In America, college students have become so obsessed with this lifestyle of partying and drinking every week, waking up hungover, and doing it all over again the next night. But why? What’s the point? If it makes you feel awful the next morning, why put yourself through that?

Personally, I would rather stay in on the weekends and hang out with friends than having to spend what little money I have on alcohol, or trying to get into a party or a bar. Then to head home and throw up, and wake up with limited memory and a major headache the next day. That doesn’t seem like a fun time.

But before you say, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” here’s my little anecdote:

I went to London for a semester, and since the drinking age is 18, I was legally able to go out to bars and clubs. But I drank a little too much one night and the next day was the worst day of my life. I couldn’t get up out of bed, and had very little memory of what had happened the night before. I had never felt that bad in my whole life.

Since then, I haven’t gone out. But I’ve heard many people say” I’d love to go to London, the drinking age there is 18, which means I can drink as much as I want without getting in trouble.” Really? London has so much more to offer than the drinking age!

Anyways, for some reason, if I don’t go out every weekend here, people say to me, “That’s lame,” and my “college experience is lame.” Who are you to say that my life is lame? In fact, I’m pretty sure that my friends like me when I’m sober.

It’s so unfair to criticize a person based on whether they drink or not. Just because a crowded bar or party is not my scene doesn’t mean I have a boring life; it literally just means it’s not my scene.

However, It’s not just me that thinks this way. I asked some fellow college students to talk about why they don’t like drinking, or prefer not to drink. Some of the responses were:

“As a current freshman, I never felt the need to drink; it’s just not something that interests me. I don’t need to feel disgusting every week.” – Alexis

“Fake friends are lame.” – Anonymous

“It’s not worth what it does to your body.” – Ben

It’s not that I have an issue with drinking in general, it’s the constant binge drinking and judgment people get if they aren’t binge drinking. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly all college students experience drinking, whether they are drinking or merely watching.

Binge drinking is characterized by drinking over the recommended number of drinks in a short period of time. Drinking that much impairs your judgment, and causes you to do things you wouldn’t normally do if you were sober. It's estimated that close to 1,825 college students die each year from alcohol related injuries. Although that’s not a million, it’s still a number, and it's caused by bad judgment calls due to alcohol.

I’m not going to tell you to stop drinking, I’m not your mother. However, if you are going to drink, stay cautious, and please, don’t bash other people just because the way you live your life is “fun” and “adventurous.”

There’s plenty of fun things to do with a sober and sharp mind. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.