A Rotten Girl’s Survival Guide to College: Part 2

1. Alcohol –

I have a lot to say on this subject. Alcohol, in moderation, can be rather enjoyable. When I get tipsy (the first level on the spectrum of drunk), I feel more outgoing, energetic, witty, and carefree. However, there is a problem among American college students in particular: binge drinking.

Since we aren’t exposed to alcohol until the age of 21 (when most students are seniors in college), this causes a culture of excess among underage students. Most students aren’t aware of their limits and they operate under the concept of “Drink all the alcohol you can get your hands on tonight because you might not be able to get any tomorrow”.

Believe me, I had this attitude as a freshman in college. It doesn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but how we act around booze can have a big impact on our lives. I’ll make an example out of myself. I never drank in high school, save a sip of beer allowed by my parents. When I came to college, suddenly I needed to be drunk to do anything. “Pre-gaming” became a ritual and I attributed my new confident self to alcohol. Instead of being a relative wallflower like I was in high school, suddenly I had the confidence to go up to cute guys and hit on them, or talk to people who seemed cooler than I. Granted, I was friends with people I would now consider alcoholics or alcohol abusers, but I thought that beer and cheap vodka was the holy grail of social lubrication. I was fearless.

Then the shit hit the fan, so to speak. I injured myself while drunk and often found myself in drunken tears at the end of a night of partying. Since that year, I’ve taken steps towards moderating my alcoholic intake. I am still a fan of drinking, but I avoid drinking when I am in a bad mood and I definitely look at booze with a different perspective. As for my fellow students, many of them continue abusing alcohol. Whether this will be a lifestyle choice that continues past college depends on the person. I know some who will eliminate binge drinking and others for whom this has become a lifetime habit.

My advice is to be aware of your limits and to drink moderately. If you are finding it hard to successfully moderate your drinking, seek help from a therapist, an Alcoholics Anonymous group, or friends. Be aware that there is an alternative to drinking, and if you are brave enough to make that choice, you will be able to find people who you can hang out with soberly on a Friday or Saturday night.

2. Depression —

I have made a lot of friends since I entered college. I have also lost many of them. It is hard to tell who you can trust at first, because everybody is looking for companions to hang out with. I know personally I was friends with people I had little in common with. By the time we realized that, however, I had very few alternative options. I ended my friendship with that group of people, but I felt lonely for the first time at college.

I fell into a spiral of despair – I had only a few friends and I felt that something was wrong with me. I sunk into a depression. I did not feel myself any more; I had lost a part of my identity.

Fortunately, I took steps towards getting help. I saw a therapist at my college and I tried hanging out with different kinds of people. Both of these steps helped me. Remember that even though you are separated from your family and friends from home, you are never alone. There are ways of reaching out. Throw yourself into your school work or a hobby. Focus on goals, even if they are as simple as getting through the day. With time you can change the situation you are in.

There are several steps I would take if you find yourself depressed, anxious, lonely, or lost at college:

1. Call your parents or a trusted friend of family member from home. Talking to somehow outside of the college bubble will help put things in perspective and comfort you.
2. Look into counseling or group therapy.
3. Join clubs or a sports team.
4. Get a part-time job outside of campus or volunteer at your local animal shelter, hospital, domestic abuse hotline, etc.
5. Consider transferring to a different college (maybe you want a bigger college so you can meet more people, or a small one where professors know your name. Maybe you want to be nearer to home. These are legitimate decisions to transfer).

Either way, remember that college is a time of growth and learning. It isn’t necessarily the fun-packed four years everyone makes it out to be. Everyone’s experience is different, and it is not a reflection on you if you find yourself unhappy.

I hope that my thoughts on these two topics help you guys. I am going to link to several useful resources if you find yourself combating binge drinking or depression. Check in next month for Part 3 of the Rotten Girl’s Survival Guide to College (or check out Part 1 now).