I remember being added into my University chat a few months before starting my course. I read as the dry chatter of ‘What are you studying?’, ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘Where are you living?’ came alive at the mention of alcohol. Suddenly everyone was dying to share that they loved a night out, what their favourite cocktail was and that they couldn’t wait to get sh*tfaced with one another.
The prospect of this terrified me. As a young Muslim girl, the concept of drinking was so far away from my reality. How were this group of strangers, who didn’t know one another, so excited to lose their senses with one another? Why is it that alcohol is so celebrated at University?
Another anecdote came from my first year. I was living with a group of strangers. I remember one guy I lived with, nice enough, casually told me he dropped acid in a club, offered to him by a stranger.
I still look back at this memory and can’t comprehend it. Remember when our parents used to say not to accept sweets from strangers?
Shared experience
These stories are not mine alone. I’m sure everyone out there has come across some kind of alcohol and drug abuse during their time at University. While this behaviour is romanticised and glamorised, it shouldn’t be normalised, period. It’s exactly this idea that can drive people to drug addictions, unhealthy behaviours and methods to combat mental health problems.
When you go to Uni you’re ready for new experiences. I think it’s this thought process that leaves a lot of us vulnerable to bad decisions, simply because we want to experience new things and fit in.
It’s easy to be led by other people at University, especially when we’re looking to make friends. It’s so easy to change who we are because we treat it as a fresh start. However, if someone can’t accept you for you, whether that means you drink or not, they aren’t for you.
Find your tribe
If the people around you aren’t your cup of tea, instead of compromising yourself, go out and look for people who are a bit of you. For me, that haven was found in societies, and I made some great friends that I still feel the same about four years later.
As for why Uni culture celebrates alcohol and drug use, I’m still trying to find the answer to this question even after finishing my course. One thing I know for sure: there are so many students out there that feel the same thing. You’re not alone. If drinking and doing drugs isn’t your thing, go and find out what is.