I don't party because I don't drink...

<p>Man thanks for alerting me to the ignore list feature. It’s like I just rid the world of AIDS with the click of a button :D</p>

<p>Just curious, is it possible to go to parties or attend college events and drink just a little? Lots of people just like an occasional beer or glass of wine, for the socializing and good feeling. But not for the purpose to get drunk, since that doesn’t feel good at all. Would such a student feel out of place? Just wondering about that.</p>

<p>Thank you for reminding me that feature exists, ZFanatic.</p>

<p>Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, GOODBYE.</p>

<p>I’ll speak for the heavy drinkers in the audience and say that getting drunk <em>is</em> fun or not so many people would be doing it.</p>

<p>I mean, let’s try to be rational about this. Alcohol doesn’t taste very good to anybody the first dozen or so times you drink. It’s an acquired taste. Same as escargo and truffles and fine cheese. Alcohol is the “acquired taste” food of beverages.</p>

<p>People drink alcholic beverages for the effect it produces. If people didn’t like the effect, they would drink other things instead. I love milk, and believe it or not cigarettes are better with milk than with alcoholic beverages, so why not have milk at parties? Well, drink a few glasses of milk and all you feel is probably a little full and the urge to attend to nature’s calling. Why make a point of drinking milk at all?</p>

<p>The effects of alcohol on behavior are probably well-understood at various dosing levels by the other posters here. Generally speaking, alcohol removes inhibitions… so in that sense it makes you more like the person you really are than you would be normally. For good people, this can often mean that everyone can be in a good mood and not worry about troubles outside of the party. For instance, I have a very long and important paper due on Friday. I have several pages which still must be written. If I were to go to a party tonight (hypothetically; I don’t plan on doing it this time) and not drink, all I would think about is that paper. With a bit of the creature in me, I would be more outgoing, social, and generally a better party-goer than otherwise.</p>

<p>There are clearly different levels of “drunk”, and you can easily (a) take a good thing too far or (b) make bad decisions while under the influence. However, to resolve never to drink because bad things can happen… or because that’s how you want to seem to other people… is a little childish, right? I could go to HotTopic and buy a bunch of Emo stuff and pretend I’m a vampire, but that doesn’t mean I’d burn up in the sun. I could resolve not to drive anymore since it can be dangerous to get in a car (accidents? tickets? theft or vandalism? etc.) but that’s just avoiding the thing.</p>

<p>I don’t know. I guess I would be wary of even starting a club or facebook group for nondrinkers. It seems to me that this is more like surrendering to one’s insecurities than looking for opportunities for growth. Nobody is going to make you drink at a party, and if they seriously try (force you to do it or leave) then they’re not normal people, they’re jerks.</p>

<p>P.S. That linguistic thing is really, really gay. Please just let it go.</p>

<p>Why not a fan club for “undrinking” activities or some such thing. Stuff to do and have fun that isn’t centered around the almighty beer pong table. Start with a gaming competition or idol contest or idk… I’m just a parent and am able to have fun without drinking, but you get the idea.</p>

<p>definitely agree with AuburnMathTutor. I hang out with tons of people who drink, people who drink to get drunk, and people who don’t drink and we all manage to have fun. It’s all a personal decision and I respect anybody’s when it comes to alcohol. You’re not lame if you don’t drink but there’s nothing wrong if you drink.</p>

<p>“Just curious, is it possible to go to parties or attend college events and drink just a little? Lots of people just like an occasional beer or glass of wine, for the socializing and good feeling. But not for the purpose to get drunk, since that doesn’t feel good at all. Would such a student feel out of place? Just wondering about that.”</p>

<p>I’m usually a pretty heavy drinker and I hang out with kids who drink none, moderately, and even more than me. You certainly can choose to drink however much you want. You may get teased about it depending on who your friends are, but usually it’s just light hearted. If it’s not, well, then you need different friends. As for me, there are times when I do not drink much at all even around people who are getting wasted, like if I need to go home early or have something to do or just feel like having a light evening.</p>

<p>Thanks for responding zfanatic. Yes, it would seem more comfortable to do so in moderation. </p>

<p>Separately, I was talking to a friend who attends Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo (a very good state school) and he said a kid just died this year from over-imbibing at a campus party. Others have died before there, so it is a tragic thing when an ambulance comes and the kid is already gone. Family and friends have to deal with such a loss. I just think its fun to have beer, wine, etc., but drinking in moderation so that no one gets hurt.</p>

<p>Another bad example is Ben Rothlesberger, the QB. He supposedly got the college girls to drink and then he took advantage. Even if it didn’t happen exactly that way, losing yourself totally to inhibitions can get you and others in trouble. Can be regretted the rest of our lives.</p>

<p>Great to have fun, but remember who’s responsible in the end.</p>

<p>^^ why beta-endorphins are superior</p>

<p>the rush and the sociability and even the loss of some self-control, but at less you keep some of your head</p>

<p>If you don’t drink, fine, but don’t judge others who do. You can still party without drinking. I’ve been the designated driver a couple of times (IT SUCKS), and I know you can have fun while drinking a coke.</p>

<p>One advice though: better go to parties and get drunk and do stupid **** while you still can. Who cares? You’re young, so you should have as much irresponsible fun without feeling guilty about it while you still can. Sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. These are the best days of our lives. You can be boring for the rest of your days, don’t worry. Just think about it, buddy.</p>

<p>^^ and you can be unemployed, for all I care.</p>

<p>I kind of agree Bluesfella, although I don’t like to think that these are “the best days of our lives.” Given how life expectancies keep increasing that means like 50-60 years of, well, less-than-best days.</p>

<p>1) I say “could care less” all the time. It is grammatically correct. I could care less than I do right now, for example. The opposite of care more. Most people use it in an ironic way to signify that they care SO MUCH right now that they could stand to care less about whatever it is. The irony is that they obviously DON’T care. It’s totally correct, there is nothing wrong with it. “Couldn’t care less” sounds dumb. Who even says that?</p>

<p>2) You can have fun and not drink. It’s not really a big deal. But if it’s not a religious thing barring you from drinking, why not experiment a bit with different drinks? You might really dig sake. Or whiskey sours. Or apple martinis. You never know. But seriously, you don’t have to be drunk to party. I know plenty of people who don’t drink and they have tons of fun</p>

<p>I’ve never understood how people can drink to (purposefully) get drunk.
I’ve only been drunk once in my life, and the hangover was like hell the next day, I swore I would never drink that much again.</p>

<p>People who do this every weekend…I don’t get it. Moderation, ftmfw.</p>

<p>Totally agree with AuburnMathTutor</p>

<p>EDIT: And PlattsburghLoser =) I don’t get it either. I’ve drank before for taste, curiosity, and simple pleasure of just relaxing. I’ve NEVER gotten drunk. Some of my friends have gotten pregnant, taken advantage of, etc. I’m not dealing with that. I’ve never even had a “buzz”. Personally, I have a lot of control. I don’t give in to peer pressure and I know when to stop and I think ahead. So I definitely don’t think drinking is bad. But some people take it waaaay to far and the consequences they have to pay isn’t worth that one night of blurred memories.</p>

<p>i will be starting dartmouth this fall and i’d like to join a fraternity. i don’t really drink that much and i’m a little concerned about how much they make you drink during hazing.</p>

<p>How does “couldn’t care less” sound dumb at all? It implies that I’ve reached rock-bottom, that the care-cup is empty (_/), that I simply cannot physically or mentally give less of a **** than I do. It’s like the absolute zero of caring.</p>

<p>Using “could care less” when you don’t care at all is like saying you love someone who you just ordered an assassination on.</p>

<p>I find it pretty idiotic to consume alcohol during college.</p>

<p>I mean, you go to college to elevate your state of consciousness(excuse my language here, if you will), and all alcohol and tobacco and other drugs do is alter your state of consciousness, temporarily lower it, and ultimatley lower it, as alcohol consumption leads to a decline in memory and brain cells.</p>

<p>Its almost counterproductive - go to college to learn, and yet you make yourself less capable of learning by drinking alcohol.</p>

<p>I don’t drink alcohol(and I transferred out of UMass Amherst, a HUGE party school, where kids would literally get wasted every Thursday, Friday, Saturday night). I knew like one kid who didn’t drink alcohol, before I transferred out, but that was good enough for me, and he was pretty cool(pre-med major).</p>

<p>You don’t have to drink alcohol in college, and don’t let people encourage you to do it.</p>

<p>I know a LOT of people who are very intelligent and also drink. I wouldn’t be surprised if great minds like Einstein and Oppenheimer drank.</p>

<p>There’s a difference between having one or two red cups of beer, and sipping a bunch of vodka from the bottle to pre-game (which isn’t smart cos you can’t really measure how much you’ve had) and then having a few cans of beer.</p>

<p>Although many smart people may drink in college, most either discover moderation or drop out of the picture somewhere between grad school and a job in the physical sciences. My professional society has been banned from Las Vegas conference facilities because astronomers in general don’t drink or gamble enough to make their meetings profitable for the hotels.</p>