5 Reasons Why You Don’t Have To Drink In College

You’ve seen the movies, heard the stories, and at almost every party, there are vast amounts of alcohol. But what no one actually tells you, is that you don’t need to drink in college in order to have a good college experience. Here’s why:

1. Not everyone is drinking

If you feel like you have to drink because of peer pressure, don’t. Despite what all the movies show and all the crazy college parties stories you hear about from social media, a lot of people in college DON’T drink. According to the ACHA-NCHA, 25% of college students have never drank, 13.7% have not had a drink in 30 days, and only 13% drank in the past 10-29 days.

2. You can still make friends

It seems like the only way to go out and meet people is to go to a party and drink with them. In reality, you don’t have to do that at all! There are so many ways to meet people all across campus; in class, joining a club/sport, tutoring sessions, etc. Plus, you wouldn’t want someone’s first impression or memory of you to be of holding back each other’s hair while you vomit after going too hard one night.

3. You’ll always make sure you’re safe

When you’re drinking in college, you’re throwing caution to the wind. If you aren’t responsibly drinking, you might end up doing something regrettable or you may enter into a dangerous situation. Also, you’re not always certain what’s in your drink, never knowing if someone slipped something in it or put way too much liquor. By abstaining from alcohol, you are making your college experience much safer by keeping your senses sharp. You can still have fun, but at the end of the night, you’re 100% capable of taking care of yourself.

4. You can be the DD

Ok, so your friends drink and they respect your decision not to drink. Cool! But if you’re at a party and notice your friend is really out of it, you can help make sure they are safe. Each year, thousands of young adults are killed in drunk driving accidents. As the one who doesn’t drink, you get to be the hero who takes the keys from your friend and make sure they are safe and sound at home. And, who doesn’t like to be a hero?

5. You get to focus more on school

School is important, it’s the reason why you’re in college in the first place. If you don’t want to drink or go out on a particular night, it’s actually benefitting you more than hurting you. Instead of wasting a Thursday night on a bar crawl in your college town, you get extra time to study and catch up on schoolwork, helping to boost your GPA and hopefully help you get some scholarships

Whether or not you drink in college, it’s your choice and a choice that should not be stigmatized. If you’re the friend who doesn’t want to drink, don’t be ashamed. If your friends don’t respect your decision, then it’s time to find some new friends.

Copyright © 2014 University Primetime | Site by Kevin Ross

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