- You be you. Don’t drink if you don’t want to drink.
- Drinking at college is illegal
- I am wondering why they wanted you to drink
A) THey like to drink and don’t like that you don’t
B)They want you to learn your limits in a safe environment - If you do drink, start off with only 2 drinks. See how that goes. Don’t get wasted as you don’t know what is too much.
@ski_racer I can’t believe that your parents would want you to do something like that, when you don’t even want to. Now, depending on what happens, it’s bound to occur if you go to parties since you might get pressured into drinking. But, if you could just avoid parties altogether by not going to them, then that would be your best bet. Instead, they should say something like this: “Well, you can go to parties and have fun, but just stay safe and be responsible.”
That’s what my parents said to me, and I took their advice without thinking about it.
I go to a party school, and I have no interest in drinking. I was afraid that I might not meet people who feel the same way, but you’ll find people who don’t either or those who respect your decision. I didn’t drink much in high school. Never really saw the reason for it. My parents never pushed me to do so. Part of the reason I prefer being sober is because my parents rarely drink, and when they do it’s a glass of wine with dinner.
Essentially, what I’m saying is even though a lot of people may drink in college, you don’t have to. It’s entirely your choice, and you’ll find people who respect that and like you for who you are. And your parents shouldn’t pressure you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. Seems pretty ridiculous to me.
I also forgot to add some helpful advice for partying.
At parties, if you don’t want to drink, buy Gatorade, Powerade, non alcoholic glass soda or juices bottles, or powdered mixers that you use for water bottles. People usually bring these drinks into parties all the time. You can also pour these drinks into an empty red cup and pretend that you’re drinking. Just make sure that you always hold your cup and don’t place it down anywhere. For the glass bottles, tear off the labels and no one will know the wiser. I did this at parties with my old roommate and it worked out well for us. Most people will never get curious of you if they see any of these drinks in your hand.
Even if someone does find out, then don’t make a big deal about it. Just be honest with them and leave the party if they give you a hard time.
It’s pretty bizarre that your parents are pressuring you to drink before you leave for college.
I’m the same as you - I decided to not drink in high school, and I’ve kept that commitment all through college and up until now (I’m currently a little more than a year out of college). It’s perfectly possible to not drink in college, and in my experience it didn’t create any awkwardness at all. I also had a couple of friends who were non-drinkers.
Drinking is pretty bad for your body and I think making a commitment to not drink is a great idea and totally practical. (Also, if you find people who have problems with your non-drinking commitment, they’re probably people you don’t want to be around anyway).
I think your parents are just doing it because they are worried. My parents wanted me to drink at home when I was under 21 because 1) in europe drinking laws are more lax so people learn how to handle their alcohol pretty early on, and 2) they wanted me to learn my limits before I was in a party situation.