The clock strikes 9 p.m. on Friday night and the college partiers emerge from their dens. They’re loud; they’re wild. They’re thirsty for alcohol and shenanigans. Every fraction of a thought of homework and responsibilities has dissipated. Once the mascara and cologne have been applied and the first shot has been poured, there’s no going back.
The night begins with the pregame, during which the majority of the partakers consume so much alcohol that they likely should not be interacting in a public atmosphere, but alas, they then run to the frat parties and bars. There is no telling how the rest of the night will go, but more often than not, it will involve someone puking, someone crying, someone getting lost, and many, many ludicrous Snapchats sent out to plague phones everywhere. Then, someone kisses someone they shouldn’t and everyone goes home. Or they are carried home. Or they are asleep on a random couch.
The reward the next morning for surviving all of this nonsense? Throbbing hangovers and half a day wasted because everyone likely slept until noon.
Doesn’t this sound awesome? LIT? Apparently, everyone else in college seems to think so, because I often feel like there is something wrong with me for disagreeing. In fact, there are so many other things I would choose to do over immersing myself in this nocturnal debauchery, like sit on the couch with a glass of wine or sit on the couch with my boyfriend and a glass of wine and ice cream.
I don’t have a problem with bars and alcohol. Both are fine in small doses. But that’s just the thing—no one ever wants to enjoy them in small doses. The second you get to college, it’s party time, all the time. Wanna spend time with your friends? Hopefully you’re down for some late nights and bad decisions.
We live in a culture that tells us our lives aren’t exciting without constant crazy nights and social media to prove them—a culture that labels someone a weird, old person if they aren’t down to get wild and intoxicated until 2 a.m. on the weekends. The best part is, no one really gets anything out of it. The drinks and late-night snacks are expensive. The interactions are superficial and difficult to remember. Most people complain the next day, “Why did we do that?”
As a generation, let’s stop placing value on a person based on how many drinks they can keep down or how outrageous their Instagram party photos are. Instead, let’s focus on self-development, hobbies, and quality time with people we love. That sounds pretty lit.