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nannyplums

is it possible to make friends without clubbing/drinking? and what unis are best suited for this

Reply 1

Teesside University

Official Rep

Original post by nannyplums

is it possible to make friends without clubbing/drinking? and what unis are best suited for this

Hi!

Yes of course it is possible to make friends without clubbing or drinking - it is not for everyone! Most unis do have non-alcoholic events and groups and even the ones that are centred around drinking doesn't mean you actually have to drink :smile:

I know it's a cliché, but societies and sports groups are such a good way to make friends due to you being surrounded by like minded people and you are likely to hit it off with other people due to your common interest. Are you thinking of moving into halls? If so, keeping your door open when you first move to uni is a great away for people to pop there head in and say hi.

Sitting next to your course mates can be an ideal tester to find out whether you can form a friendship before the lecture starts. Don’t be afraid to sit next to someone and ask them about themselves, if you don’t think you’ll hit it off as besties, you only have to wait 5-10 minutes before the lecture starts to avoid the awkwardness which has got me out of a few awkward situations.

Sometimes there are jobs at the SU, the gym, or even being a student ambassador that you could take advantage of if they are available to help support you to make friends as you will be exposed to other students on campus that you wouldn't meet in your course whilst earning a bit of cash on the side. I found it much easier to make friends at my part time job than actually on my course or any other social events that I attended.

There are loads of ways to make new friends at uni without being a party animal - i hope these help!
T

Reply 2

Bradford Rep 3

Official Rep

Original post by nannyplums

is it possible to make friends without clubbing/drinking? and what unis are best suited for this

Hey there! My name is Aimee and I am a third year criminology and criminal behaviour student! :smile:

I have found in my three years, as a non drinker or clubber, that this has not affected me making any friends. You are able to go out “drinking” with your mates or at freshers events as you may be able to order zero alcohol drinks or even soft drinks.

My work as a student ambassador and societies has enabled me to make many friends who I communicate with daily who are on courses which I never would have spoken to. For example criminology and chemical engineering! You will find that within societies and your degree you will quickly develop friendships as everyone is in the same boat as you, nervous!! :smile:

University is a great experience to socialise and make friends with out the need to drink if that is what you choose to do. Please don’t let this put you off!!

All the best in your university journey, Aimee xox

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by nannyplums

is it possible to make friends without clubbing/drinking? and what unis are best suited for this

Hey there @nannyplums !
Yes of course it is! Universities themselves rarely host events that are for drinking unless it's like a sports or societies events. Even then, societies usually host "Sober Socials" every now and then so you wouldn't really be missing out on much. I don't think there's a certain university that's best suited for it, the university experience is only what you make it and you've got to make the most out of it wherever you go. There's many people who also don't like going out and clubbing and you don't have to search far to find them.

Your best bets for making friends without going out is joining societies and clubs (even then not all members like going out) and using the scheduled meetings and practises to socialise. You could even go down a different route completely and make friends by getting a part-time job. I got a part-time job and it really helped me to meet new people that knew the city better than I did because they were locals. Another way to make friends is by doing something you wouldn't necessarily see as social such as joining your university's gym or getting a job working part-time for the university. You've just got to be willing to go up to people and reach out sometimes because a lot of people will be expecting people to come to them and then if everyone has the same mindset you'll get absolutely no where.

You've got this! Hope this helped...
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU