Credit: SWNS / Elysia Sanders
A student who gave up alcohol just weeks after freshers' says uni life is just as enjoyable sober - and she doesn't care if people call her "boring".
Elysia Sanders, 19, quit the booze in November last year after realising she didn't even like the taste - and 'hangxiety' was affecting her mental health.
The geography undergraduate returns to Durham University for her second year on Monday (25/9).
She says she's going to continue her sobriety - and have a good time doing it.
A student who gave up alcohol just weeks after freshers' says uni life is just as enjoyable sober - and she doesn't care if people call her "boring".
Elysia Sanders, 19, quit the booze in November last year after realising she didn't even like the taste - and 'hangxiety' was affecting her mental health.
The geography undergraduate returns to Durham University for her second year on Monday (25/9).
She says she's going to continue her sobriety - and have a good time doing it.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 that do hurt you or offend you. Remember that they probably wish they could do a
00:04 night out without having to drink. Not drinking at university. For some context
00:09 I'm just about to start my second year and I haven't had anything to drink
00:11 since November but I do still join in with nights out and university events.
00:15 This is how I've done it. You will make friends, I promise you. If the people that
00:18 you're with can't respect the fact you're not drinking then they shouldn't
00:21 be your friends anyway. First thing is to just always be straight up with people.
00:24 Don't be offended if somebody offers you a drink or tries to get you involved in
00:28 a drinking game. They're probably just trying to make friends with you but you
00:31 do not need an excuse. Just say "I'm not drinking tonight" or if you don't drink
00:35 full stop just say "I don't drink". If you respond first with an excuse people are
00:39 gonna try and push you on that. If you just say you don't drink you might get a
00:41 few questions asked about why you don't drink but people won't try and make you
00:45 drink. Second thing is that if you still want to go on nights out make sure you
00:48 have enough energy. When I started going out my caffeine intake went way up. Do not
00:53 act like you are the sober friend. Obviously if it's a super close friend
00:56 that you would be helping anyway then yes but do not let yourself become the
00:59 default person to clean up other people's messes. Fourth thing is to hype
01:03 yourself up. Make sure you have a good priest playlist. Look in the mirror and
01:06 tell yourself that you look gorgeous before you go out. That is my biggest
01:09 takeaway from not drinking is to still have the confidence to go and talk to
01:12 people, dance like crazy, sing along to the music. Remember that everybody else
01:16 around you is not going to think that you are standing out. Always have a drink
01:20 in your hand. A coke, a lemonade, whatever you like. It means that you can still
01:23 join in on things like drinking games. It's easier to feel like part of the
01:27 group in that situation. Actually one more bonus one. If anybody does make any
01:31 comments about you not drinking that do hurt you or offend you, remember that
01:34 they probably wish they could do a night out without having to drink.
01:39 [Music]
01:45 you