A Category 5 hurricane could be brewing in the horizon. The entire nation could be told to seek shelter. An infectious disease could breakout. World War III could start. It wouldn't matter. College kids everywhere would still be getting ready to head over to the frats or apartments, anticipation in one hand and a water bottle filled with not-water in the other. We would rather cut off our left arm than miss a night out.

There is an unspoken rule among college students that you should go out as often as you can. Staying in is considered a sign of defeat, a cry for help, or a slight indication of early-onset menopause. People often argue "These are your prime years! You should be crazy now, so you don't have any regrets later!"

My question is, why do we always assume that whenever we miss a night out, something amazing will happen and we won't be apart of it? And more importantly, are we going out because we want to have fun or because there's so much pressure to constantly be having fun?

We go out even when we don't want to because we're afraid of what will happen if we don't. Sometimes our brain goes down a slippery slope of What ifs. What if I never get invited anywhere again? What if people think I'm boring because I'm trying to value my health (i.e. my liver) for a night? Will we regret this in thirty years when we're older and less likely to go binge-drink to our heart's content?

I was faced with this sort of dilemma just last weekend. The magic of Friday night was in the air, but I was just not feeling it. It had been a long day and all I wanted in life was to order a burrito, maybe watch a movie, and fall into a coma-like sleep. But...my roommates were all going out and I didn't want to be the only one who stayed in. So I got ready and went out. And honestly? The night was kind of similar to the burrito I ordered that really went overboard with the guacamole. It wasn't terrible, but I could've done without it.

Bottom line? Sometimes a good time isn't a frat or an apartment if you don't feel like being there. You might have nights when you want to go out and have a great time—and that's okay! But you also might have nights when the very thought of alcohol and frat boys that wear 4-in-one shampoo makes you want to throw up. This is also okay!

On those nights, do what you want to do and not what you feel like you should be doing. As much as you feel like you might regret not going to the party, you might also regret later in life if you made decisions based off of other people and not yourself. Trust me, the world will still go on without your panoramic Snapchat stories of you trying to prove to other people you're having a good time. You should do what's best for you, and not what you think will be widely accepted by other people.