Drinking is a choice, and it's one many college students make. I don't think drinking is the worst thing in the world, and I don't really mind if other people decide to participate in it, I'm just not all that interested. I think when you tell people "I don't drink" they form this opinion about you. They believe you have a stuck-up attitude and believe you're better than them. That couldn't be farther from the truth. There are a multitude of reasons that I don't drink. Reason number one is that I really don't like the taste of alcohol. I'm a picky eater AND drinker.
I won't drink coffee because I don't like the taste, the same goes for most forms of alcohol. People have told me for years that I would "learn to enjoy the taste" but I don't want to "learn" by forcing myself to ingest something that repulses me. Puking before getting drunk is probably a pretty big no-no at most parties. I also don't drink because I'm not 21. It's not that I'm obsessed with following every law known to man. I speed when I drive, sometimes I speed while looking down at my phone. I swim on trails in areas that have "no swimming" signs posted.
I don't mind small laws with small penalties, and drinking underage doesn't have a huge penalty. It does, however, have a lot of paperwork that goes along with it. I am a criminal justice student. I don't want to get a record now and have it affect a job for my future. The types of fields I'm interested in working in are ones where your character is taken into consideration before you're hired. At 19 years old, I have less than two years before I legally can consume alcohol.
There are some things you have to wait for in life, I don't mind waiting a bit to drink so that I can ensure my character won't be called into question in the future. This is not to say that I believe those who drink underage have poor character. I think it's a social activity, and being part of a thriving social culture is an important part of one's character. To drink before you're 21 is not to have poor character.
It is to be willing to push the boundaries and participate with your friends. It is the choices you make while drinking that determine your character. How much alcohol are you willing to consume, do you know what alcohol will do to you, and are you willing to accept the potential consequences of those actions? Those questions determine your character after you make that choice. My social circle is like me. My friends are generally disinterested in drinking for similar reasons to myself. It's a risk, one we don't want to take. It's not a taste we enjoy, and it's not something we as a group need to have fun. When we all turn 21, things might change. We might have a drink here or there. It might be incorporated into our social circle. For now, however, I choose to abstain.
