If you're like me and you follow the Odyssey Facebook page (which you should, if you don't already), you've probably seen article after article fighting with each other over whether or not it is a good idea to "skip the party stage" in college.

I don't really have a lot of bias toward one side or the other. Personally, I don't party, but a lot of my friends do, and that is fine. They're living their lives, and I'm living mine.

The problem I have with these articles is that they just pit people against one another, creating a divide between us, while not actually changing anyone's mind. If anything, they just strengthen the resolves of the people who read them and already agree or disagree with the article's content.

So why does it really matter if anyone does or does not skip the party stage?

We are all different people with different tastes. Some people are introverts, and others are extroverts. There's nothing wrong with that. One person might get their energy from being around people, while another might get energy from being alone. We shouldn't be trying to change people whose personalities we don't even know.

Besides, why does it matter? Even though I don't party, I don't care what others do, as long as I'm not negatively impacted. If my friends want to party on the weekend, that doesn't affect me. They are grown adults who can and should make their own decisions.

Likewise, if you want to party, and your friend doesn't, why force them? You'll have much more fun without having to drag someone around who doesn't actually want to be there.

So, if you want to party, go for it. Enjoy the "party stage." If not, great. That's fine too. We should all try to see things from each other's point of view and respect each other's decisions. That will make college all the more enjoyable for all of us.