University life is about many things - a place to explore new ideas, meet new people, learn more about yourself and, for many students, it’s also where their relationship with alcohol deepens. For internationals, this process often looks different than for the locals. Many students come from backgrounds that either place strict taboos on alcohol usage, forbid its use entirely, or simply don’t embrace the idea that alcohol is the ‘nectar of life’. How do TU/e’s foreign students experience Dutch culture when it comes to drinking? And what should you know about staying healthy during those mid-week borrels or boozy nights on Stratumseind?

The Laissez-faire Lowlanders

Roommates Kushagra Asopa (Kush for short) and Pranay Mischra are both 24 and pursuing their master’s degrees in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Though they were college buddies back in India at a rather liberal (read: not entirely alcohol-free) university, they were both surprised by the amount of booze at TU/e. Kush: “It’s a little strange to have it on campus because it’s supposed to be a place for education. But on the other hand, if you’ve had a tough day, you can end it on a higher note by meeting your buddies for a drink.” Pranay: It’s unique and weird at the same time. Beer is like nothing; it’s like water to Dutch people. I’m not saying it’s bad, though. If you want a break, you can go have a beer and get back to studying. But bars on a campus in India? That’s never going to happen.”

Like all of the Netherlands, TU/e is quite liberal in its approach to drinking. There are more than 10 places to consume alcohol on campus, beer is permitted at many events, and even though things have become a bit stricter - the legal drinking age in Holland was raised from 16 to 18 in 2014 - the Lowlanders are generally laissez-faire about liquor. However, that liberalism doesn’t mean that the Dutch are particularly heavy drinkers. According to a 2008 study by the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics, Italians, Greeks and Swedes are the only Europeans who drink less than the Dutch. (Those tipplers down in Luxembourg lead the pack…)

Kagan Akbas says his beer-soaked intro week was a real eye-opener, “That was a major shock to me. Dutch people don’t even notice. They’re just comfortable with people drinking. In the current climate at home, such an event would be unimaginable.” Akbas also feels that the free flow of booze acts as a sort of equalizer: “I feel like there’s no elitism here. The rector magnificus and the dean of our department, they came over and drank with the students. I really liked that.” 

However, not every foreign student participates in the laid-back drinking culture: “I don’t really go to student parties anymore”, says Lithuanian Marius Lazauskas (29), of the Department of the Built Environment. “They just revolve around alcohol. If you removed alcohol from the equation, they would feel very, very awkward.”

Social Lubrication?

If there’s one truth of social life in the West, it’s that alcohol is an integral part of celebrations and social gatherings. Does that cultural norm ever translate into social pressure? “I think it would be difficult to participate in the social life here if you weren’t drinking”, explains Kagan Akbas, continuing. “If you don’t drink, you’re the odd one out. It would change the vibe of the group.” But Akbas is also conflicted about that reality: “This is difficult. It’s not like I want to say you can’t have fun without drinking.” 

Pranay Mischra says alcohol seems to play a key role in breaking the ice. “If you meet each other for the first time in the East, you don’t go for drinks. But here, the first thing they ask each other is “Do you want to go for a beer?” The bond gets better over a beer.”

Though Marius Lazauskas is critical of Dutch drinking culture in general, he sees advantages to the attitudes here: “If you refuse alcohol, there’s usually an alternative. And nobody gets insulted. But in the former USSR countries, it’s like ‘What? You don’t like me!? You don’t like my country!? Also, in Eastern Europe, drinking a lot shows you’re masculinity. But here it’s not about that. It’s just about having fun.”

Don’t try to out-drink the Dutch

Because alcohol is legal, widely-available, and socially-sanctioned in the Netherlands, how can you know when you might be over-doing it? First of all, health experts agree that alcohol is an addictive and toxic substance and that there is no such thing as entirely ‘risk-free’ drinking. (And, sorry ladies, but alcohol apparently affects our bodies more profoundly than men.) But what are the hard numbers? According to the World Health Organization’s guidelines, women shouldn’t regularly exceed 2-3 units per day (that’s about a 175ml glass of wine) and men shouldn’t regularly go over 3-4 units per day (a bit more than a pint of strong beer, roughly 570ml). And, no, you’re not supposed to save those units up for a weekend of binge drinking.

Mathijs de Croon works in the prevention department of Novadic-Kentron, a local addiction center, and advises internationals to exercise caution when drinking with the Dutch. “We start drinking a lot earlier which isn’t a good thing. It makes us a lot more susceptible to becoming addicted and to developing brain damage. The positive side effect - if you could call it positive - is that we develop tolerance. By the time we get to university, our bodies and minds are already a bit used to alcohol. So, a Dutch guy might drink 15 beers and he’ll get drunk, but an international student might do the same and wake up in the hospital. Don’t try to keep up with our social norms because when it comes to alcohol, they’re not good.”

And here’s some important information for all of you big brains out there. Recent research reveals that our gray matter keeps developing until about age 23 or 24, even after our bodies might have stopped growing. De Croon: “Alcohol is a lot more harmful for young people. As long as the brain is developing, our internal reward system - that’s the area where addictions can develop - is more vulnerable. So, the younger you start, the greater the chance that you’ll get addicted later on.”

Kush Asopa and Pranay Mischra both agree that a night out partying with friends is a major plus of their TU/e experience. But Kush can see how it could become a slippery slope: “You never know when it becomes an addiction. Then it’s not nice anymore - it’s just something you have to do. I think you have to ask yourself, are you drinking out of happiness or out of sadness? If you’re drinking out of happiness, then you hang out with your friends and drink a lot and the next day it’s over. But if you’re drinking because you’re sad, then it gets problematic. You shouldn’t drink because you’re seeking happiness.”

If you’d like more information or advice about alcohol use/abuse, you can make an appointment with a student psychologist at the STU-reception desk or by calling them at 040-2472221. Or call Novadic-Kentron at 040-2171200. They’re website is in Dutch but most counselors will be able to discuss your concerns in English.