It's Okay To Not Always Be Drunk In College
Start writing a post
Student Life

It's Okay To Not Always Be Drunk In College

I have loved my college experience thus far, sober moments and all.

142
It's Okay To Not Always Be Drunk In College
The Ranch Mississippi

I knew when I picked my school that it had a reputation as a party school, but I did not really know what that meant until I experienced it firsthand. The yelling. Cheap beer sprayed around in the air by rowdy frat boys. Running into someone who was so sweaty it felt like they had jumped into a pool with their clothes on. Falling off of alcohol-drenched tables while dancing to hits from 2006. I lived for that my freshman year, and in fact would feel disappointed in myself if for some reason I missed an excuse to take shot after shot and join in what everyone told me was fun.

My sophomore year, I was prepared to keep up the same routine: end class on Friday, go home, eat a large dinner solely so I did not vomit that night, and drink until I could no longer remember what drink I was on. And I did keep it up for some time. I would go out, meet new people, and engage in that same routine I had become accustomed to during my freshman year.

Then I hit a point where it was too repetitive. Too expensive. Too... boring. As an introvert, I would use the power of alcohol to make me more comfortable in social situations. It was the reason why I made friends. It was our common ground, something we knew we could always do together at our school where students worship the feeling of being drunk.

I started staying in more to get work done. I would skip the day drinks and then continue to skip the party later that night. I would spend time with my friends while they got ready or pre-gamed in our dorm room then remain behind as they bid me farewell in their already very drunken stupor.

It scared me as I watched what I had been for the past year and a half -- that person that felt they needed to be drunk to have fun on campus. That person that came home from class declaring "I cannot wait to get plastered!" even if it was only a Tuesday night. I realized I was that person who had become dependent on a drink that would supposedly make me far happier than if I were sober.

Now, I am not against drinking. Quite the contrary, actually. I still enjoy going out or even having a glass of wine while I watch a movie, read a book, or work on my writing.

But I am against the mentality that drinking is the only way to have fun while at college.

I understand that a lot of people drink to make memories, but there are other ways to do that as well. Most campuses have hundreds of student organizations that you can join. Go on an adventure somewhere near your campus. Or take a road trip with your friends one weekend. You're in college. You have more freedom than you will ever have again in your life. Alcohol will always be there, but the adventures that you can take and the memories that you can make will not always be there.

Recently, I took up a leadership position within a student organization that takes up a lot of my time. I am also taking more upper-level and challenging classes as I finish up my time at school. I write novels that need to be worked on and marketed. I write for three online mediums including The Odyssey. Now my decision to stay in is not so much about not wanting to drink as it is about not falling behind in school or forgetting to get something done. And because of this decision, I was recently told by some that they believed my lack of drinking caused and would continue to cause them stress. Because I chose to make memories in a way that did not involve alcohol, I was in the wrong. In that moment, I -- a human being -- was placed at a lower value than a night out.

But, you know what? I have never been happier than when I stopped drinking so frequently. I used the alcohol as a mask of who I really was, and I felt that when I saw the people I met drunk when I was sober, I needed to be more energetic, lively... fake. It was not until I joined organizations and made friends who I felt comfortable around while sober or who understood and accepted my reasoning for staying in that I knew college was about far more than having shot after shot.

So go on blacking out every weekend. Go on trying to piece together those memories that you are so desperately trying to make with the help of that drink in your hand. But I can promise you, that it is okay to not be drunk all the time in college. I promise you will survive if you stay in one night. And I promise you that memories can be made in so, so many other ways.

I would not trade my college experience thus far for anything else -- sober moments and all.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

42536
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

26698
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

951794
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

139340
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments