Last semester, I made it to one bar, and everyone just stood around, which was not exactly my idea of fun. I preferred chill nights in after a week of class and extracurriculars. I do not drink, and I tend to find drunk college students a tad irritating. But coming into this semester I decided that going out (still sober) with my friends and just dancing sounded right up my alley. And to further reinforce that belief, I recently met a fellow student from my hall who informed me that he goes out all the time, never drinks, and always has a blast.
And so, on the second Friday of school when my friend asked if I would be interested in going out later that night I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. Despite standing outside in the freezing cold for probably an hour with loud students who were anxious to get in, it turned out to be one fun night.
It was the first time that I had danced socially since my senior year homecoming. I missed it! And it was so fun to watch my hardworking friends relax and be able to enjoy that with them. It was also fun to meet some of my friend's other friends right then and there and just not care about a thing with them. In fact, no one seemed to care much about anything that night. It was all like some sort of weird bonding exercise.
As the night wound down and we headed back home, we found ourselves in a good friend's dorm. For quite a while we just sat around talking, laughing, and listening to Dave Matthews Band. Moments like that make me truly appreciate college, the times where you stay up into the late hours of the night and just enjoy each other's company. It is what's making me value, appreciate, and savor this second semester so much more than the last.
At the end of the day, I would do it all again. My point is that you should not feel pressured to drink to go out or have fun. And you should not feel pressured to go out if that is not what you want to do. That is totally OK! Just take college as a time to have fun. It does not have to be ALL work.
