Many people, including myself, choose not to drink at uni for a number of reasons, and this is a normal choice to make. There are a number of reasons why opting not to drink could be beneficial, including saving money, allowing for more meaningful quality time spent with others, and the ability to be fully in control of your actions. There are a huge number of fun social activities you can do which don’t involve drinking, just a few of which I will talk about in this blog. 

In and around Reading 

A huge number of activities around Reading are alcohol free, and so much fun! Some of my personal favourites include the cinema (either Vue or the Biscuit Factory), shopping, rock climbing, an escape room, darts, mini golf, shuffleboard and bowling. My personal favourite is pottery painting! All of these activities are either a walk or short bus ride from campus so can be very easily accessed by university students. Going for a walk is also a lovely way to spend time with friends and catch up. 

On campus 

If you fancy staying a bit closer to home, there are also a huge number of fun things to do on campus itself. If you are living in halls, you could head to some fun Home at Halls events (completely free of charge). There are also a number of activities hosted in the Students’ Union including table tennis, darts, shuffleboard, pool, table football and more. Quiz and Karaoke is also hosted there which is a great way to spend an evening with your friends. I personally love when the petting zoo comes to campus and always visit this with my friends, and there are also regular craft activities hosted on campus which are so fun!

If you prefer something more active, going to the gym or to a fitness class is a lovely way to socialise with others. You could also join a society or sports group and attend their meet ups. I personally am a member of korfball society and love seeing everyone at weekly training sessions. There are also regular non-drinking socials organised such as baking, movie nights and pumpkin carving so I love going along to these. 

At home 

There’s also many activities that can be done with friends at home. Some of me and my housemates favourite include playing video games (usually Mario Kart!), baking together, playing board games, and having movie nights. Some of my favourite memories at uni are evenings spent in with housemates when we have played games and shared our favourite snacks. 

I hope this blog has given you some inspiration for some fun, social activities that can be done sober. Why not give Dry January a go and see what fun you can have without drinking! And just a reminder that whether you choose to drink or university at uni or not, your choice is absolutely valid.

Find out more about the benefits of not drinking.