Most people hear of the "good girl gone bad", but I'm here to tell you what it feels like to be the opposite of that. College changed me so much. I used to be that quiet girl in high school who was labeled as "weird" and was never invited anywhere. College changed everything. I started going out, becoming more confident, and I even started worrying about partying and boys more than I did about school.
I used to be so caught up in how much fun I was having that I didn't realize it was affecting everything in my life. My mental health was being affected along with my physical health. Staying out all night isn't healthy for your body, especially when you have early classes. I know what it feels like to feel like you have no choice but to go out, and it's awful.
After realizing what partying, drinking, and hooking up with different boys did to me, I stopped. It wasn't easy to get away from these bad habits, and it took me a while to figure out how to remove them from my life completely. An eye-opener was when my grades weren't as good as they used to be. I realized that a few parties here and there were not worth my GPA and my future.
Don't get me wrong, partying is fun. I still go out here and there, but I set boundaries for myself. I don't feel the need to get super drunk and end up embarrassing myself (which usually happens). Going out with the right group of people is also very important. If you can't hang out or go to lunch with people you party with, then they probably aren't the best choice for friends.
Partying and drinking caused my life to go into a downward spiral because I did it way too much. I was tired, irritable, and (of course) always hung over. Now, I'd rather enjoy a night in or just hanging out with my friends. It sounds cliché, but these are the moments I'll remember forever. I cherish the times I did party, because according to my pictures, they looked like a lot of fun. It's just not for me anymore. It may be because I'm growing up or simply because it's just not good for me anymore.
I'm worth more than what I was doing to myself by drinking too much and ending up with the wrong boys. Being a "bad girl" was fun while it lasted (especially because I didn't see what it was doing to me while it was happening). I'm okay with being known as the "boring" or "good girl" now because it is better for me. When I realized that I needed to do what's best for me, that's when I made a big change. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to go out or hook up with a bunch of guys because you see other people doing it. Do what's best for you and if that means changing into a "good girl", then so be it.
