By Joe Rukin
Back in September educationet reported on NUS's campaign to stop Freshers Drinking in Freshers week, claiming that it might be the 'most useless campaign ever'. NUS responded by saying educationet had accused Student Unions "of promoting heavy drinking". Well a new survey from studentUK which reveals their attitudes to University and their perceptions of Freshers' Week, leaves little doubt the campaign wasn't exactly a success.
The 'If you drink don't do drunk' campaign drew many criticisms, not just the obvious from Zoe Shaw who said This defies many natural laws- like cause and effect…. This is in shocking contrast to older drinkers, who consume alcohol purely to feel full of physiological and psychic pain the next morning.", but also because it seemed very much to do the Governments' work for them and help reinforce the public perception of students as drunken layabouts. NUS also managed to miss another open goal in reacting to the Portman Groups' findings that not more students were drinking, or that students were drinking more, but more students were binge drinking. This has been an inevitable consequence of increased financial pressures, creating the need to work part-time -still usually in bars at night- which has meant that students neither have the time or money to take things easy when they go out.
However Mandy Telford's words; "NUS recognises that drinking is often an integral part of freshers' week, however, we urge students to drink and act responsibly." Fell on deaf ears with 52% of freshers getting so drunk during the week they couldn't remember what happened the night before, with the average Fresher getting 2.5 hangovers in their first week.. Unions did little to heed the wise words of the national union apparatchiks, with four of the top five events organised for students involving copious amounts of alcohol; Clubs and societies events 84%, Club nights 79%, Tours of library facilities 69%, Rowdy nights involving outlandish amounts of alcohol 68%, Pub crawls 66%.
The reason may have had something to do with the quality of the campaign mounted by NUS. Students were asked if they received information on the following; Detailed information about your course,
Student Finances, Personal Safety, Accommodation, General health information, Counselling or Advice services, Sexual Health information, Handling your workload effectively, Alcohol & Drug consumption. Despite being lumped together with drugs, Alcohol was the only subject which less than half of students received information on. The quality of the advice on Drugs & Alcohol was also rated bottom. 21% of new students are offered drugs within the first week, and almost half of this group (10%) take them.
The survey also showed that 79% of first year students live in Halls of Residence, but conditions still
verge on the spartan. 10% of students do not even have access to a fridge, and 46% have no access to a washing machine, 71% sharing bathroom facilities. Some mod cons seem to be more
in evidence than the basics, with 68% of students having internet access in
Halls and a remarkable 54% having their own telephone line.
Some universities do seem to be providing the luxuries, with 15% having
satellite or cable TV, and 6% providing students with the ultimate student
lifestyle accessory: a double bed. Despite the basic facilities, however,
Halls are still the place that students make the majority of their friends:
65% of women and 54% of men report that they made the majority of their
friends in Halls, with 22% making them in teaching groups, and 13% in the
student bar. Accommodation is often a last-minute arrangement, with 32%
still having nowhere to live a month before starting, and 7% having nothing
ready when they actually arrived.
The
average Fresher spends £97 on socialising alone during their first week,
with a significant proportion (21%) spending over £150. Ian Tester, Marketing Manager of studentUK who carried out the survey said:
"What our survey clearly
shows is that although students seem to be getting the basic information
about coursework, Universities still have a way to go in terms of providing
practical advice to help them with the transition to student life,
especially in terms of coping with workload and financial pressure. It's
also worrying that more universities don't provide as much advice on safe
sex, drug and especially alcohol consumption as they could, given the
traditionally depraved nature of Fresher's Week and the fact that many
students are away from home for the first time, and may not be well-equipped
to deal with student life. However, it's good to see that the vast majority
rate University and their courses highly."
Full Survey
Separate figures are given by gender ONLY when there's a large discrepancy between the two .
1. When you started Uni or college, were you:
Single 64% (Male 77%, Female 57%)
Attached 28% (Male 17%, Female 35%)
Sort of attached 7%
2. How long did Freshers' Events last?
1 day 3%
2-3 days 11%
4-7 days 51%
Over 7 days 36%
3. Were Freshers' Events organised by?
Your University or College 8%
Your Student Union 32%
A combination of the two 49%
Don't know 12%
4. What types of events were organised for you?
Clubs and societies events 84%
Club nights 79%
Tours of library facilities 69%
Rowdy nights involving outlandish amounts of alcohol 68%
Pub crawls 66%
Department tours 54%
Tours of sport facilities 45%
Welfare / advice sessions 43%
Student Union tours 42%
Local area tours (walking round town etc) 25%
Lab / workshop tours 20%
Accommodation tours 20%
5. Advice: did you get any information about the following?
Detailed information about your course (modules, workload) 81%
Student Finances 73%
Personal Safety 68%
Accommodation 66%
General health information 62%
Counselling or advice services 59%
Sexual Health information 51%
Handling your workload effectively / study tips 50%
Alcohol / drug consumption 47%
6. How did you rate the quality of the advice you were given?
(1 - extremely bad, 2 - poor, 3 - average, 4 - good, 5-excellent)
Average rating: 3.24 (Men 3.03, Women 3.36)
Detailed information about your course (modules, workload) 3.73
Personal Safety 3.40
Counselling or advice services 3.28
General health information 3.28
Accommodation 3.27
Student Finances 3.10
Sexual Health information 3.10
Handling your workload effectively / study tips 3.03
Alcohol / drug consumption 3.01
7. How soon before starting did you arrange your accommodation?
Wasn't arranged when I arrived 7%
0-2 weeks 11%
3-4 weeks 14%
1-3 months 43%
More than 3 months 25%
8. What accommodation were you living in Fresher's Week?
University Halls 76%
Living with parents 10%
Privately rented house / flat etc 7%
Private Halls 3%
Other 2%
Staying with friends 1%
Own accommodation 1%
9.Which of these facilities were available to you in your accommodation?
Fridge 90%
Kitchen with oven 82%
Internet Access 68%
Own phone line 54%
Washing Machine 54%
TV 42%
Access to a computer 36%
Own bathroom 29%
Satellite / Cable TV 15%
Double bed 6%
10. How would you rate your accommodation?
(1 - extremely bad, 2 - poor, 3 - average, 4 - good, 5-excellent)
Average rating: 3.59 (Men 3.67, Women 3.56)
11. How much money did you spend going out during Fresher's Week?
Average amount spent: £97 (Men £107, Women £92)
0-£25 12% (Men 11%, Women 13%)
£26-£50 19% (Men 16%, Women 20%)
£51-£75 13% (Men 8%, Women 16%)
£76-£100 17% (Men 18%, Women 17%)
£101-£150 17% (Men 21%, Women 15%)
£151-£200 12% (Men 11%, Women 13%)
over £200 9% (Men 14%, Women 7%)
12. Did you do any of the following during Fresher's Week?
Get so drunk you can't remember what happened? 52% (Men 68%, Women 43%)
Get hit on by an older student? 47% (Men 23%, Women 59%)
Snog someone you'd never met before? 37% (Men 37%, Women 37%)
Get offered drugs? 21% (Men 21%, Women 22%)
Develop a crush on a member of staff?
13% (Men 12%, Women 14%)
Sleep with someone you'd never met before?
11% (Men 16%, Women 9%)
Take drugs? 10% (Men 11%, Women 10%)
13. How many hangovers did you have during Fresher's Week?
Average: 2.45 (Men 2.2, Women 2.7)
14. Where did you make most of your friends?
Halls of residence 61% (Men 54%, Women 65%)
In lectures / teaching groups 22% (Men 28%, Women 20%)
In the bar 13% (Men 13%, Women 13%)
In sports / social clubs 4% (Men 5%, Women 3%)
15. At the end of your first few weeks at Uni, what were your impressions of:
(1 - extremely bad, 2 - poor, 3 - average, 4 - good, 5-excellent)
The town / city you were in 4.05 (Men 3.85, Women 4.14)
The quality of your academic course
4.03 (Men 3.84, Women 4.13)
The facilities on campus 4.01 (Men 3.87, Women 4.09)
The quality of teaching 3.97 (Men 3.88, Women 4.01)
The social scene (people / things to do)
3.97 (Men 3.71, Women 4.10)
The quality of your accommodation
3.72 (Men 3.69, Women 3.73)
