Going out on the weekend is a fun part of college. Whether it is with all your friends, your significant other, or people you just met, partying in college is always a good time. Although, at some point, someone will say you party too much -- like going out and having fun is a bad thing. There is a negative image associated with partying often, but why is that?
For girls, there is the dreaded party girl image that is negative and offensive. There is the idea that if you are a girl and go out all the time, you must be easy or emotionally unstable, and that the only way you can handle your problems is to go out drinking. On the other hand, for boys, the negative image that comes with partying all the time is that they are "players" or have a drinking problem. Though sometimes theses stereotypes are true, the majority of the time (like most stereotypes) they are horribly wrong. When people go out to have fun, they aren't going out to fix a problem they have, find a one night stand, or even get blacked out drunk. A lot of the time, going out for the night is to have fun with your close friends, dance to good music, and meet more people in your area.
The negative image comes from the people who turn partying into a mess. Yes, we all have the hot-mess friends that give going out on the weekends a bad rap. Also, how TV shows the party kids doesn't help form a very positive image about going out. The majority of students that party on the weekend party responsibly because it is more fun that way. Also, the next day isn't a walking nightmare if you drink responsibly and act like a real human being when you are out. The best way to have fun is to remember that you had fun. Most students are here to study and graduate, and when they go out, they do so to have fun, not to black out. It is an exciting time in our lives because we are learning and discovering. Growing up doesn't happen in a classroom, it happens in real life, and going out is a part of real life. We learn how to socialize in settings that we aren't taught about in a classroom or even by an adult figure in our lives. This type of learning helps us discover who we are and who we want to be see as in the future.
So, next time someone says you party too much, embrace it and tell them how it really goes. There shouldn't be a negative image around the idea of partying with your friends. Girls and guys shouldn't be labeled as player, hot mess, or easy because they enjoy partying. If you party responsibly, embrace that it is something you and your friends enjoy doing and don't feel like you need to make up a reason why it's ok. We are only in our twenties once, and we don't need to justify why we enjoying going dancing with our friends, trying new drinks, meeting new people, and listening to really loud music.
