So you're now a full time Lincolnshire student - do you know where all the local pubs and clubs are?

More importantly getting drunk is easy but what about the next day?

Now, as students you're here to study but of course unless you abstain for whatever reason the pub and alcohol culture is going to play a major part in your student life.

University could be your first sloshed, drunk, ratted, bladdered, inebriated - whatever you want to call it - experience. It could also be the first time you find yourself waking up covered in Marmite (believe me this has happened - although not to me I hasten to add).

The main thing to remember is that although you may feel clever drinking alcohol the next day you could feel pretty stupid.

Alcohol is great as a social way of getting to know people but be careful you don't up your tolerance level too much. Basically like any drug the more you drink the more you need to get drunk.

Frequently drinking can seriously affect your health, causing memory loss and cirrhosis (liver damage). (Am I sounding old saying all this - for some reason I keep thinking of - pot, kettle, black).

Calories and weight gain are actually terrible side effects. They're not called 'beer guts' for nothing, and a lot of your work on your BG can be achieved at uni/college if you don't keep yourself fit and healthy in other ways (Wait - I know what you're thinking - and we'll get onto alcoholic sex in a minute).

Government guidelines advise safe limits of 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 for women (half a pint of normal lager or a single whiskey is 1 unit).

However, these are only guidelines and do not reflect the drinking habits of young people, especially students.

Abstaining from drinking is the only way to not suffer from any drink related side effects, but although sensible it is not realistic for many. Apart from heart disease, weight gain, and unprotected sex through alcohol the worst side effect is probably a hangover.

This is your body's reaction to the drink you had the night before. Common symptoms include headaches (caused by dehydration) lack of proper sleep and an unsettled stomach.

Preventing dehydration will go a long way to staving off the effects of a hangover, so drink as much water possible. I've usually found a pint at least, with another pint next to the bed is a good measure.

Eating light food helps to replenish your body's levels of sugar and salt. Avoid tea and coffee as they tend to dehydrate you, and get plenty of vitamin C - try fresh orange juice.

Now you'll probably not be operating at your best for the day so keep an eye on those deadlines - nothing worse than forgetting you had to hand in the essay, concentrate on the 9am lecture and still try and catch his/her eye after the lecture to ask them for a drink that very evening. All this whilst still smelling of Marmite - because you got up too late for a shower (believe me, it did happen).

Don't mix too many drinks - whoa that's very bad - Oh yes, you'll be clever whilst you're having them but you'll feel very stupid the next day - give yourself a regular de-tox, to give your liver a break from alcohol for a few days.

It will stop you getting bored of drinking and going out and building up the kind of Rasputin - style immunity that will require you to drink a litre of vodka before you go out.

After a heavy session remember that you still have alcohol in your system. Many motorists have been convicted of drink-driving when breathalysed the day after a night out.

You're more likely to have unprotected sex if you're drunk, and legally, consenting to sex while drunk is still consent.

You're four times more likely to have an accident on a bike or in a car if you've had a drink.

Each pint of beer contains c.180 calories so watch out for that beer gut.

One unit of alcohol =

Half a pint of beer
A glass of wine
A shot of spirits

The reasonable intake for an adult female per week is 14 units. The reasonable intake for an adult male per week is 21 units.

It takes approximately one hour to get rid of each unit you drink.

Help
Both the Student's Union and the University have an alcohol policy to provide support for students and staff who seek help with alcohol related problems. Help can be sought on the Lincoln University website.

Alcoholics anonymous - Telephone 01472 362058 8am - 12am.