It’s a Thursday night, another long and grueling week of class is finally over, and all across campus people are preparing to get their nights started. You’ve also probably got a sexy outfit on and are all ready to go out and have a good time. All you need is a little bit of liquid courage to begin the night and you are set, right? Sure, but most college students take it a little too far.
Every year, an alarming number of college students drink themselves to death. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from accidental alcohol-related injuries. The penalties of excessive and underage drinking affect everyone within the college community, especially those who don’t know when enough is enough.
Even though Rowan is considered a dry campus, drinking still plays a large part in the college experience of many of the school’s students. Campus police enforce dry campus policies to discourage underage drinking, while attempting to emphasize the importance and influence of a strong academic atmosphere and to help prevent crime. However that sometimes isn’t enough, and students often go well out of their way to get drunk, which all too often leads to reckless and dangerous behavior.
What students sometimes fail to realize is that there is more to the college experience than walking around with a steady buzz for four years. Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of students who initially plan to abstain from alcohol end up giving in due to social pressure from their friends and classmates, as well as a fear of falling outside of the college “norm.”
“Once you have something to drink in a college scene you are set to binge drink since you go to multiple places in one night,” said Jefry Moncion, a senior law & justice major. “To not drink to begin with would be the best way to avoid binge drinking,” Moncion said.
Some students find that having other important goals in your life makes it easier to avoid the drinking culture so often associated with the college experience, the dangers of which are seldom highlighted in your friends’ stories about their latest hazy weekend.
“I’m so focused on school and my clothing line that drinking everyday is not in my best interest right now,” said sophomore psychology and marketing major Twesh Chowdhury.
There are measures and precautions one can take in order to be safe while still having a good time. Here are some easy tips for enjoying your night out while making safe and healthy choices.
- Go out with a friend who does not drink a lot.
- Drink slowly, as opposed to drinking to get drunk (one drink per hour is standard).
- Drink water in between alcoholic drinks
- DANCE. DANCE. DANCE. Be active.
- Resist peer pressure from your friends. Make your own choices.
Keeping these small things in mind is an easy way to enjoy a carefree night out with friends, without the nasty consequences (hangover included).