Eighteen college credits, five term papers, part time job, relationship issues, home-sickness….these are all reasons that can drive a person to drink. But why? All the pressures we face as college students, or people in general tend to make us so tense and stressed that finding a way to de-stress can be difficult. Going from stressed to peaceful can be stressful in itself. A couple drinks can easily erase those stressful worries nagging our brains and bodies. But unfortunately, that is just a temporary fix that can to lead to bigger problems. I’m not going to give you facts and statistics about alcohol or try and convince you to stop drinking, but I’m going to share my reasons for choosing to go another route…

1. It tastes absolutely TERRIBLE.

I mean honestly, alcohol tastes no different than rubbing alcohol. I cannot force myself to drink something that tastes that foul. I understand that there’s chasers and mixed drinks but when it comes to getting hyped up for parties all I really need is a Venti Green Tea Latte from Starbucks and some trap music.

2. I’m already broke enough as it is.

I’m not afraid to admit it; I’m a broke college student who is trying to make my mom’s generous donation of $20 last for a month. Now regardless of my financial situation, I just believe that there are way more important alternatives to invest my money. Starbucks and Chipotle win over the burning taste of Jose Cuervo. Regardless, I will never voluntarily spend my money to intoxicate myself; I’ll have to pass on that one.

3. I want to remember the fun.

Based on conversations with friends and witnessing the drunkenness myself, it really doesn’t look all that appealing to me. If I decide I want to go out and have a good time with my friends, I want to remember all of those memories we created, not just by looking at the pictures (not to mention sober pictures > drunk pics).

4. The stress doesn't actually go away.

To me, drinking just prolongs the stress. Alcohol is a temporary fix, but it doesn’t actually get rid of the problems themselves. The time spent getting drunk can be used to formulate a plan of attack. The best ways for me to destress are doing things that are important to me. These include: working out, talking to my mom (because moms almost always know what’s best) and journaling. Personally, I find that I learn more about myself in those stressful moments which are so crucial for your growth. Drinking clouds judgment and will not allow me to think critically about my decisions. Being sober forces me to actually think and deal with my stress head on, rather than pushing it off and wasting valuable time that I'll never get back. Now, I’m not saying I don’t ever procrastinate because Lord knows we all do. What I am saying is, the stress will not just disappear with 5 shots of fireball; I promise….it won't.

5. I can have fun without it.

Some might argue that I’m missing out on the “experience” but I really don’t understand why that “experience” is SO IMPORTANT. It really isn’t a priority of mine to experience being drunk; I can wait until I’m 21 I promise. I don’t think it’ll change me too much to be honest. I truly think I’m way more fun sober than how I’d be if I were drunk. I believe that experiences are solely what you make out of them and if you NEED to be drunk to have fun then can you really say you are “experiencing” anything? I don’t know. As long as there’s good music and good people I’m almost always going to have a good time. I’ve come to a place where I’m focused on becoming the best possible me I can be and not waiting until I am a true “adult” to make good decisions. I’m committed to making the most out of my life and creating experiences that last a lifetime and those experiences don’t need to include alcohol.

6. I’m an athlete with priorities.

Before you try and reference all of the professional athletes who drank and still had successful careers, this isn’t about them, it’s about me, so hush. I’m usually very particular about what enters my body to ensure I'm at peak performance as often as possible. While I do agree with everything is ok in moderation, alcohol just doesn’t happen to be one of those things for me. The way I see it, if it's not helping me, it’s hurting me. Most of the time I can’t even eat a chocolate chip cookie without feeling it during sprints and conditioning at practice. The stress of performing well is already stressful enough, I don’t need to add to that.
I’ve come to a place in my life where I think I’m pretty aware of what I want and what I need. I’d say I’m very aware of what’s going on around me and mature enough to decide what is and is not good for me. I’m committed to making the most out of my life and creating experiences that last a lifetime and those experiences don’t need to include alcohol. To those who drink, there’s no judgment towards you and never will you hear me sit and try to convince you not to. My point is that I don’t drink and I am okay with that and if you don’t drink as well, DON’T FEEL BAD. I’m confident enough in myself and the decisions I make. I don’t second guess whether or not I should take those shots. I’m motivated to surround myself with people who support my decisions and have similar life goals in mind. I am trying to create a strong platform that I can continue to build on for the rest of my life.