How To Stay Safe During Freshers
Stay safe during Freshers with advice on safe drinking, safe sex, and more.
Freshers’ Week is the first chapter of university life.
Sex, Sports Direct mugs, and sausage rolls are pretty much the epitome of Freshers’ Week. Throw in some events, socialising, and campus exploring to the mix and you’ve got one ‘eck of a good time.
Some students go a little wild during this time, others will use it more tamely as a time to prepare for their course, settle into their new city and life, and get ahead. And that’s the great thing about Freshers’ Week, you can really make it your own.
It’s important, however, to make sure you’re staying safe during Freshers. With 38% of students surveyed for our Freshers’ report saying they’re concerned about their safety during Freshers, you wouldn’t be alone in feeling the same way.
We’re not here to kill the buzz, we’re just here to be friendly student advice-givers (yes, that’s the real job title).
We’ve got some tips and guidance for you on how to stay safe during Freshers. Real talk: please keep your wits about you.
In this guide:
Safe drinking
It might be your first time living away from home, it might even be your first time to try alcohol (especially if you’ve recently turned 18), but the whole ‘go big or go home’ mindset should not apply to the drinking culture of uni life.
It’s easy to get lost with the crowd and follow whatever they seem to be doing, and more often than not, it centres around booze. The last thing you want is to spend a night in A&E because you’re ill or there was an accident.
According to our Freshers’ Guide Report, 70% of students are open to doing university sober, and 50% are planning on not drinking during Freshers. And if that’s you, great! But it’s still important to understand safe drinking and understand your limits. A pint or two, or a cocktail pitcher every once in a while is fairly harmless, if you fancy it obvs.
If you think you might have a problem with drinking, or know someone who might, then head to Drink Aware for resources and advice.
How to drink safely
- Know your limits: the NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. That’s roughly 6 pints of 4% beer or 6 medium glasses of wine.
- Line your stomach: don’t go out drinking on an empty stomach. It might make you wavey quicker, but it can happen too quickly and make you ill. Stock up on carbs or protein before your night out.
- Water: to prevent getting too drunk and too dehydrated (hello, hangover), you should drink as much water as possible. Take water breaks between drinks and you’ll hopefully avoid feeling too ill.
- Slow and steady: everyone else necking their pints and getting shots in? You don’t have to follow. Sip your drink slowly, it’s not a race. Pace yourself.
- Watch your drink: there are so many weirdos out there who spy an opportunity to add something dodgy to an unattended drink. Keep an eye out on your drink, and your pals, and don’t leave them with anyone you don’t know or trust.
Drink spiking
Drink spiking is a serious offence. It involves the addition of harmful substances into a person’s drink, making them more vulnerable and easier to harm.
Things that can be added to drinks:
- ‘Date rape’ drugs
- Illegal drugs
- Prescription drugs (like tranquilisers)
- Alcohol
Drink spiking doesn’t just happen to alcoholic drinks, it can happen to any type of drink.
Signs of drink spiking might include:
- Feeling drowsy/sleepy
- Vomiting/nausea
- Confused
- Loss of balance
- Feeling extra ‘drunk’
- Losing consciousness
Everybody will react differently, and it can depend on how much of the substance is in your drink. Your size and weight will factor into how your body reacts, too.
If you recognise any of these symptoms on yourself or someone you’re with, please get help immediately.
- Call an ambulance if the symptoms appear severe
- Tell the bar manager/staff ASAP or anyone in charge
- Stop drinking alcohol immediately
- Don’t leave the person alone
- Report the incident to the police
If you suspect you’ve been assaulted (physically or sexually) whilst under the influence of drink spiking, you can go to the hospital or to the police to report it. You can also go to your nearest sexual assault referral centre for support and care.
Vape spiking
Vape spiking has increasingly become a threat, with so many individuals choosing vapes over cigarettes. Some vapes have been found to have been laced with intoxicants, such as Spice (known as the ‘Zombie drug).
It can happen if you take a vape from someone you don’t know, like sharing with strangers at a festival. Be aware of the new worrying trend of vape spiking when you’re at Freshers; it’s best not to share vapes, even with people you might know well.
Practise safe sex
During Freshers’ Week, you’re going to be bumping into people left, right, and centre. Cuties, included. And, of course, we’re all human, so if the vibe is there, why not spend the night with whoever you met at the Student Union?
Wrap up before you shack up, though. Whenever you are with a new or existing partner, it’s best to use a condom to prevent the transmission of STIs. Oral contraception can help prevent pregnancy, but it won’t protect you from any sexually-transmitted infections.
In fact, a lot of Freshers’ Fairs will give out free condoms because, A) they can be expensive for students to buy, and B) casual sex is going to happen, so let’s prevent any nasties from occurring.
Oh, and please don’t forget about sexual aftercare, like peeing post-sex to prevent UTIs and bed sheet hygiene like how often to wash bed sheets.
Also, remember consent is crucial. If someone says no, then it means no (what they wear and how drunk they are doesn’t matter).
Don’t feel pressured to have sex, especially if everyone else seems to be hooking up. And don’t mix drugs, alcohol, and sex — too much can get too messy, like waking up hungover and not remembering anything. We’ve got the best hangover cures that actually work, in case that does happen.
Check out the alternatives to drinking during Freshers, so that not everything revolves around alcohol.
Freshers’ Flu
Too much of a good thing can have its consequences, and Freshers’ Week is notorious for bringing a plague of Freshers’ Flu along with it.
Don’t fret, it’s usually just a bad cold, sometimes mixed with other symptoms like stomach aches and nausea. As long as you take care of yourself when you’re feeling rough, you should be on the mend again.
Check out our guide on Freshers’ Flu symptoms, causes and cures for more in-depth guidance.
Freshers’ Week tips
We’ve got some of the most important tips to help you have the best and safest Freshers’ Week.
1. Be sensible with money
Whether you’ve got your student loan drop already or you have a pretty penny left over from your summer job, don’t go crazy and spend it all during Freshers. Try and keep to a budget and make your cash last a little longer than one week…
2. Prioritise self care
Freshers’ Week can be tiring, mentally and physically. If you don’t pause and recuperate once in a while, you could burn out before you’ve barely started. Eat well, stay hydrated, get enough sleep; it will make your Freshers more manageable.
3. Help your homesickness
It’s completely normal if you start to miss your old home, family and friends, your pets. Tap into how you feel, allow it, then try to distract yourself. Keep in touch with your pals and parents, but don’t go overboard (it will end up making you more homesick). Dealing with homesickness at uni is part of the journey, and you’re not alone.
4. Fancy dress to impress
Fancy dress is almost a weekly occurrence at university (maybe daily during Freshers’ Week) and it’s important to try and take part, if that’s your vibe. The funnier, the punnier, the better. We’ve got loads of uni fancy dress ideas to help with your inspo.
5. Prep all your uni docs and admin early
The beginning of university can bring a lot of admin and paperwork to do. Try and get ahead, and sort these out as early as you can, so you don’t have it fogging up your mind and causing unnecessary stress. Download the best study apps for students before your course starts to help out with your studying. Yes, you have to study.
Don’t neglect yourself at university and use our Student Beans food and drink student discounts to save on your mealtimes.
