Ideas for a sober freshers' week

Freshers' Week can be a chaotic, loud rush at times.

There are so many new people to meet and places to visit. Whilst it may seem it’s hard to attend an event during your first couple of weeks without drinking, think again.

Grab your flatmates and ditch the booze as you take on your new city’s hot spots:

Stay fancy with an order of mocktails

Don’t stop being alcohol-free from you getting on your nice shirt or heels. Bars like The Alchemist in Manchester and Leeds have some 10/10 mocktails. You can have all the fun of the flavours without the hangover the next day. And since they’re cheaper than alcoholic drinks elsewhere, you can bask in the atmosphere of fancy bars without racking up a huge bill.

(If you do get tempted by a stronger drink or two, remember to keep these DrinkAware Stay Safe tips in mind – drink lots of water, make sure you’ve had a decent amount of food and stick with your mates.)

Getting into the swing of crazy golf

A game you usually associate with your grandad; golf has made a big comeback in the last couple of years. And it’s crazier than ever.

There’s no shortage of wacky courses to venture out to, from Junkyard Golf in London and Manchester and Swingers in the capital.

Head for a Freshers' Week escape

The busyness of campus getting too much? Escape with your flatmates… to an escape room.

What better way to bring the group together (or have your first disagreement) than trying to crack the code in time? Breakout have venues in Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff.

Catch a film in the open

Summer may be over and it might be coat and scarf weather already, but wrap up warm and head out to an open air cinema near you.

We’re sure you won’t be disappointed (particularly as many hand out free popcorn). From Liverpool to London, Bournemouth to Nottingham, everyone’s been jumping on the cinematic bandwagon, usually showing old faves like Ghostbusters, Mean Girls and Jurassic Park...

Nip downstairs to your next Village Life event

Bounce through a Disco Dome, hop on a surf board and enjoy a lot of free food. Go to myvillageguide.co.uk to find out what's going on at your village this month.

Grab a free soft drink, dive into a dancemat battle, a retro games filled evening (Mario Kart, anyone?) and meet your new neighbours.