Give The Boozing a Break

With the Guild’s alcohol survey having finished last Friday, Kayley Gilbert pushes back against the prevalent student drinking culture and argues that choosing not to drink is normal and might even be better for our health and academic success.

Students and alcohol seem to go together like bread and butter. Many seem to make it their aim each weekend to get even more s**t-faced than the weekend before. As a result of this student life can seem to revolve around pubs and clubs especially, with many in the heart of the student campus and the majority of university outings involving some sort of alcohol plus a drinking game. You know, just in case you weren’t drunk enough already.

“There are people that don’t feel a need to drink themselves into oblivion and would rather remember what happened the night before.”
Photo Credit: TMAB2003 via Compfight cc

Although this is a fun way to relax and create some rather hilarious stories, it’s not for everyone. There are people that don’t feel a need to drink themselves into oblivion and would rather remember what happened the night before. But people tend to shy away from this fact, fearing that they will be labelled ‘boring’ and not invited anywhere again. There is a student culture of drinking that means those who don’t enjoy it, or those who would rather drink in moderation, are the ones that stand out rather than those who drink until they pass out.

Even though drinking is fun, students are at university to get a degree and not to get their stomach pumped. When you’re able to go out every night if you wish and not turn up to lectures because you think no one will notice, it’s possible that students feel they can slip under the radar. This is especially true for students in their first year as many believe it doesn’t count, and that achieving 40% is all they need. But when it comes to applying for internships and jobs later on, students may look back and wish they’d worked harder and drunk slightly less.

Drinking alcohol on a regular basis, which many of us do, won’t only dent an already tight student budget, but has also been proven to cause a rise in stress levels, anxiety and depression. These aren’t issues we want to be dealing with when revising for exams or writing dissertations and shouldn’t be encouraged by drinking large volumes of alcohol every week.

Clearly, university is a huge change. For many students, moving to university is the first time away from their parents for any substantial amount of time. Students often experience homesickness, loneliness and stress in their first year at university and many use alcohol as a form of escapism from this. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that university is also an important transition into adult life and if drinking a lot on a regular basis becomes normal at the age of 20, it may become a lifelong problem. Students feeling stressed or depressed should try to avoid using alcohol as a way out and find other solutions.

The problem is that drinking has become part of university life. Even those with the best intentions are often pressured into having at least a few. I wouldn’t say the pressure to drink is forceful, but rather unrelenting. Even only having a few can spark encouragement like, “go on, have another” and, “you haven’t been drunk this week, let go” or even, “you’re so boring” which can really make students feel on the edge and excluded. It’s unfair to make people feel different or odd because they don’t want to drink or just don’t want to drink a lot. Not getting drunk isn’t boring. Not getting drunk isn’t strange. It’s this kind of behaviour that pushes even those students that try not to drink too much, to go too far. And yes, everyone drinks too much every now and again, but it’s unfair for students to feel pressured to get wasted every weekend if that’s not what they want.

Not drinking isn’t the end of the world, you can still have fun and you may not feel so homesick or anxious for it! People shouldn’t be pressured into drinking or made to feel bad for sticking to soft drinks, so don’t be the one badgering others to get drunk! Whether you’re drinking or not – have fun!

Kayley Gilbert

For an example of how alcohol can affect your abilities, see below.

Do you feel a pressure to drink on a night out? Can a balance between alcohol consumption and a healthy lifestyle be found? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter@CommentExepose.

Oliver Cary: an increase in mental illness among students

In his latest column, Oliver Cary assesses the rise of instances of mental health illness amongst students.

The Mental Health Foundation has found that 50% of students have dealt with clinical anxiety at some point. Picture credits: Lyssa Darkness

University brings independence, and this is often associated with freedom, personal decision-making and endless opportunities for enjoyment. For many students, university is the stepping stone between late childhood and adulthood. It is a balance between study, socialising and first experiences with the ‘real world’.

But university can also bring pressure to graduate with a 2:1 or higher in a degree, to constantly improve a CV, or to work towards overall employability. Many employers value other skills such as communication, leadership and enterprise in their candidates as well as suitable work experience gained during your university career.

Education journalist Mike Baker wrote in his BBC article that employers are looking at these ‘soft skills’ second to academic requirements. He states that Deloitte LLP, employer of approximately 1, 200 graduates each year, have basic requirements of a 2:1 or higher and then hopefuls need other transferable skills and experiences to make it through the next screening process.

This increasing pressure of employment that runs concurrently with academic deadlines and financial concerns can be hard to cope with for an independent young adult. Layla Haidrani, a student at Kent University and contributor to The Independent, views the academic pressure, financial difficulties and anxiety of job guarantee as a major contributor to the increasing figures of mental health in students.

Does an extended use of social media contribute to negative feelings of self? Picture credits: Eminent Youth

Some students suffer from isolation, loneliness and chronic anxiety after loosing their mechanism for coping with the pressures of university life. Isolation can be increased by the extended use of social media, and in particular this generation’s dedication to purport a particular image of their university life and activities. It is difficult to feel happy when seeing friends having fun at their respective university, whilst you struggle with the pressures of your own.

Chronic anxiety and depression is a global health issue. Carol Midgley writes in The Times that depressive disorders will be the biggest international health issue by 2030, according to the World Health Organisation. At universities it is believed to be increasing also. The Times suggests that one in four students will encounter or experience a mental health issue. Similarly the Mental Health Foundation has found that 50% of students have dealt with clinical anxiety, and 10% clinical depression.

Whilst it seems staggering that university, a place of socialising, ‘partying’ and also extensive opportunity, can be so challenging for individuals, it is important that each institution recongnises the need for student support. Universities have counsellors, tutors and recently ‘Wellbeing Day’ on the 20th February. Symptoms are described on studentsagainstdepression.org as a combination of constantly feeling ‘low, sad, anxious or empty’ or all of these at once. Everyone deals with anxiety daily, and it is not to say feeling the pressure of university means that one is experiencing clinical anxiety or even depression.

Charlotte, a student, has battled with depression as a teenager. She explains to Carol Midgley that she was a perfectionist and placed pressure upon herself to excel academically. She realised that she didn’t seem to have a protective layer or coping mechanism to help her deal with the anxiety she felt. The hardest part was voicing her feelings, and admitting that she was struggling with her daily life. Now hoping to restart university this September, she believes that speaking to a GP helped her and ‘she didn’t necessarily know the answers, she was just kind and listened. That was what I needed’.

The pleasures and pressures of university are new to all students and it is part of our emotional development to come to terms with these feelings. Lucie Russell, from YoungMinds, understands that ‘young people need to build a resilience to navigate the world they live in’. At times this is challenging, and one should always use friends, family and professionals to help themselves become a strong and independent young person ready to engage and participate in society. All students face strenuous times, but they are not alone, and seeking help is not a sign of weakness but of intended self-belief and recovery.

The Time to Change campaign in Birmingham aims to get the public talking about mental health in a more open way. Picture credits: Time to Change Campaign

Fighting mental health issues alone seem insurmountable. Charlotte and others found sharing their difficulties with family, GPs or university counsellors as the hardest but most helpful solution. Isolation and anxiety can be dealt with, and recognising this is the first step to recovery.

Your own worst enemy? Dealing with mental illness at university

Depression can be isolating and lonely.
Photo Credit: Roberto Trm

It used to be taboo to mention mental illness, for fear of being judged, misunderstood, or labelled ‘crazy’. People are more accepting of the terms now – depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks and so on – but for the individual, it can often still be difficult to vocalise what’s going on in their mind.

As such, it is quite difficult for me to say that I have experienced both depression and anxiety issues. I’d like to think that this isn’t obvious to those who know me, since no one wants to be known for the problems they have with their own mind, but deep down I know these two things can define me as much as any one of my personality traits.

University is a breeding ground for depression. With financial stress, deadlines, looming unemployment and relationship pressures, it’s no surprise. One in four students is said to experience depression while at university, and while we’re incredibly lucky to have such a supportive pastoral care system in place at this university, it’s a sad fact that we need it so much in the first place.

But what can we do to change these statistics? It seems unlikely that the university would offer leniency with regard to hand-in dates, and extremely doubtful that landlords would let up on their extortionate rent rates. On the other hand, expecting students to deal with such immense stress for three years of their life without any support or help seems unfair. We need all the help we can get, as mental illness is debilitating, isolated and incredibly hard to deal with alone.

Self-help books can be a valuable resource.
Photo Credit: jronaldlee

The counselling service at the university is an invaluable resource for students that need help. We also have Voice, the student-run listening service, open late at night, and always ready and willing to lend an ear. Outside of the university, there are a number of other aids to make sure no one has to deal with mental illness alone, which are detailed at the bottom of this article. However, it takes a great deal of bravery to take action against depression and other mental issues, and sometimes the hardest thing is to admit that there’s a problem.

Because of this, our university could do more to advertise the support it offers to its students. While I know that there is an incredible welfare system in place, I also know that that support system is criminally underused and unknown by the majority of the student body, and many still suffer from mental illness alone and in silence. Increasing awareness about the services and help available will make it easier for those in need to get in touch.

With the addition of the Mood Disorders building to our campus, and with the recent changes within the Counselling Service (now the Wellbeing Centre, and relocated to opposite the Student Health Centre), it is clear that the stigma of mental illness is fading. It is only a small step now for the university to really engage with those in need of these services, and ensure that everyone knows that there is always a safety net, and that no one has to go without the help they need.

If you, or someone you know, needs someone to talk to, whether about mental illness, or anything at all, here are some useful contacts:

Samaritans: 08457 909090 (24h)
Voice: 01392 724000 or 4000 from a campus phone (8pm-8am)
Student Wellbeing Centre: 01392 724381
Mind: www.mind.org.uk
SANE:www.sane.org.uk
To Write Love On Her Arms: www.twloha.com

Kate Gray
Online Comment Editor