into trouble or just generally flake'd out. Other wasted 2 years of their lives and then dropped out, to start another course. Such a waste.

On the other side, plenty of people that I thought would do excellently academically or just generally were the top sports people, just ended up in the same groups 4 years later and never branched out at all.

College is a huge change and as a Leaving Cert. student your in no position to call people out on being dramatic on college life.

That's not the issue. Everyone knows college is a huge change, and high fliers sometimes end up dropping out etc. I thought he ment the fact that some people do or don't drink will make or break them as this is what was being discussed. We're talking about the drink culture in college. Not people '' flaking out'' and dropping out.

ironclaw

Colinoneill wrote: »

We're talking about the drink culture in college. Not people '' flaking out'' and dropping out.

Very connected unfortunately. Not at an epidemic level but connected non the less. Plenty of people couldn't face a social night out without being hammered and plenty of people wouldn't consider a social event unless it was booze fuelled.

But all of this is meaningless as you haven't even sat the LC yet so I really don't see why your still commenting on it, let alone calling myself and other posters out on it.

Colinoneill

ironclaw wrote: »

Very connected unfortunately. Not at an epidemic level but connected non the less. Plenty of people couldn't face a social night out without being hammered and plenty of people wouldn't consider a social event unless it was booze fuelled.

But all of this is meaningless as you haven't even sat the LC yet so I really don't see why your still commenting on it, let alone calling myself and other posters out on it.

Forgot, as soon as you sit the LC you then are allowed discuss issues like this. So self righteous.

It has noting to do with who has or hasn't sat the Leaving Cert. 99% of people who post in this forum go to UCD, we know what does and what doesn't happen when some people drink or don't drink during their college life. As someone who has been in UCD for almost 8 years now and who has seen first hand what alcohol can do some people's grades, and how being a non-drinker can lead to depression, I can tell you that what you deem as assertions are in fact incorrect. I'm not trying to scare you about college life, but you really shouldn't be posting in this thread, get back to study!

Colinoneill

Okay well maybe I'm wrong, I just find it hard to believe that not drinking could have such an influence on your life in college. Surely if you associate yourself with fellow non drinkers you'd be find. I guess I'll see next year.

electrictrad

Colinoneill wrote: »

Okay well maybe I'm wrong, I just find it hard to believe that not drinking could have such an influence on your life in college. Surely if you associate yourself with fellow non drinkers you'd be find. I guess I'll see next year.

Ha, if one were to associate only with non-drinkers in college, one wouldn't have anyone to talk to That said, non-drinkers should enjoy college, just be prepared to socialise with the tipsy and staggering now and again

spits

ironclaw wrote: »

College hits some people like a ton of bricks and its a real wake up call for most. I know plenty of people that crumbled, chose the wrong course, got into trouble or just generally flake'd out. Other wasted 2 years of their lives and then dropped out, to start another course. Such a waste.

choosing the wrong course or dropping out is hardly a crime?