When you think of college in America what comes to your mind?

Certainly not the library, the professors’ office hours or the grades, most of you pictured the Hollywood movies that we have all seen with the wild parties thrown at college with the keg stands, reckless behavior and trashed homes the next morning.

Nights like that are unforgettable and are fun to reminisce.

What I am about to say may catch you by surprise, you may laugh and roll your eyes, but I do not care.

I attend University to STUDY not to go stupid on the weekends. I am not a boring person, I have had my share of fun at our local Rusty’s, Rhythm House and Frat parties, but now it is time for me to buckle down and focus on my studies. These locations are just not my scene anymore. I only have a few more years to gain valuable knowledge that I can take with me to succeed in my future. I do not find anything wrong with alcohol, it does not offend me, and you can do whatever you want with your body I am choosing to stick with water. Nothing is worse than waking up on a Sunday morning feeling lethargic and stressing because you have an exam the next day in class when all you want to do is sleep that hangover away. My body and self-image is important to me and taking alcohol out of my diet allowed me to reach my body goals, I have never felt so confident in my own skin until now and it feels so good.

Look at it this way we are so young. College is only the beginning to our lives; we have our entire life to consume all of the alcohol that we want. It isn’t even healthy for our young bodies to be drinking that stuff anyhow. Alcohol can be abusive you tend to drink to relax, to forget about someone who did you wrong, or to be more confident in yourself. Too much consumption leads to poor decisions, loss of friends and falling behind in school.

This doesn’t mean I don’t like to go out and socialize because I LOVE to talk. I will talk your ear off if you let me, I will go to social events, celebrate a friend’s birthday and meet new people but not with a drink in my hand. So please next time you see me without a drink do not try to peer pressure me into drinking because I am not a victim of peer pressure. I like to be the one I know my friends can count on, and be there for. I enjoy hearing how their nights were the morning after, but what I love even more is knowing that they made it home safely because I drove us home. I am my own person and I have chosen to focus on getting on to the Dean’s List and killing it in all of my classes.

So with that being said anyone who would like to join me at ClubLib this weekend holla at your girl!

M