If drinking alcohol isn’t your thing, then there’s still loads of stuff going on. You can still go to the College bar or other pubs and get a non-alcoholic alternative. Yannick, our barman, makes a mean mocktail!
Just like every other city, there are events that will never include drinking. One of our favourites is going to the famous G&D’s ice cream shop and visiting Gloucester Green Market (a food market every Wednesday and Saturday).
Every University has a �?drinking culture’. However, at John’s, we ensure that everyone is able to act how they want without external pressure. The workload at Oxford means that no one can afford to get drunk every night and you certainly won’t be alone saying you won’t be drinking.
Freshers’ Week for Non-Drinkers
It’s very important to us on the Freshers’ Week Committee that Freshers’ Week is for everyone. That includes those who choose not to drink. Our non-alcoholic entz reps, Anisha and Dayini, and the rest of the committee have therefore put on a range of events as alternatives (or in addition) to the more drunken ones.
My advice would be that during freshers week just be yourself and be true to what you believe. Just because everyone else is drinking doesn’t mean you have to, and doesn’t mean you won’t have fun. If you’re worries about being pressured into drinking or ridiculed for not drinking, from my experience people in freshers week are so anxious themselves that they’re not going to care what you’re doing. My closest friendships were formed over late night chats and cups of tea - Issy, French and Italian