You enter college, typically, as an 18 year-old and end it as a 22-year-old. In the United States, that means you can only legally drink for your last year or so of college. Do you think anybody follows this law? Of course not — nobody is ignorant to the way that college works. You spend your whole life under the supervision of your parents and then you get to be on your own. Voila. Now you have someone with newfound independence in an environment where the alcohol flows freely, what is supposed to happen?

This type of environment, where alcohol is so easy to come across and so highly encouraged to consume, becomes dangerous for all those newly independent students just looking to make friends. Now if it these situations involved just a few people hanging out and casually drinking, whatever — casual and (I hate to say it) responsible drinking is completely understandable.

However, if you’ve reached a point in your life where you feel as though you need to get black-out drunk just to have a good time, then you’re fallen into the abyss of college drinking. I’ve heard people say, “it’s not alcoholism until after college.” Hmm... No.

I’m not trying to be some 20-year-old prude over here saying that if you drink in excess you’re an idiot. I am saying that drinking in excess is, let’s be real, a dangerous activity to partake in. I don’t care if you get buzzed or tipsy or even a little drunk, but getting smashed and not remembering what happened the night before is a real big mistake. Being out of control in situations that leave you vulnerable does not seem like a very smart thing to me.

There’s this stigma in college that if you drink, then it’s to get drunk. I think having a drink or two in social situations can ease you up and make you more sociable, but when you go to a pregame for the pregame and then go to a party where even more alcohol is available, don’t you think that’s a bit of overkill?

This type of drinking is made incredibly easy and even considered honorable in the college world. I’ve heard people gloat about how much they drank the night prior or make a joke about how they’re high-functioning alcoholics. The response they get to these endeavors is one of awe, rather than one of concern.

What amazes me is the blindness some students have regarding the role alcohol plays in college. The relentless bombardment students receive from campus safety or different organizations regarding alcohol responsibility is enough to enlighten a few, but overall the mindset of needing to get drunk to have fun thrives. Additionally, I think people realize how not fun being plastered is, but they continue to participate in this tradition. Making a fool out of yourself at parties or giving yourself the hangover of a lifetime that happens often. With this current mindset towards alcoholism in college, I don’t think any degree of hangover or traumatic event is going to stop a college student from getting drunk.