What is the number one thing most students want to do when they come to college? Party. USI is known to be a dry campus, but some tend to think the law doesn’t apply to them.

Recently, we heard or read about the 31 individuals who were caught drinking underage. The drinking age is  set at 21, yet for some, the age limit keeps going down.

A recent study done by the Core Institute reported that an average freshmen male consumes around eight drinks per week, and the female freshmen has around four.

Again, when people come to college, the first thing on their minds is to party and have a good time, but is it worth the risk to lose everything in the process?

The same study showed  31 percent of college students missed a class due to substance abuse, while 22 percent tanked an exam. Another statistic showed that around 159,000 will drop out due to alcohol abuse.

Can you imagine everyone in college dropping out due to an overuse of alcohol? I personally can wait until I am 21 for that first drink because like the majority of people on USI’s campus, we have a lot going for us.

Some have athletic scholarships, some academic scholarships, and some want to get into a specific program. Around campus, some groups hold alcohol awareness events that allows individuals to know the many risks of drinking alcohol at a young age, and continuing through college the same way.

College students, especially the freshmen and sophomores, need to understand how just taking that one sip will influence the rest of their lives. People can go as far as ending up in the hospital or even jail with a significant fine. I know that my body and mind will never have to endure that pain. Would yours?