No Drinking vs Grad School

Aiway

Hello

I don't drink at all - and I'm off to grad school next month. I've read that lots of college / grad school socializing revolves around drinking. I don't want to not go - that's terrible. And going and having water / diet coke feels childish.

Any ideas on what non alcoholic drinks I can order at bars so I don't have to be too different ?

Thanks !

Aiway

MalSponseller

As a grad student, I can tell you that (at my university at least) we do a decent amount of drinking with our professors around finals time. We don't take finals (usually), but have end-of-semester papers, so during our allotted time to take a final, we usually go to a local place and drink and have pizza or something. It's really fun and an awesome bonding experience with people that honestly consider you 'co-workers'... just, co-workers with less expertise. ^^ Honestly, though, if you don't want to drink, then don't. The best thing about grad school (well, one of the best things) is that you're old enough that you no longer have to prove you're 'old enough'. If you don't drink alcohol, that's not childish, it's a life choice, and your fellow students and professors should respect that (and if they don't, talk with your adviser about it and it should stop). You can get virgin versions of a lot of drinks if you want to go that way; virgin daiquiris, virgin margaritas, what-have-you. If you're in the south, then sweet tea is always acceptable. But seriously, don't feel intimidated by the others cause they drink and you don't. We're not kids anymore, we're adults. And we should be treating each other like adults.

miamimanni

I usually ask for a club soda. People don't care what your drinking half the time, just as long as you got a glass in your hand.

NNAhuja

I usually ask for a club soda. People don't care what your drinking half the time, just as long as you got a glass in your hand.

This is true most of the time. I go to school for engineering so I deal a lot with beer drinking guys. I sometimes get grief for not drinking beer and some comment about my "expensive" amaretto sour tastes.
It's not that big of a deal, to be honest.

gibsy

A club soda with a wedge of lime is a great option. But honestly, by the time people get to grad school they really ought to be mature enough to take it in stride if you aren't a drinker. If you wanna hang out, then hang out and just don't drink! Anyone who's a halfway decent person is going to respect your decision.

The club soda is a great option though if you find it tedious to always explain why you don't drink. They'll assume it's a vodka soda or a gin and tonic. If you go that route though, you may run into problems if someone decides to buy you a drink. It's just easier to tell the truth like it's no big deal (coz it isn't.)

KaydeForce

We don't do this drinking thing at my school. There is some drinking at conferences, but that's it. So this might be different depending on where you're going to school and which program you're in. Don't be worried. Grad school is not college... People have matured (hopefully) and there is no peer pressure when it comes to drinking.

shanpwn

I'm three years into grad school and I can honestly say I'd never make it through this far drinking like I did in undergrad. Seriously. There isn't a drinking culture at my school. Sometimes I will have wine at a conference or symposium, but that's it. I do have friends who somehow wrote their thesis while downing box wine, but I think that's nuts. No worries about not drinking. Tell them you have to write tomorrow, they'll get it.

lexoxoc

I'm starting Grad School in the fall and I just graduate from undergrad. I drank during my undergrad but at the same time when I had to buckle down I didn't go crazy. Sometimes I'd enjoy a beer of glass of wine while writing a paper but when it came to studying for exams there was no way I was going to drink anything. I anticipate grad school having a much more adult feel - yeah maybe some drinks here and there but nothing too crazy. When in doubt just get some seltzer water or club soda - no one in graduate school is going to judge you for not drinking, at this point we should all be much more mature then that!

KaydeForce

Also, just saying: Many people in grad school will be married, have kids and full-time jobs (or in case of a PhD program this will be their full-time job). In many grad programs there just isn't a party-culture because people have busy lives. They need to get home to their kids or get off to work. It's very high-pressure, too. There simply isn't much time for partying. It might be different for master's programs. I'm in a PhD program and that's how it works at my school...

Frag_Bunny

I went through my undergrad AND my graduate with people that liked to drink. I didn't drink not by choice though. both times i've been on medication that recommends you dont drink because it affects the way your body processes the liquor. I still had tons of fun. I would pick ONE drink that I treated myself to and then had soda or water the rest of the time. Your still get to hang out with everyone but you get to remember it. I actually find being the one sober person amusing because you can laugh at everyone and show them the evidence the next day lol.

misstoridanielle

i'm currently an undergrad, but i totally know how you feel. usually when i'm with friends who drink, i just order a water. really, i never get questioned why. i guess it could also be the people i hang out with too.

brevislux

Just get something else... Don't worry about that. Personally I'm usually the one encouraging others to drink with me, but, you can still hang out with everyone without actually drinking.

But like others said, people tone it down in grad school, the chances people would go party hard all night seems pretty slim.