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<p>Probably because while one in five college students doesn’t drink at all, 4 out of 5 CC parents insist that their child doesn’t drink at all. ;)</p>
<p>PinotNoir, ITA about the horrors of living in a party dorm. It astonishes me that kids put up with that stuff and that, as far as one can determine, in some instances such antisocial behavior is considered normal and acceptable.</p>
<p>Re the CDC fact sheet, one thing that strikes me is the definition of “binge drinking.” Four alcoholic drinks for a woman in 2 hours? This could mean one cocktail before dinner at a restaurant and splitting a bottle of wine with a companion, since a bottle is usually held to contain 6 glasses. While I would definitely not DRIVE after that dinner, I wouldn’t think of it as “binge drinking” either. There’s a whole lot of ground between that dinner and knocking back 10 shots of vodka before going out for the evening.</p>
<p>I think there is a large difference in views between the “younger” parents who perhaps headed to college after the drinking age was raised and the older parents who grew up when the drinking age was 18. I also agree with Consolation about the large ground between knocking back shots vs. drinking beer. Especially if that person is a 100 lb. female. I worry most about sneaking and drinking off campus that involves driving. I also think there are some colleges where drinking is more prevalent. If you’ve got one heading to colleges known for Wacky Wednesdays or Thirsty Thursdays…buyer beware. My kids hated the dorms and couldn’t wait to move out sophomore year. It makes me shudder to think about being housed in a prison like structure with hundreds of 17 or 18 year olds cut “loose” from parental constraints for the first time. At least when I was a freshman (back when the drinking age was 18) we walked to the local bar to split a pitcher of beer legally instead of holing up in the dorm downing shots. I know my boys would far have preferred walking to the local sports bar to split a pitcher of beer legally than deal with the dorm scene. But they did do the dorm thing and they survived.</p>
<p>D1 only lived on campus one year and she had a single. She never complained about people puking, only complained about her next door neighbor being noisy late at night, but it wasn’t due to alcohol. </p>
<p>I think an Uni does have a responsibility to ensure their dorms are clean and quiet at night. They are the landlord, why shouldn’t students and parents expect their landlord to do their job for the payment rendered?</p>
<p>I visited D1 one weekend freshman year and I noticed the lady’s room was dirty - hair all over the place, and sinks were disgusting. I asked D1 how often they cleaned the bathroom. She said twice a week. I made a call to the head of residential service to let him know about the bathroom and requested for the bathroom to be cleaned on a daily basis. I told D1 to follow up again if she didn’t see any improvement.</p>
<p>This is where it is helpful for parents to talk to their college kids. Teach them what their rights are. Let them know it is not acceptable if their roommate should wake them up every night at 3am, it is not acceptable to be stepping on puke in the morning, and it is not their job to be holding someone head over a toilet.</p>
<p><<umiami allowssecondsemesterfreshmen="" to="" be="" ras.="">></umiami></p>
<p>I’m not sure, my son attends a different state university in Florida. I didn’t think about my username being confusing when I created it. I was a transfer from a CC to UM so I never lived on campus. I don’t know what the RA requirements are at UM. Sorry for the confusion.</p>
<p>I come from a large family from a rural area where there was not much to do other than to party on the weekends. Keg parties were rampant back in the 70s and kids drank until they passed out. It just seemed normal at the time.</p>
<p>My DD is at a LAC and the kids do drink but only a few on her dorm floor drink to excess. She is concerned for the few who do as they seem to be out control. Most seem to drink responsibly.</p>
<p>Half of my siblings, in my opinion, drink to excess. My SIL has just been told that her liver function is not normal and her response is to give up hard alcohol and only drink wine. I wonder if switching to wine is any better. Her brother died from alcohol related disease. I think genetics must play a role in this scenario somehow.</p>
<p>I try to tell my brother and his wife to remember his organs need to last for the next 30 plus years, treat them with respect. It is a good thing to remind everyone.</p>
<p>An interesting article that references drinking in discussing casual sex amongst college students. [Casual</a> hookups on campus mean more get STDs - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com](<a href=“http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-college-sex-stds-20120118,0,2687101.story]Casual”>http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-college-sex-stds-20120118,0,2687101.story)</p>
<p>I don’t think the OP really describes a party dorm, at least not in that first post. She refers to kids coming in after a night out partying elsewhere (and her D helping a drunk student, but not one that lived in her room). A mention of pot smell in hallways was made, but being in the hallway probably wouldn’t prevent a kid from getting sleep at night.</p>
<p>I agree - having to put up with loud noise all night would be really rough.</p>
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<p>Not only does binge drinking up the chances for the drinker engaging in casual sex (that they might well decline if they were sober), it also dramatically increases their chances of being sexually assaulted. It’s scary, quite frankly.</p>
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<p>I harped on my dd so much before she left for college about this problem that I sounded like a broken record. I was scared to death that this might happen to my dd. </p>
<p>Instead, it happened to a friend of hers roommate. The girl left in the midddle of her first semester of freshman year. Horrible way to start college. The girl was so scared and just left the college. </p>
<p>As far as I know dd does not drink. She is a designated driver for her college so others will not drink and drive. She wishes they would crack down on the puking in the bathrooms. I told her to become an RA and do something about it.</p>
<p>I started a related thread asking if there is any way for a prospective student to tell ahead of time if they’ll find the drinking culture acceptable at the college they chose. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1279537-finding-college-where-drinking-culture-acceptable.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1279537-finding-college-where-drinking-culture-acceptable.html</a></p>
<p>Also, here’s a link to one student’s expression of what the drinking culture is like at her college:</p>
<p><a href=“https://gustavus.edu/parents/StudentsPerspective.php[/url]”>https://gustavus.edu/parents/StudentsPerspective.php</a></p>
<p>I think I read in this past Sun NYT Education section that Rutgers has a substance-free RECOVERY dorm…</p>
<p>“If you’re going to experiment, this is the age to do it,” she said</p>
<p>Yup. Most taper off over their 4 years too.</p>
<p>I’m of the opinion that the drinking age should be the same age one can legally vote or go off to war so we don’t create a group of second-class citizens under the law(18-20). </p>
<p>Moreover, I’ve seen the negative effects of binge drinking on several college campuses and 21+ adult co-workers who made fools of themselves at their 21st birthdays or at workplace parties because they didn’t know their tolerances. Doesn’t help that many Americans tend to be extremely puritanical, uptight, and enforce the laws so rigidly that even parents who try to teach responsible moderate drinking to adolescents/young adults could be penalized by law enforcement (There should be a clause to exempt parents who allow kids to try a sip of alcohol like my father did when I was 11). </p>
<p>If anything…it was kids with parents who were of the micromanaging/overprotective “all alcohol is evil” mentality who tended to binge drink and go real wild the instant they hit campus IME. </p>
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<p>Back in the '90s, undergrads figured out ways to deal with noisy neighbors ourselves…even 17-18 year old freshmen such as myself and some HS friends. </p>
<p>After one such friend had an issue with some jerk blasting cheesy hair metal love ballads till 3+ am. After telling me about it, I sent him a Vanilla Ice CD* and suggested he point the speakers towards that neighbor and blast it right before he goes off to morning classes. Blasting "Ice, Ice Baby was enough for cheesy hair love ballad dude to get the message and the HS friend had no more noise problems for the rest of his college career. :D</p>
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<li>One high school classmate’s idea of a gag Christmas gift.</li>
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<p>Some states have parental exception laws. In my state, a person may drink with their parent’s permission as long as the parent is present and within eyesight. That pretty much covers that having a glass of wine at Thanksgiving dinner issue.</p>
<p>Many states also have religious exemptions (drinking wine at communion, etc.).</p>
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<p>So true. The classes get harder, the thrill wears off and suddenly they are 21 and the bar scene just isn’t quite as exciting as when you were illegal…and once you graduate you’re too broke to afford alcohol (or at least that is what is reported by my now 22 year old.)</p>
<p>I do think the 21 year old drinking age has created havoc on campuses. There is simply no good way to sort out the 18, 19 and 20 year olds from the 21 year olds and many of those 18 years go off as innocent as babes in the woods. For every 18 year old that is firm in their belief they won’t drink (and doesn’t) there are 10 others that can’t wait to get away from mom and dad and curfews and rules and more rules.</p>
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<p>First, that only covers some states. Secondly, most parents I’ve known of don’t know/pay attention enough to the local laws to know whether their state has those parental exceptions. </p>
<p>Consequently…most parents assume there aren’t…especially after reading vaguely outlined stories in the newsmedia about how parents are being arrested, fined, or even locked up for allowing the glass of wine/beer at family dinner. Instead, they get so scared or use these stories as pretextual justifications to further their puritanical “all alcohol is evil” mentality/belief talk on their kids and sometimes…everyone else. </p>
<p>As for religious exemptions, while everyone does seem to understand they exist…that only applies to families who belong to religions which has alcohol consumption as part of their religious rituals.</p>
<p>^right …parents are getting locked up every day because their kids had some wine at dinner,</p>
<p>There is absolutely nothing good that comes from kids drinking early…just death and rape.</p>
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<p>LOL. Yes…that’s why I said “Some states have parental exception laws.” :)</p>
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<p>Ummmm, yes…thus the term “religious exception laws.” What else would it mean when used in the context of drinking laws?</p>
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<p>What about for adults?</p>