‘Played centurion again last night with the medical students,’ comments fellow student Dave during a quickly snatched tea break.  I have to admit to him that I need further explanation.  ‘Oh you have to drink 100 shots in 100 minutes,’ he explains cheerfully, ‘and the last one to throw up wins’.  ‘Sounds like a good laugh,’ I comment hoping that my horror at the idea does not show.  Clearly Dave is a man who embraces all that student life has to offer.  I realise how different my outlook is as a mature student with a family than when I was Dave’s age and centurion might have struck me as being a fun sort of thing to do instead of a wet form of Russian Roulette.  We nursing students are a diverse bunch but united by the trials of juggling the academic, time and financial pressures of studying nursing.  Not only do we have to fulfil our placements hours, and cope with university lectures and assignments, the vast majority of us also hold down jobs to stave off financial ruin.  Add to this that many of my fellow students are mothers running a household and it is no wonder that nursing courses have such a high drop out rate.  My next assignment is on health promotion, and I make a mental note that Dave could be a good subject.