The Reality Of Experimenting With Drugs at University

(Published in my student newspaper Flex, on Page 9, and on The National Student.)

As September’s Hollyoaks focuses on a group of Freshers and the effects that drugs can have, what is the reality of experimenting with drugs whilst at university?

A fresh start and, for most, a new home miles away from the towns we grew up in. As a new year at university begins, we will be faced with many challenging situations related to drugs. But we must ask, is the 5-minute buzz really worth it?

The TV’s on Crack

Literally. Is there anybody not in the toilets snorting a line of cocaine at the minute? Soap after soap, the moral of “don’t take drugs” is being driven into our heads as if it has suddenly become a hip new trend.

Freshers week is all around, yet Hollyoaks is the only soap taking advantage of the possible storylines. Their take on drug use reminds me of the film, Mean Girls – “If you take drugs, you will fall from a building and die!” Maybe a vulnerable person would see this as a negative effect from taking drugs, but to most, it was just a series of unfortunate events, and the party she was at beforehand seemed like a good time.

A Fresh Start

(Published in my student newspaper, Flex, for their Freshers edition on Page 45.)

GCSE’s were easy; at the time we didn’t think there could be anything harder. But, in some way, it has all helped us get to where we are now. A-Levels are over. Gap years have finished. Now we find ourselves at University College Falmouth, beginning a new journey and taking on a course we hope to build our futures upon.

A fresh start and, for most, a new home miles away from the towns we grew up in. So why Falmouth? Falmouth is a beautiful town to live and study in, and its high population of students makes the environment even more welcoming. It’s often been described as a place of escape; a tranquil atmosphere and a place of influence that most don’t want to leave behind.