# I don't drink: here's how to survive Freshers' sober - Source: The Mancunion (https://staging.mancunion.com/lifestyle/how-to-survive-freshers-sober) - By: Heidi Taylor - Published: 2026-09-16T05:00:57.000Z - Section: Lifestyle - Topics: Freshers, welcome week, t-total student, night out, A Freshers Guide, alternative night out, non-alcoholic **From pub crawls to Freshers' events, drinking can feel unavoidable, and sobriety can feel isolating. Here's how to miss out on the hangovers, not the fun** As Freshers' Week approaches, I can understand the undeniable pressure to make friends, go out drinking, and explore Manchester. As a relatively introverted commuter, I started university worried about how I was going to form friendships that survived beyond lecture halls. Not being a big drinker meant I relied on mocktails, soft drinks and coffee to keep me going through nights out clubbing. After years of trying to blend in with my drinking friends, I picked up a few tips and tricks on how to have fun and be completely sober (because, yes, the two *can* coexist). Whether you want to refrain from drinking for personal, religious or even financial reasons, know that you're not alone; it's completely normal to not align with the student drinking stereotype. At a house party, for example, the idea of being incomprehensibly drunk with breakables, lots of other drunk students, and a deposit on the line makes me feel queasy – even more so when imagining the hangovers after. Sobriety is just as good – and safer – for showing who you are and forming long-lasting, meaningful friendships at uni. **When hosting, keep your drinks exciting, even without the booze.** Whenever I would host, I'd choose to be sober, but that never curbed how fun my drinks were. From homemade spritzes to special mocktails and mixers, non-alcoholic drinks make house parties more inviting for everyone involved. My favourite was a strawberry spritz: by mixing alcohol-free prosecco with pink lemonade, you create a delicious, bubbly drink (that can even be used as a general mixer). **Make hangouts about more than just drinking.** Whilst pressure from your peers to drink is dying out – as acknowledged by the [National Library of Medicine](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7612362/), who outlined a 38% decrease in 15-24 year olds drinking every week – it's a culture that's definitely still bubbling beneath the surface. So making something communal can help you feel less ostracised and create a more inclusive space. It's always a nice idea to take the focus away from drinking (without isolating drinkers!) by including a theme or having food options, making the party more of a gathering than just a drinking session. I liked to make platters to ensure people could avoid alcohol easily. ![](/media/mancunion/2026/09/IMG_0501-450x600.jpeg) *Credit: Heidi Taylor @ The Mancunion* **Find** ***your*** **non-alcoholic drink order when going out.** I used to get worried when the house party would turn into a night out, but now I know that was just unnecessary nerves. At the club, my favourite thing to order when my friends and I go out is a lime and soda. For those fed up with drinking copious amounts of juice, Coke, and lemonade, I would highly recommend this pick. The alcohol-free industry is also ever-increasing, which means there are frequently new alcohol-free drinks being developed. One of my favourites is a non-alcoholic pornstar martini, a mocktail consisting of passion fruit juice with lemonade. As a waitress, I served many of these martinis before even realising they were alcohol-free. Alongside new 0% beers from Corona, Guinness, and Lucky Saint, there are plenty of options that taste similar and look identical (and are cheaper). **Find other options than a post-lecture pub sesh.** From 'Dry January' to the cost-of-living crisis, we've always had reason to curb our alcohol intake, and that doesn’t stop for freshers. Alcohol Change UK reported a significant increase in the number of people participating in Dry January. Booming from [4.2 million in 2019 to 8.5 million in 2024](https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/drinking-trends-in-the-uk), it’s no surprise that being teetotal is becoming somewhat trendy (lucky us). Alcohol is expensive, and not the only way friendships are formed – my closest friends from uni have been made over a mix of activities: coffee, charity shopping, and of course studying. For example, on my first day here at UoM, I approached a girl who I thought looked very stylish. We went for coffee at the SU, looked at the jewellery stand and then stumbled to town to sift through the charity shops. That same week, I endured many uncomfortable nights out drinking.  The first girl I met is now my best friend, and, unsurprisingly, I didn’t go out with the other people again. I decided quickly that real friends would like to spend time with me, however that looked. My friends and I went for coffee (my personal favourite spot being [Christie’s](https://www.hospitality.manchester.ac.uk/christies/) on campus – it’s great for a post-lecture treat), pottery-painted (I’d definitely recommend the [Pottery Corner](https://www.potterycorner.co.uk/) in Chorlton) and even the odd gym session. ![](/media/mancunion/2026/09/IMG_8629-450x600.jpeg) *Credit: Heidi Taylor @ The Mancunion* It’s good to remember that drinking isn’t the event: it’s a choice. Friends who need you to drink aren’t your friends – the right people will always find you, and they're not always at the bottom of a pint.