The weekend is fast approaching. Party invites quickly flood your cell phone. “Where to go? Who to go with? What to wear? What time should you meet to get ready? Will that boy be there? Even worse, will that girl?” All of these questions begin to cloud your mind.

The weekend is fast approaching. Party invites quickly get denied via text. “Why would I want to go there? Who are half these people going? It’s way too cold to wear that! Who would want to spend that much time getting ready? Ew… people and socializing,” all cloud my mind.

More often than not, I get questioned about my lack of partying. I continually hear some version of, “ It’s college. Loosen up. Have fun.” Sorry to break it to everyone, but I don’t party. Not saying that I never go out to a party but even when I do, I can think of 100 things I could be doing to better utilize my time.

Call me a killjoy, buzz kill, Debbie downer or lame if you will but my idea of a good time doesn’t revolve around drinks that burn on the way down, dance moves that I can’t actually pull off, mingling with people whose names I can’t even hear over the music and ‘memories’ that I have no memory of.

Now, if you are looking for someone to catch a movie with, eat an excessive amount of junk food with, talk until the early hours of the morning with or go on an adventure with, then I’m your girl.

For the people who love to continue asking me why I don’t like to party or why I don’t want to go out drinking every night of the week, there are a few things you need to know about me. For the people who ask me this and already know why I am the way I am, listen up one last time.

First things first, my preferences do not need explanations. I have different interests than you, different hobbies, different plans, therefore; when I decline an invite, please stop heckling me about why I said no.

Second, I am extremely vigilant about my drinking habits because people that I care about deeply have had or still have problems with alcohol. Shying away from drinking excessively is out of respect for those close to me who may be struggling with this addiction or who have struggled in the past. I will not allow college to be my excuse to disrespect what my loved ones have experienced. I have heard horror stories from those loved ones as well as from others that I take into account every time I drink.

Third, I am attending Drexel University to get an education, the education that will soon lead to a career. As most people know, Drexel is extremely expensive and I will not waste hard earned money to throw away my education for a few drinks on a Friday night. Yes, that may seem a bit dramatic but something could happen on that Friday night that would stunt my educational process for days, months, years or even forever.

If drinking and partying is your thing, go out and do you. I’ll be out somewhere, as well, just doing me.