Why do underage students drink alchohol?

When students first arrive at college, they are enamored by the amount of freedom they have. Without parental supervision, students naturally feel free to do what it is that they would like to do, in some cases whether it is legal or not. More so than anything, drinking alcohol is one of the most popular activities for new college students, a group where on average a freshman is only about18 years old. This is significant because the legal drinking age is 21 years of age. So, why do students do this despite the fact that they legally should not ? Two male students and two female students at Prairie View shared their thoughts on this trend.

"Drinking is a pastime-it's something to do," said one freshman female student. "I really do not feel guilty about it since there are a lot of illegal things in this world that people do that put them in dangerous situations."

The above statement seems to be the sentiment of many. When asked about why they drink, although they legally should not, both males interviewed responded the same way. One of the students even brought up an example that there are many legal drugs in the store that could kill a person who takes too many.

"The point is not to abuse something, no matter what it is," said the student. While the interviewees may have rebutted the legal morality, the next question that comes to mind is what fascinates people to drink in the first place?

"When I drink, I'm doing something," said another male student. "It's one thing if you drink just to get drunk by yourself or something. It's another to do as I do when I drink, which is to loosen myself up and have a good time. I may go to the club or go hang somewhere with some females and the drinking helps me have a good time while I am with them."

This is not the prevailing theme among the Interviewees. However, one of the female students does not drink with many other people. "I do not drink socially and when I do drink, it's with one friend I know who will make sure I get back to my room," the student said. "Plus I do not drink heavily and only drink a medium-sized Styrofoam cup so that I won't get drunk."

Meanwhile, the first female quoted above differed greatly. She said, "I drink until I'm totally out there and I like to drink as often as I can. I am aware that it's unsafe and it doesn't matter how many people are there when I drink [since I will still do it]."

Overall, it seems some freshmen consider drinking an acceptable practice to participate in. While underage students differ in the way they use alcohol , there is no doubt that some of them think it is something that helps them enjoy themselves in various settings and circumstances.