When You're A College Student That Doesn't Drink or Party

One thing that I've noticed as a college student that lives in the dorms is that I'm surrounded by people who drink, smoke, and party. Just like pretty much any college, the college that I go to is full of people who enjoy themselves by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and going to parties. For the the students that do it, that's a fun Friday or Saturday night for them. However, for me, it's not. I don't like alcohol and I have absolutely not interest in getting drunk or high. I feel out of place at parties, as I'm shy and mainly just sit in the corner, eating food and texting if I don't have a close friend with me to talk to.

Although not all college students are into drinking, partying, etc., I still feel out of place and alone at times. Most of the people I know do it, and I often don't get invited to do things with people because my idea of fun is different than a lot of the students' here. My idea of an enjoyable Friday night doesn't include parties or drinking. I'm the boring friend that usually stays in my room and plays video games or watches Bob's Burgers on Netflix all night. Some people see me as immature, dull, or no fun to hang out with because of that.

I'm aware that I sound bitter, but I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with going to parties or drinking every now and then. What truly irks me is the people that literally cannot enjoy themselves without having alcohol or weed around. It can be frustrating to anyone in my position when they can't find any real friends because they'd rather not drink, smoke or party like what seems to be the vast majority of the people around them. It makes college less enjoyable when you're alone or left out most of the time. It gets old quickly, and occasionally I wonder if I should start doing what everyone else is just so I'm not alone. However, I do get over that feeling when I'm reminded that I do have people that are close to me that wouldn't ditch me or leave me out for not being interested in getting drunk or going to parties.

What I'm saying here is, don't just hop on the bandwagon and do what everyone else does. Even though you might feel alone and left out because of your disinterest in drinking, parting, getting high, and so on, you're not. Sure, it can be difficult to find people that are like you sometimes, but they exist. There's no need to try to be like the others around you if that's not what you're actually like. Don't give up your own personality, likes or dislikes just so people will like you more. It's ingenuine and will only make you unhappy in the end.