The Definition of Fun is Not Alcohol | Teen Ink

The Definition of Fun is Not Alcohol

December 6, 2010
By Henry Nguyen BRONZE, Quincy, Massachusetts
Henry Nguyen BRONZE, Quincy, Massachusetts
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Going to parties and having a great time are all part of the college experience but can be done without the use of alcohol. People drink for many different reasons. Alcohol helps in a social environment because it makes the drinker very sociable. Drinking alcohol is the perfect way to help one socialize with people because it boosts his/her confidence to go out and talk to someone. Alcohol isn’t the only thing that can help one make friends. There are many other ways of making friends instead of going to parties, for example, going to academic clubs. Everyone drinks alcohol, and all the time too. Your parents drink alcohol. Your siblings drink alcohol. Your friends drink alcohol. Why shouldn’t you? Drinking is a sign of being cooler and older. It feels good to know that one can fit in with everyone else and look mature, as well. One can also be cool by being independent and not doing what others do.
Experiences of fun, including parties, need not harm one’s body. Alcohol can have a very negative effect on one’s body. Consumption of alcohol can have short-term effects or long-term effects. Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause hangovers and blackouts. Who likes to have headaches and the feeling of nausea the morning after a long night of heavy drinking? Imagine waking up in the morning with a major headache knowing that you have classes to attend. Alcohol is responsible for altering brain activity and affecting concentration and reflexes. Drinking can make the simple task of walking challenging for the drinker. Abuse of alcohol can lead to many health issues: heart disease, liver damage, obesity. Drinking raises the blood pressure and the risk of stroke in heavy drinkers. Damage can be done to the stomach, liver, and pancreas if one intakes too much alcohol. Cancer can form in places such as the mouth and tongue due to too much consumption of alcohol. With the excessive use of alcohol, a lot of damage can be done to one’s body.
Poor performances in college can be correlated to the use of alcohol and going to parties. Instead of studying, most college students spend more time drinking. Alcohol can make one lose motivation to do homework, go to class, or do other important things. After skipping class for a certain amount of times, one might have no clue about what’s going on in the class or one might get dropped from the class for missing too many days. If one is hung-over, he/she might not want to do anything because the feeling overpowers him/her. Homework assignments and projects will never be completed. Alcohol can affect the brain so that nothing works, making one unable to process what’s going on in the class lectures. During class, instead of paying attention, one might think about the parties of the upcoming weekend.
Alcohol is a way of relieving stress for some college students. Dealing with stress through alcohol isn’t the best approach to face stress. Sometimes students will be under a lot of stress because of all the homework and projects and exams. Maybe they’re having relationship problems or family issues. The students turn to alcohol to solve their problem. Drinking to relieve stress won’t always solve the stress though. There are many other alternatives for relieving stress that are better and safer than consuming alcohol. These other options might include eating, sleeping, or talking to someone about the problem. One might think that alcohol helps them to do better in school. Alcohol might make students stress more than they already do. Those students could probably do better than they already do in school if they don’t consume any alcohol.

People have trouble controlling themselves when under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol makes people do stupid things, like driving while intoxicated or doing ridiculous things. Some don’t realize that they’re drunk after drinking so they think they’re fine to do anything that they normally could when sober. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence is surely not a good idea. It is illegal and extremely dangerous. Alcohol during social gathers can make one say or do something that he/she might regret later on. One might blur out something true and confidential for everyone to know about, for example, their social security number. While drunk, one might say very inappropriate things. Some other things that people might regret doing while drunk are singing or dancing, or even getting into fights. One might make a fool of themselves while singing or dancing. They’ll regret getting a black eye due to the fact that they started a fight with a bigger guy at the bar. Another thing that drunks don’t have control over is who they make out with. One-night stands can cause people to worry about their reputation and make them feel like they have been used.

Spending money on alcohol for parties can have a huge impact on one’s financial status. One might want to consider the costs of alcohol before buying it. Particularly if one is throwing the party because a lot of money will be spent from all the alcohol that will be provided by him/her. Alcohol can cause one to spend so much money in less time than ever thought possible. Alcohol is especially expensive when going out to the bars, clubs, or elegant restaurants. Sometimes when drinking, one might be more likely to buy unnecessary things. The expensive and pointless things along with the alcohol can add up to a lot. Since students are in college, they’re going to need money for other things, like food and school supplies. If they spend all their income on alcohol, they won’t have anything left for necessities. To keep from having no money, not drinking alcohol or consuming less of it will surely keep some extra cash in one’s wallet.
Everyone’s college experience includes going to parties and having a great time but can be done without the use of alcohol. Experiences of fun, including parties, need not harm one’s body. The use of alcohol and attending parties can be directly correlated to one’s performances in college. College students deal with stress by drinking alcohol. While under the influence of alcohol, one can have trouble controlling oneself. Spending money on alcohol for parties can have a huge impact on one’s financial status. Considering academic performances, health issues, and costs, will you still continue to drink alcohol?


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