So, I don't drink... Forum

[dontworrybehappy]

It seems like most law school socials/bar reviews revolve around alcohol :-\. Am I going to have a really sucky experience when I start my 1L this fall?

I'm genuinely worried.

[thomas85]

It seems like most law school socials/bar reviews revolve around alcohol :-\. Am I going to have a really sucky experience when I start my 1L this fall?

I'm genuinely worried.

You should be, being a non-drinker is a serious character flaw.

[calicocat]

Consider med school. This is an outrageous habit (not-drinking) and won't be tolerated in the least.

[creamedcats]

Order a diet coke, stick a lime in it and act friendly.

[TheCheerfulPessimist]

dontworrybehappy

[No1ustad]

start with a screwdriver, its the gateway drink.

its a huge part of law school.. ill do you a favor, ill drink for you if you help me write my papers, considering ill be drunk twice as often...

[thomas85]

Order a diet coke, stick a lime in it and act friendly.

And then stick some booze in it.

[dontworrybehappy]

dontworrybehappy

[dontworrybehappy]

Order a diet coke, stick a lime in it and act friendly.

That's a great idea. Or just have some red bull. that makes me super chatty haha.

thanks

[LawandOrder]

Why don't you drink?

[AtticusFinch]

Don't worry law school will make you want to drink.

[creamedcats]

Order a diet coke, stick a lime in it and act friendly.

That's a great idea. Or just have some red bull. that makes me super chatty haha.

thanks

It works surprisingly well. I worked with a lawyer who boozed with clients who sometimes never noticed that he doesn't drink. He did a great job at disguising it by being incredibly outgoing and being the one to order the drinks. Obviously, there's no need to actively disguise it, but passive things like holding a full drink with cocktail-like dressings will discourage the random awkward moment. Once you know people, it doesn't matter - it's school, not a drinking contest.

[nahgems]

I rarely drink (probably less than once a month?) If there has been a problem, it hasn't been with other people accepting me, it has been with boredom. If you find exceptionally drunk people boring your life will suck. Drunk people seem to *love* to discuss "that one time we got s*it faced and..." And, because they are drunk, they find it entertaining every time. You will occasionally find yourself wondering, How many times am I going to have to hear that same, "Remember the time we got f-cked up and..." story. And you may want to pull your teeth out to distract yourself from the mind numbing boredom. Drink diet coke. Try not to show that you are bored. You will be fine.

[macattaq]

Honestly, no one really cares whether you drink or not. Its not a big deal. Also, there are plenty of social events that don't involve drinking. Sure, some people go out and get lit once or five times a week. But you'll be spending enough time around people in and after class that you can form social bonds and network without worrying about this.

[Flanker1067]

Somehow you made it through UG not drinking ok, and all of a sudden you are worried that you will be less accepted in LS? Makes no sense, you will be fine.

[Pearalegal]

I rarely drink (probably less than once a month?) If there has been a problem, it hasn't been with other people accepting me, it has been with boredom. If you find exceptionally drunk people boring your life will suck. Drunk people seem to *love* to discuss "that one time we got s*it faced and..." And, because they are drunk, they find it entertaining every time. You will occasionally find yourself wondering, How many times am I going to have to hear that same, "Remember the time we got f-cked up and..." story. And you may want to pull your teeth out to distract yourself from the mind numbing boredom. Drink diet coke. Try not to show that you are bored. You will be fine.

...I really think that sort of drunk talk stopped after everyone got used to drinking and no longer considered it, "cool." People who talk like that are usually the dorky or insecure kids in college.

I drink, but now more than anything my friends and I just shoot the shit. Yelling about politics is really as stereotypically drunk as we get now. Because we're not 19. Anyone who still has nothing to talk about except getting hammered is lame. I'm sure there will be people who are happily buzzing at bar reviews but who also can carry on normal conversations. While they might be more friendly than normal, whatever. Bounce along with them with your red bull, and besides that...I'm sure there will be other non-drinkers in law school.

[Rand M.]

Somehow you made it through UG not drinking ok, and all of a sudden you are worried that you will be less accepted in LS? Makes no sense, you will be fine.

This.

[howie]

i wouldnt want to talk to someone not drinking at a drinking event, that would be like watching a football game with a blind old woman. your non-drinking behavior is going to decimate your legal career an internship prospects. Consider choosing another profession, maybe a commercial specialist on the lifetime channel

[lawblahblah]

Somehow you made it through UG not drinking ok, and all of a sudden you are worried that you will be less accepted in LS? Makes no sense, you will be fine.

This.

I don't know OP's situation, but there are dry campuses. Maybe OP went to one.

[reverendt]

One of the guys in my 2L class doesn't drink for religious reasons.
Still, he comes to the bar and throws darts with us, plays poker with us (and often wins because he has the "sobriety advantage"), etc.
The moral: many of the people at law school will be drinkers, but that doesn't mean you can't hang out with them.

[ozarkhack]

All I can think about while reading this thread is Jim Gaffigan.

When you don't drink, people always need to know why. They're like, 'You don't drink? Why?' This never happens with anything else: 'You don't use mayonnaise? Why? Are you addicted to mayonnaise? Is it OK if I use mayonnaise? I could go outside.'

[creamedcats]

All I can think about while reading this thread is Jim Gaffigan.

When you don't drink, people always need to know why. They're like, 'You don't drink? Why?' This never happens with anything else: 'You don't use mayonnaise? Why? Are you addicted to mayonnaise? Is it OK if I use mayonnaise? I could go outside.'

...you can have a hot pocket for breakfast, a hot pocket for lunch, and be dead by dinner!

[Veyron]

Don't worry law school will make you want to drink.

Lol

[romothesavior]

I don't think it will be a problem, especially if you made it thru undergrad okay. Just don't make a big deal out of it or draw attention to it, because people will look at you quizzically and think you are the odd-man out. Personally, I would never, ever, EVER date a girl who didn't drink, and I would be very wary of hanging out with a guy who didn't. And its not because I'm into the whole, "OMG we got sooo wasted" thing, its more because I just enjoy socializing out on the town, and a huge part of that is drinking. Not drinking is just... not natural.

Drinking is a HUGE part of life, especially if you are considering politics. I worked for a state politician once who told me, "A politician who doesn't drink won't be a politician for long." (I guess this wouldn't apply if you were from Utah, but who the hell wants to live in Utah?)

Actually, on second thought, just go to BYU. You'll fit in just fine.

[legalease9]

No one worth networking with will look down on you because you don't drink. Its a personal choice and while most law students (myself included) won't go down that path, they won't judge you for doing so.