Poll: Freshers Week: The Hell that Never Ends.

[Zantos]

I enjoyed my Freshers week. We drank in, we drank out, got to know a lot of people from my halls and on my course. Experiences differ depending on what you like or who you're with, but it can be a great way to make friends. If you're not enjoying the events you're going to, try different ones. The societies will all be out in force trying to get new members, if clubs and bars aren't your thing there'll probably be a fair few going for a quiet pub get together or a picnic.

 

[JoJo]

I enjoyed my Fresher's week, although it's a couple of years back now so I don't remember it all that well, trust me if you think having a doss around is hell then wait til you get to your final year where you actually have to do some proper work!

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I just tried to recruit at a freshers fair... there were clubs advertising, and in doing so were giving away free drinks... at 1100 in the fucking morning!

We were placed in the room with all the clubs.... us, the military, next to the poor bobby in the corner... We were just sneered at by a buch of arrogant ignorant pricks who didn't even deserve my time of day... They were rude, obnoxious and were beginning to drink already... some girl even had a push chair!

I hated it... I hated the way the culture seemed to be forced on them... how they were being led by hand to blow all their money in the clubs everynight to push them further into debt and make more stupid life decisions...

Don't get me wrong... I am in the RAF and am therefore around the drinking world myself... I have binge nights, and have a great time out on the town... I am also not in debt... and never do it when it will effect my work! And I have been doing that since school... so since Uni age...

It's wrong... and I feel for you OP... essentially being forced into those situations!

 

[Smeatza]

Alcohol is a dirty, filthy drug, drinking it at all is stupid in my opinion.
Being pressured/suckered/urged into binge drinking by nightclub's heavy handed marketing seems even more stupid.

 

[In Search of Username]

Drinking is pointless if it's not in excess. Nobody likes alcohol for the taste, they just drink to get drunk. Now obviously hurting yourself or vandalising stuff probably means you're TOO drunk, but it seems like having just about enough is great fun.

Alternatively, not drinking at all and laughing at the antics of those who do can be a very amusing pastime.

I just feel sorry for the people who aren't into partying at all.

But, personally, I'm having great fun with it, though I do need nights off on occasion. If it's not your thing, well, clearly there are plenty of people who feel the same - go hang out with them.

 

[lRookiel]

I did nothing during freshers week. I find socializing boring.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

I loved Freshers week. If your uni is only focusing on binge drinking during it then it's doing it wrong.

We had tons of events from sports and societies recruitment to "meet your fellow new starters" to singles nights to day trips out.

It was a great time to meet people that were, like myself, a little lost and a ways from home.

I made the vast mjority of my uni friends during that first week when everyone was just thrown together with no pre-existing ties.

There were of course the binge drinking antics and the police were actually a lot more forgiving during this one week but that wasn't all there was to do and you could easily avoid those events if it wasn't your thing.

I was teetotal for my first year of uni and still went to the binge drinking events. I got to meet a lot of people who, thanks to being off their faces, were completely unguarded and it allowed me to pick and choose who was worth pursuing as a friend.

Also, being a poor, student cheap nights at my favourite clubs were more than welcome and I had nothing but fun recruiting for the first aid society I was part of in my later years. We strapped random people to spinal boards, got ordered free pizza by some randomers, formed some bonds with the other societies (paticularly the LGBT soc who were right next to us and overly flitacious especially once we had pizza). It's real easy to chat to people when they're the ones who have to come up to you.

Tl;dr Relax, have fun. It's the one week of uni when the rules are relaxed a bit and everyone can get the "omg I'm at uni and I'm an adult I can do whatever I want" out of their systems.

 

[squidface]

First years apparently seem to think drinking is the be-all and end-all, activity of the millenium. Second and third years realize that, shit, university is kind of important, let's do some work.
I'm uni age, but I'm not AT uni. My sister went through this thought, and actually for everyone who doesn't want to drink there's a lot of pressure during freshers (lol, rhyming) to drink, even if some people don't want to. Plus it's a massive waste of money.
I think people get to uni and they're like "freedom! No parents! I can do what I want!" but seriously, rolling around in your own feces and urine is not... it's not fun. That's not what fun is. And it's also not acceptable behaviour, just because you're not living under your parent's roof anymore...

 

[Redingold]

Fresher's was a couple of weeks ago here in Manchester. I went on one pub crawl and it sucked. At the second bar, one of my friends forgot his ID, so instead we went back to another friend's and had hot chocolate and marshmallows instead. That was way better.

 

[Woodsey]

Mine just finished, loved it.

8 nights drinking in a row, thought I came down with a flu at one point and drank through that - unbelievably I did actually feel better the next day. Spent... well, too much really. But it's the easiest way to get to know people and get everyone in your halls together.

The trick is to never be the person who walks the drunkest of all the drunks back. And to not quite be the drunkest of all drunks. It's not like you have to get smashed anyway, I've noticed a few people we've been out with have just had a few drinks to get buzzed, most nights.

On the down side, I have now drunk so much Stella (which I've drunk every time I've partied for a couple of years) in the past week that I've seriously started to go off it. So what the hell am I supposed to do with this string vest now?

 

[mayney93]

Freshers week for me was a non event, they wanted me to pay them 55 quid for a arm band so i could go book a bunch of activities, instead, i bought dead island for 30. still a bit bitter about that, in other news, the bunch of friends i made at uni are all non-drinkers really, i like the odd drink but i am distraught at the idea of going "out on the town" as one says, i don't understand why anyone would throw money away getting "plastered" i'd much rather just buy a game or a movie or a book and chill out at home with a rum or a lager if i fancy a drink, Another thing someone said previously, what's the point in going into a room playing loud music you don't have a passion for and struggling to hear and speak to everyone around you.

rant over, freshers can be good if your in that crowd, i'd have made a fair few more uni friends if i'd went out etc, but alas, nay.

also, Newcastle uni, born and bred too, app we have a good night life here, quite ironic i've not Seen it yet.

 

[Something Amyss]

Ok, so you used the word freshers a bunch of times in this post but I still have no idea what you're talking about or what that means.

What, Freshers? You don't know what Freshers is? How do you not know what freshers is?

...I don't know either, honestly.

 

[Yopaz]

Alcohol is always expensive here so fresher's week isn't a thing here. However I did enjoy the first week of university, but I didn't do anything crazy. Some take it too far, but not that many does that here. I guess the people who decide to go to university aren't the kind to do vandalism after getting drunk. Or maybe I just hang out with the wrong/right crowd.

 

[TheTechnomancer]

I'm midway through my freshers week and i don't think you're an old fogey at all. Some people here are drinking a lot but quite a few are fine as well. I'm not really enjoying all of the constant enforced partying either and i'm 18.

Also for the escapist community, this thread is mainly generalizations everywhere.

 

[Megalodon]

Ok, so you used the word freshers a bunch of times in this post but I still have no idea what you're talking about or what that means.

What, Freshers? You don't know what Freshers is? How do you not know what freshers is?

...I don't know either, honestly.

Fresher is a term for first year Uni students here in the UK. Fresher's week is the first week of the new year, Uni's tend to organise events for the new students, mainly focussed around drinking and clubbing.

 

[The Funslinger]

alcohol is involved in pretty much all my best stories about myself or my friends and most of my best moments with other people in general.

Same.

When I was 16, I stole a boat.

I was pretty much sweating spirits that night.

 

[nifedj]

I'm in Scotland, had my fresher's week a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed it. My uni - or rather, the union and all the societies - put on loads of events. I met most of my uni friends standing in line for a James Bond themed party

You don't have to get totally hammered to enjoy yourself - being tipsy is often enough, or just being around other people who are more drunk than you are. As some people have said, being part of a group of people who are between moderately and extremely drunk tends to lead to fun times. I've only got really drunk once since starting uni, and it was honestly huge fun.

As for age, I'm only 17 and so not legally allowed to buy alcohol yet which I'd say is worse than being 20. I know a few people who are 20/21 and they've been fine - I don't think a few years difference really matter when you're all freshers.

 

[Lord Garnaat]

I'm too young to legally drink, and even if I was I doubt I would. Don't really see the appeal, personally. My university isn't really a party school, and since I'm not really a party guy I don't see myself doing much in the way of binge drinking.

 

[Legion]

In the UK it is not uncommon for people in their 40's to still think binge drinking is cool, and that those who don't do it are sad and/or boring.

University is just a convenient place to do it, as well as an excuse for it, which in Britain is a much desired thing.

A Birthday? Well we have to get wasted.
Christmas? Well we have to get wasted.
The weekend? Well we have to get wasted.

That's not to say that people shouldn't do it if they really want to, but no, it isn't a test or anything like that, a lot of people just enjoy getting so drunk they are ill or can't remember it the next day.

Hell, a grown woman working at the gym I go to said to a member there in response to him saying he couldn't remember the night before "Well you know you had a good night out when you can't remember it."

It's pretty ingrained in British culture.

 

[lacktheknack]

I never drank anything.

Whooooooooooo.

Drunk people are stupid, gross and a hazard to themselves and everyone around them, and I never want to be one. So when everyone was boozing it up the first few weeks, I was at home playing games.