The trials and tribulations of a tee-total flatmate

You’ve just said goodbye to your parents, put all your posters up and have cheese on toast already grilling on the oven. You go into your new kitchen and your flatmate has already cracked out a lukewarm can of Carling.

But you don’t drink. You might have sipped a cheeky Bucks Fizz at your aunt's wedding or a sip of cider at your friend's messy 16th birthday. But you don’t drink.

And that’s totally normal, with 27% of 16-24 year olds today stating they don’t drink at all, the number of young adults opting to not drink has dramatically increased.

But the orbit of university life tells a different story, with 81% of university students believing that drinking and getting drunk is a part of the university culture in the UK.

First things first as a sober university student is finding the right friends who share your values. You probably already know you can still be friends with people who like a cheeky tipple, but James from room four asking you every night, “You’re no fun, are you sure you don’t want a drink?” might not be the best type of person to surround yourself with.

Dealing with pressure from others can be hard. That coursemate you liked so much that said, “Come on everyone else is, why not?” on your first bar crawl should be ignored. It’s a wider problem in society and you don’t owe anyone a justification for your choices.

Finding the right people with the same values is very important in ensuring you get the best out of university; at least there are over 800,000 sober students across the country for you to connect with. People that question your sobriety and won’t take "no thanks" for an answer probably aren’t your true friends.

Whatever your reasons for staying sober, finding other joys in life such as finding new hobbies and focusing on your studies can help you thrive at university. Don’t forget to seek out support from the university or close friends if you are struggling.

Edited by Ciara Lane