5 Drinks to Solve Your University Problems

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5 Drinks to Solve Your University Problems

1. Get out and socialise – Jaegar Bomb

 

Source: liquor.com / Tim Nusog


Drinking at University can play a pivotal part of THE University experience.  
Alcohol, or liquid courage, helps the creation of amazing friendships during your first year. Socialising is a main reason for drinking at university. At Warwick join societies for bustling socialising events where meeting new people is unavoidable. Orford et al. (2004) found ’heavy drinkers’ at university scored higher on tension reduction than ‘light drinkers’. They reported humour, self-confidence and a social life stemming from the bottle. 
Yes Freshers holds many events, but don’t think that university goes silent after. From flat drinking games like the famed “Ring of Fire” to circling, the Warwick offers many fun alcohol-involved activities throughout the year. Whether you’re at Smack or Kasbah a great choice of drink is the Jaegar bomb. They’re great for the start, middle and end of your night. 

 

Jager Bomb | thespruceeats.com  


2. Enjoy the benefits of not drinking – cuddles on the beach mocktail

 
Source: mixthatdrink.com 


Don’t worry if you don’t drink before coming to university, as an active social life is still possible, with many non-alcoholic social events being held on campus. Warwick’s ‘Circling’ allows non-drinkers to be included. The expectation to drink at university is a myth! By not drinking you’ll be saving money, maintaining your physical health (Conroy & de Visser, 2018) and able to remember who you’ve met at these events the morning after. This ensures a balance between work and fun, (Conroy & de Visser, 2018). Going to these non-alcoholic events will steer you to friends with the same values as you, not friends that encourage you to drink.  

The cuddles on the beach mocktail being a perfect blend of lots of fruit juices, fundamental for a great night out.  



 

3. Engage with university drinking culture – the Great British pint 

Photo: Alex Segre

 

Many international students experience a drinking cultural shock when moving into UK universities. Stereotypically, UK alcohol consumption is embedded within the social and cultural aspect of university life and students are often associated with “binge drinking”. For example, pubs being the main meeting spot (Thurnell-Read et al., 2018). For many who don’t drink alcohol, campus life isn’t entirely inclusive. 
Is this “excessive drinking” expected? 
 
A study researched international students, and found (Thurnell-Read et al., 2018) their experiences matched with their stereotypes, such as British students being referred to as “going too far” and “heavy drinkers” (Thurnell-Read et al., 2018). However, this isn’t an expectation for others and instead prompts them to reflect on their own relationship with alcohol.  
Although students will encounter different drinking practices, alcohol consumption is mobile and so the so called “binge drinking” isn’t expected.
 
The Perfect Pint | Matthew Clark 


  

4. Improve a bad hangover- Bloody Mary

 
Source: thebar.com

 

Whilst alcohol is often of staple of social events at university, it can have a negative impact on us, and it is therefore imperative to know the associated risks and understand your own limits when drinking, meaning you’ll be up for those morning 9am lectures. 
The negative effects can be detrimental on your university and academic performance. It has been found that alcohol can impair both our working memories and concentrated attention ability (Saults et al., 2007) which may make it harder to recall information from lectures or seminars, impacting your assessed work.  
 
Despite this, it is university after all, so a here’s a secret weapon for dealing with hangovers. Drink a lot of water before you sleep and if you can have electrolytes. This can help you wake up feeling refreshed and not bed bound, allowing you to make those all-important lectures and seminars!
  
Bloody Mary | Jamie Oliver 

 

5. Improve your dating- bee’s knees cocktail

 
Photo : Rachel Vanni; Food Styling Spencer Richards


If you are looking for a social lubricant, try alcohol. Let’s be honest, Warwick students need all the help we can get being the university where you are least likely to find love at university at 11% (Yugo, 2023). For comparison, Oxford were the most likely to find love at 35%.
But does alcohol lead to dating success? According to multiple studies it might.  Bowdring and Sayette (2023) found that alcohol does not increase how attractive you find someone, however it does increase the likelihood of people interacting with others they already find attractive. Devos-Comby et al. (2013) found a positive link between drinking and sexual encounters for single students.   
If you are looking to impress someone, try the bee’s knees cocktail. Combine this with a 48-minute train to Oxford and you may find your dating prospects vastly improved. 
 
Bee's Knees Cocktail | Delish.com 



References 


Bowdring, M. A., & Sayette, M. A. (2023). Beer Goggles or Liquid Courage? Alcohol,                       Attractiveness Perceptions, and Partner Selection Among Men. Journal of Studies on                Alcohol and Drugs, 84(4), 598-604. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.22-00355 
Conroy, D., & de Visser, R. O. (2018). Benefits and drawbacks of social non-drinking identified         by British university students. Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(51), S89-S97.                                     https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12610 
Devos-Comby, L., Daniel, J., & Lange, J. E. (2013). Alcohol consumption, dating relationships,         and preliminary sexual outcomes in collegiate natural drinking groups. Journal of Applied             Social Psychology, 43(12), 2391-2400. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12187 
Orford, J., Krishnan, M., Balaam, M., Everitt, M., & Van der Graaf, K. (2004). University student         drinking: the role of motivational and social factors. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy,      11(5), 407-421. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687630310001657944 
Saults, J. S., Cowan, N., Sher, K. J., & Moreno, M. V. (2007). Differential effects of alcohol on         working memory: Distinguishing multiple processes. Experimental and Clinical                             Psychopharmacology, 15(6), 576-587. https://doi.org/10.1037/1064-1297.15.6.576 
Thurnell-Read, T., Brown, L., & Long, P. (2018). International Students’ Perceptions and                 Experiences of British Drinking Cultures. Sociological Research Online, 23(3), 572-588.             https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780418761207 
Yugo. (2023). University Relationship Statistics 2023. yugo.com. https://yugo.com/en-gb/university-relationship-statistics-2023-423240


Location: Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

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