Now we all know that going out and having a good time is very much a major part of university life. Many of the great memories you will have (or lack of) will be down to the big nights out where admittedly you have consumed your fair share of booze!
But, without trying to sound like your parents, or taking up a job offer with the fun police, there are of course risks that come along with getting hammered, other than giving your liver a bit of a workout!
Our friends Student Beans have recently conducted a nationwide survey investigating the many aspects of student drinking. And probably of most interest to you is this lovely table, ranking the top ten universities by the average number of units of alcohol consumed per student, per week. Shame on you Leeds Met! Your weekly consumption roughly equates to three bottles of 12% wine.
(A special mention should also be made to the students of the University of Salford, who on average are only consuming 5.9 units a week!)
But back to the risks! Statistics show that whilst you should of course be enjoying yourselves, there are however more than enough reasons to be a little bit more responsible on nights out. The survey says, (in the voice of Vernon Kay), 33% of you have been injured on a night out and 22% admit to having a sexual encounter you have later regretted.
A whopping 59% of you admit having experienced memory loss or having previously struggled to remember parts of your evening, whilst a further 37% of you have not worked out how you got home on more than one occasion!
As Oliver Brann, editor of studentbeans.com, correctly says, “It’s really important for students to take responsibility and just a few easy rules will make sure that nights out don’t end badly. Knowing how you are going to get home and arranging to go with a friend, making sure your mobile phone is charged and knowing your limits, will help minimize the risks on a night out”. Wise words.
So the message is clear. No one is telling you to stop drinking, but you do need to be aware of how much you are consuming and the consequences of over doing it. After all, if you stopped drinking then we couldn’t enjoy the beautiful combination of alcohol and technology. studentBeans.com recently asked their users to send in embarrassing or incomprehensible drunk texts or Facebook posts. Now we’ve all been there I am sure. There is nothing quite like a bit of hangover shame in the morning! Have a feast on these; here are the Beans’ favourites:
“I got with Charlotte! YAY!” – sent to Charlotte by mistake.
I received a drunk text from a friend which split into 17 messages. It was just the lyrics to Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’.
A message was sent to me from my friend confessing their love for me. Turns out they actually meant to ring my sister. That was awkward.
Studentbeans.com is the UK’s most popular student money-saving site, brimming over with discounts, deals and freebies.
