Some
of my fondest
memories are of the carefree
days of college, where my social calendar consisted of parties
and late night study sessions sitting around a table consuming
pots of coffee with friends. My college days focused almost
equally on studying and partying. Fortunately, I never completely
fell into the trapping of alcohol abuse.
Alcohol abuse on college campuses can take many forms. Some
never make it past the first semester. I knew a guy from high
school that pulled off a 1.2 average after only a few good
months of keg parties. It CAN happen to the best and brightest.
The overdrinker is often found quoted in newspapers across
the country every year. Alcohol can kill when taken in the
right doses. I witnessed a good friend overdrink one night.
It seemed as if she was just "sick" from drinking
too much. She couldn't stop vomiting, though, and took a
good fall against the bathroom wall. We took her to the hospital
where she promptly had her stomach pumped and registered at
a serious level of alcohol poisoning.
During my college days, it was also common to play drinking
games. These games are entertaining, but they are not meant
to be played for hours. Keg parties are another seemingly
social college activity. I knew quite
a few hosts who often had a weekly party at their college
house to raise money to pay the bills. For about $3,
 you
could enter and drink until the keg was empty.
So how does one survive college and be a responsible drinker?
I wish I knew a surefire answer. I survived, but it took
a few learning experiences to make it through. My first came
freshman year in May when I went home with an extra fifteen
pounds of beer and dining hall food. Between finals and parties,
I ended up exhausted. I also took a dive in grades that semester,
due to one too many nights out. I passed, but all those illusionary
A's that I thought I'd have, looked like a mix of B's and
C's on the report card. Since I had taken statistics that
semester, I could see the direct correlation between the
partying and grades .While I was out at the parties and bars,
however, I refused to believe that beer could actually make
my grades drop.
Whatever role alcohol plays in your college experience,
let it be a minor one. If you begin to see a slide in grades,
or wake up with a hangover every day, get some help. Even
talking to a friend can help, or seek out your campus counseling
center.
(447 words)
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