College Drinking Culture Essay

College Party Culture

Many of us, especially during those days in college have woken up with a pounding headache, dry throat and bleary eyes wondering how we got to this point. However, very few of us wonder why we drank so much when most of us are smart enough to know the consequences of heavy drinking. In the book “Getting wasted: why college students drink too much and party so hard”, the sociologist professor from Ohio University examined college drinking culture.

Alcohol use has been an important part of the American college experience since the eighteen century. The early form of drunken college kids with a lifestyle known as “the collegiate subculture”. In the 17000s when “the sons of the rich came to college for four years of pleasure and social contacts. They considered academic work an intrusipon on their fun and they were content to pass their courses with a ‘gentleman’s C’ grade. The collegiate subculture is antieducational with students associated with party scenes, taking precedence over academic endeavors.” Modern college drinking is not limited to power elite, usual universities partiers are from the wealthy. Students use alcohol to demonstrate their privilege status. College for them is not the only pathway to success. They are already success through family wealthy backgrounds. Alcohol consumption is a way to let everyone know about their status and that they had already “made it”.

College drinking was not only restricted to male students. When women began to join universities, they quickly take part in alcohol consumption that was already embedded in college culture. Several administrative measures were taken to address this problem including academic probation, lost of right to leave campus and the names ...

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...e, create a fair and provide public information via the internet. An example would be La Salle University prescription drugs addiction awareness that was held earlier last month. I thought the five panelists provide information about drugs addiction were informative and mind opening. It created awareness among college students that overdose on prescription drugs are extremely dangerous and could cause death. I also think that awareness should be made to teens while they are in middle school because the earlier the prevention, the more information they will gain.

We need to understand that adolescents are going through physical, emotional and cognitive changes. By making preventative measures such increase involvement of families, schools and raise awareness among community. I believe the rate of teens involve in drinking and unhealthy risk behavior will decrease.