Imagine a society that allows people to start drinking alcohol at the age of 18. The implication of course being that virtually everyone on a college campus can legally drink.

Imagine alcohol being sold in a student union store. Imagine the concept of student bars. Imagine a college campus without a mention of underage drinking or fake identification. This is a big part of my new home in England.

Stepping into a culture that has this profoundly different view of alcohol has been eye opening to say the least. The best way to describe the situation here is that it simply is not a controversy. The University of Nottingham does not seem to expect students to abstain from alcohol. Nor should they, since there is no interference with the law.

Instead, the University of Nottingham encourages students to take it easy. Everyone staying in school accommodations received a free mug reading, “easy does it.” In addition, the school created a mascot for the first week named “easy tiger.” The mascot was present for the fresher’s address (a surprisingly impressive official kickoff for week one), as well as some of the other events of the week.

When I decided that I wanted to study abroad in England last year, naturally one of the things I had to do was decide which university sounded best for me. Reading through the descriptions, I found all the usual details about accommodation, campus and city life, et cetera. Every description also included something we do not see in America, a section about how many student bars are on campus.

On paper, this concept was difficult for me to grasp. Coming from a nation that fines people my age hundreds of dollars for drinking, it is hard to believe that a university would not only accept, but facilitate the same activity.

Now that I’ve been here for about a month, it is easier to understand. When students first get to college, it is legal for them to purchase alcohol. Because we can just have it whenever we want it, it’s not as big of a deal. This allows for something I like to call “casual drinking,” which I didn’t see much of at the University last year.

Here, students like to just go into a bar, have a drink and talk with friends. There just isn’t that same urgency to be totally wasted. Don’t get me wrong, there are some crazy nights here too. The difference here is that people aren’t always drinking to get drunk.

Moving right along to the specifics, every University of Nottingham dorm has its own bar. These can usually serve as a starting point to the night, or just a nearby place for a drink. In the center of campus is The Ark, the main student bar (situated directly behind the equivalent of the Illini Union). This bar can also be a place to start off before heading to the city, or can easily be a night in itself.

The city center, a short bus ride away, holds more pubs and clubs than I could get to if I tried. The most appropriate place to begin is the only place I had heard of in Nottingham before arriving, Rock City. The club offers an alternative to the usual rap/r&b; dominated party scene by playing what it’s named after. It also consistently brings in big names as a concert venue, playing host to Staind, CKY, Motorhead, Alkaline Trio and many more this year.

Another interesting place is The Pitcher & Piano. What would otherwise be a normal pub is made a much different experience because it is in a deconsecrated church. From the outside, if you are not paying full attention, it is easy to pass by without noticing the building is no longer a place of worship.

On the inside, stained glass windows surround you. Basically, it is a bar in a former church (obviously) but no matter how much detail I go into about it, it really is an experience you just have to feel to understand.

About a month into this year, that is just what I am doing. I am about as immersed in the British culture as I can be. I’m glad to be done reading about it and to finally be feeling what it’s like to live here.

Phil Collins is a sophomore in LAS. His column appears every third Wednesday. He is studying abroad in Nottingham, England this semester. He can be reached at [email protected]