To those worried about drinking at university.

I'm a non-drinker, but that doesnt mean I have a boring time when I go out.
I can enjoy myself without alcohol, plus its cheaper, safer and I can wake up the next day without feeling rough and swearing "never to drink again" until the next night out and there it goes again.

Then call me shy, retiring and nerdy

Well, here's an interesting fact for you, aparently Northern Ireland has more guns per head than America. Huzzah.

PS. Is the student union building brand new?

Exactly!
Gotta love those stereotypes!

Yeah, just don't try and get into the rugby team.

Stereotypes are surprisingly accurate.

Stereotypes are surprisingly accurate.

With all due respect, while they maybe worry about it too much, many people have personal and valid reasons for not drinking and "advice" like this is not helpful. People reacting the way you just did is exactly what they're afraid of.

What would be an invalid reason for not drinking?

What would be an invalid reason for not drinking?

that was...sort of my point.
it's perfectly reasonable to choose not to drink, and people going "omg it'll not kill you! just get drunk eh LOLOLOL" aren't very helpful. In fact it's quite rude and disrespectful.

I think you took my post the wrong way

I don't really drink much, but my 3 flatmates do, and I feel like I'm being cast out because I don't like to go out and get hammered. I haven't really socialised with them at night when they're at their best, so they don't really talk to me in the day and leave me to do my own thing. So I can't win. Everyone here seems to be uber-sociable and uber-drunk.

You never know, it could just be becuase of Freshers, and the lack of work.

Once the work starts coming in, then most people appreciate that you can't continue like that into the whole of the year, so it slows dowwn a bit... although there are always exceptions
I'm sure it'll calm down a little after freshers.

What would be an invalid reason for not drinking?

What will people think if you aren't consistent in your drinking habits?

I mean I've done a fair bit when it comes to drinking/not-drinking. From making myself violently ill from table wine on holidays and not remembering it afterwoods to going teetotal for months at a time. From a drunken threesome that I deeply regret now, getting seriously drunk on cocktails and wine and nearly getting mugged in Nottingham celebrating my last exam and silly teenage houseparties.

Now I'm at a level where I'll happily drink 2 pints or equivalent but then don't really want anything else. Will people care/notice if you have a couple of pints and then start drinking soft drinks.....especially on pub crawls?