When you think about life after graduation, what images come to mind? Making the big bucks at a well-known Chicago firm? Traveling to different countries and seeing all of the beautiful sites from around the world? Or maybe even going to graduate school? All of these options are how many students on campus envision life after finally getting through these four years of school. However, what they don’t realize is that habits they picked up along the way to this milestone can affect them after leaving the comfort of campus life.
A lot of things happen on a college campus that, if they happening out in “the real world” they’d raise some serious questions and concerns. For one thing, it’s perfectly normal for a student to go out on a weekday night and stay out until the bar closes at 2 a.m., all while having a class the next morning. While this may not seem to cause much of a problem now, if this becomes a habit after you graduate and land a job it can affect your work performance. There’s a difference between having to get up and go to an hour-long class and having to work a full day in an office.
Binge drinking or drinking heavily during college can lead to even worse consequences than simply a hangover at work. According to factsontap.org, one of the most believed myths in college is “I’m having as much fun as I can while I’m in college. As soon as I graduate I’ll get my act together.” They say that this attitude can lead to missing classes or doing poorly on class work, putting you behind when it comes to finding a job after school. They also state that this behavior, while not always a big red flag in college, can lead to heavy drinking or even alcoholism later in life. It’s a habit that can be hard to break, and you might not realize how serious it is until it’s too late.
Students often make light of the topic or joke about it with lines such as “It’s not a problem until I graduate, until then it’s just college” or “I’m a drinking student with a college problem.” While these may be funny and make us laugh, it makes the situation seem less serious than it is. The truth is, alcoholism is a serious issue and while it can start at anytime, college is a particularly vulnerable time for the addiction to be set in motion, according to an article in The Western Front. “…Dependency can start anywhere, but it can be heightened in college… there’s nothing telling you not to drink. There is everything telling you to do it.”
One more thing to consider with your drinking habits and how they can affect your life post-grad is your initial job search. Pictures that appear on Facebook after a night at the bars are not always the most professional looking, and more and more companies are turning to these pictures when making hiring decisions. According to an article by MSNBC, 23% of employers are looking at social network pictures during the hiring process. Needless to say, if there are a lot of picture of you dancing on bars or doing body shots, it definitely hurts your chance of getting the job. This is especially true if this behavior is still happening after graduation. a time when many people feel you should “grow up” and put your party days behind you.
So while it seems natural to go out and have a good time, (hey, we all want to have a good time here!) it’s important to make sure you keep things under control. It’s too easy to let one drink turn into three or four within just a couple hours, and it it’s this kind of habit that can lead to trouble down the road. All we want is for you fabulous and ambitious collegiettes is to be safe and smart while still having a good time!