Drunk off your ass: alternatives?

[Dry as a sponge]

Hey,

Are there any ways of socializing that don't involve drinking heavily? Because... I don't really drink much at all. I mean seriously. I haven't been drunk before, I've never had a glass of beer (only wine), and I'm not eager to start in a hurry. (Maybe after a year or so I'll come around, I don't know).

Still, I don't want to be stuck on the sidelines. If I don't drink, am I likely to be?

[munchingfoo]

Most people i know who don't drink just don't have as much fun. It's very difficult to socialise in St Andrews without it involving a pub or a party.

My advice to you would be to learn to drink socially. It is not impossible to have a good time whilst not drinking here but it is a damn site harder.



[hr]

[s]
My entire life in boolean logic

¬emptyGlass(pint) => drinking(Andy)
emptyGlass(pint) AND ¬stomach(full) => buy(pint)
emptyGlass(pint) AND stomach(full) => buy(vodka)
emptyGlass(vodka) => buy(vodka)
¬emptyGlass(vodka) => drinking(Andy) [/s]

[Al]

But you don't have to drink alcohol to socialise in a pub or at a party, munchingfoo.

The important thing - if you choose to remain teetotal - is that you don't appear to be looking down at people who do drink. That attitude, and not abstinence from alcohol, would make it difficult to have a successful social life. In short, if you don't care about people drinking they probably won't care about you not drinking.

[bramble]

I quite often go out and dont drink and i still have a good time. People will respect your decision and rather than being left out you'll probably get hounded to drink at first until people realise you dont. The important thing is just to go out and socialise, thats how friends are made in the first few weeks, so as long as you are
doing that it wont matter whether you drink or not.
Munchingfoo does have a point though, the culture does revolve around parties and pubs, so if you dont like that sort of thing then you'll have more of a problem rather than the not drinking thing.

[hr]

He who waits for things to happen will learn the true meaning of infinity

[Guest]

Before I came to St Andrews I'd never drunk alcohol before. I'm still pretty much a tee-totaller and I had a great first year with a great social life. There's never been any pressure on me to drink. Most people are impressed that I can be so outgoing without alcohol! And they're jealous that I can have a great night out for so cheap!

Seriously, you don't have to worry about it. If anyone says you need to drink to have a good time, you should feel sorry for them. You're going to meet loads of cool people and you won't look like a drunken fool while doing it. Plus you'll save a lot of money.

[JAK]

I'm a teetotaller, and managed to get through first year without having any. This is very useful, because you'll save heaps of cash, unless your drunk mates manage to get you to buy rounds, which only happened to me on St patricks' day.

And it makes a good conversation point.

[hr]

I got my BBC

[the racing tortoise]

having spent most of my time this holiday as the designated driver, I am finding things much less enjoyable than after 2 bottles of wine (enough to be scuicidally social and honest) but not so much that I don't remember it.

[hr]

minesweeper times:
Beginner: 3
Intermediate: 34
Expert: 163

A wasted life.

[giles]

its probably a question most freshers are thinking but havent asked, but i'm sure the answer is of a positive nature.

as with most universities there must be marijuana pretty readily available in halls, yes?? what about other 'harder' drugs do they come about in the usual cycles??

ciao, giles

[Sided Pizza]

Quoting giles from 17:16, 5th Aug 2005
its probably a question most freshers are thinking but havent asked, but i'm sure the answer is of a positive nature.

as with most universities there must be marijuana pretty readily available in halls, yes?? what about other 'harder' drugs do they come about in the usual cycles??

ciao, giles

Errr, why are most people thinking that - most people aren't junkies!

[Legion]

Anyone caught with any "recreational" drugs in halls will have their contract terminated prematurely.

It's possible that you may find people who take drugs in halls, but they're not very likely to admit it on a public website...

[giles]

i wasn't looking for public admissions on a website i was just asking a purely general question.

as if they'd terminate a contract over a few joints.

keep happy people.

g.

[tintin]

Quoting bramble from 10:50, 5th Aug 2005
I quite often go out and dont drink and i still have a good time. People will respect your decision and rather than being left out you'll probably get hounded to drink at first until people realise you dont. The important thing is just to go out and socialise, thats how friends are made in the first few weeks, so as long as you are
doing that it wont matter whether you drink or not.
Munchingfoo does have a point though, the culture does revolve around parties and pubs, so if you dont like that sort of thing then you'll have more of a problem rather than the not drinking thing.

[hr]

He who waits for things to happen will learn the true meaning of infinity

That's a really good post - couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't repeat my own post at Main/thesinner/17779.

[hr]

http://www.livejournal.com/users/mat_salleh

[Legion]

Of course they would terminate your contract over "a few joints". It's illegal to smoke cannabis in the UK. Any illegal acts committed in halls of residence will lead to termination of contract.

[bdw]

my next door neighbour used to be partial to the old wacky baccy and, on being rumbled, was dealt the grievous penalty of being taken out by the then-warden for a spot of tea and a nice chat. I always took this to be the St Andrean equivalent of New York's "zero tolerance" policy...

[Guest]

if the university were to take that course of action and terminate contacts 'over a few joints' i'm sure nearly half of the student population in halls would be out on their ears...

a nice chat and a cup of tea is the most appropriate course of action.

g.

[DrAlex]

Quoting from 16:32, 9th Aug 2005
i'm sure nearly half of the student population in halls would be out on their ears...

You may be in for a wee shock, mate. In my last year in St Andrews, I witnessed smoking once, and heard about it one more time-when that guy was chucked from New Hall. You have to be careful here.

[hr]

RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[Setsuna]

Regarding Drink - there is nothing wrong with 'a vodka' or a glass of wine, or a half pint. If you choose to be completely teetotal, there is equally nothing wrong with having a coke or an orange juice. Just so long as you are not preachy to other people about them drinking, noone will care. If they DO care, they are making it THEIR problem, and therefore they are immature, stupid and just sad. What you do is your business.

Regarding Drugs - Your room and luggage will NOT be searched. But if you are not discrete, the consequences could be dire i.e. police called in, termination of contract. So be careful, especially if you smoke. DONT tamper with the smoke detectors. Just do it outside.

Regarding Smoking in Rooms in General - Just Dont. If you set the smoke detectors off, just think of how many people you will piss off. ESPECIALLY if you live in New Hall. Smoke outside - it's actually quite social.

[physicist]

Quoting Setsuna from 00:47, 14th Aug 2005
Regarding Smoking in Rooms in General - Just Dont. If you set the smoke detectors off, just think of how many people you will piss off. ESPECIALLY if you live in New Hall. Smoke outside - it's actually quite social.

As of the coming year, it seems that smoking is banned inside halls (with automatic explusion). Also going just outside the front door and smoking there could get you trouble as cigarettes (like candles) are banned from halls (hence you cannot store them in your room). Simply, if you are a smoker then living in halls could be difficult from 2005/2006.

[Setsuna]

Quoting physicist from 01:09, 14th Aug 2005

Quoting Setsuna from 00:47, 14th Aug 2005
Regarding Smoking in Rooms in General - Just Dont. If you set the smoke detectors off, just think of how many people you will piss off. ESPECIALLY if you live in New Hall. Smoke outside - it's actually quite social.

As of the coming year, it seems that smoking is banned inside halls (with automatic explusion). Also going just outside the front door and smoking there could get you trouble as cigarettes (like candles) are banned from halls (hence you cannot store them in your room). Simply, if you are a smoker then living in halls could be difficult from 2005/2006.

Come on though, you dont get searched. I had candles in hall (parts of presents I recieved, for example) but I never burned them. I doubt that cigarettes cannot be stored in rooms. They dont ignite by themselves, do they??

What is your source on that info? Seriously. As much as I pray for a total ban on smoking in public places, I dont think the uni would go that far so soon.

[physicist]

Quoting Setsuna from 21:03, 14th Aug 2005
Come on though, you dont get searched. I had candles in hall (parts of presents I recieved, for example) but I never burned them. I doubt that cigarettes cannot be stored in rooms.

Rooms do get searched and cleaners enter every day, so leaving them lying around will incriminate you. Also, if someone is watching the front door (e.g. the warden) and you walk out and start smoking then you can be caught.

They dont ignite by themselves, do they??

Nor do candles.

What is your source on that info? Seriously. As much as I pray for a total ban on smoking in public places, I dont think the uni would go that far so soon.

The sources are the contracts for 2005/2006 for two different halls of residence (section 3.6 stating final warning for possession of cigarettes). Section 3.8 states explusion if caught smoking.