From the desk of Rebecca Hale
Today is my 21st birthday, a day I’ve been looking forward to for most of my life. It’s a sign of true adulthood, and more importantly, a day when I can escort myself to the liquor store. However, I don’t feel the way I always thought I would. College has been a mess of an experience, and I’m honestly partied out. I’m tired of the antics of packed bars and houses, tired of the binging and then purging the next morning. Here’s some things I wish I had known in my first two-and-a-half years of college.
- You don’t need to “keep up” with anyone. I’ve drank myself into oblivion too many times trying to match shots and beers with the boys. Sure, I may have succeeded, but never without a blackout and slew of regret. The truth is every person processes alcohol differently, and women process it differently than men.
- It’s okay to say “no” to substances you aren’t into. Even if all your friends are doing it, you can just pass that bowl on to the next person. No one is going to judge you for it — it’s more for them, anyway.
- True friends won’t leave you behind, even if you aren’t partaking. I’ve run into straightedge students at parties, and yes, they were having fun too. You aren’t “lame” if that’s not what you’re into.
- It’s okay to spend a night in. Ever since I started drinking, I’ve felt pressured to go out or drink every Thursday, Friday and Saturday — sometimes other nights, too. This is simply ridiculous thinking. If someone gives you crap for staying in and watching a movie, kindly tell them to f*** off.
- It’s not rude to ask a bartender for water. For the longest time, I’ve felt the need to constantly have a drink in my hand when in a bar, and so they go down one after the other. The truth is, that bartender is happy that you’re not going to be as sloppily drunk as the person next to you — bartenders don’t like dealing with that. So, it’s okay if that drink in your hand is really just water. You can even tell people that it’s vodka on the rocks, and they will just think you’ve got a steel liver.
- Going out alone is never a good idea. Walking home alone is equally as bad. I don’t care who you are or what your gender is: Drunk people can easily get lost and pass out in questionable places.
- Blackouts are a red flag. Not remembering hours of your night isn’t something to talk up — it’s scary. My nickname for my first two years of college was “Blackout Becca,” and I’m not proud of that anymore.
So here I am, finally 21. I’ve been dreaming of this day, but now I’m not so sure I want to hit every bar and milk my birthday drinks. I’m not saying that students shouldn’t party; God knows I still will. All I’m saying is to be careful and be yourself. I’ve seen alcohol lead to car accidents, assaults, hospitalizations, deaths. We all know the stories. If you’re like me, you won’t listen when people to tell you to stop. You’ll push it until something happens to you or someone close to you. Don’t be like me — protect yourself and those around you.