Living the College Life: Alcohol - How Should I Handle Alcohol?

Buy this book »

As most college students can tell you, there's a big difference between drinking and getting drunk. "I have a saying that I learned my freshman year at DU: Drinking in moderation beats vomiting in excess,'" says Nicholas Sauer (University of Denver). "Knowing the limit and being able to handle oneself responsibly is what college is about"it's a learning process."

Keep in mind that if you're driving, there is no safe amount of alcohol to imbibe, despite the fact that legal sanctions may not kick in until you have passed a certain blood-alcohol threshold. (Some states have zero-tolerance policies for young drivers.) But forget about the law for a moment: You could kill someone or be killed if you drink and drive. That is all the incentive you need to never get behind the wheel after drinking.

Even if you happen to be legally sober, if you have the misfortune of being in a car accident"one that wasn't your fault"you absolutely do not want the police to smell those two cups of beer or fruity spiked punch on your breath at the accident scene. Your credibility will be zero and police at the scene will be skeptical of your account"who could blame them? As a college student who smells like alcohol, you'll be put on the defense, no matter what the circumstances.

To avoid anything like that situation, John Andersen and his buddies at the University of Missouri"Columbia always take precautions. "Between my friends and me, we always have a person who is our designated driver"not because we know that we are going to become completely drunk, but because we know that zero tolerance means zero tolerance, and a DUI can practically ruin your life," he says. "No matter if you plan on getting drunk or not, if you know you are going to have a drink, you should turn your keys over. All of this sounds like complete and utter common sense, but it is incredible how many people don't listen to common-sense ideas."

It may seem obvious, but students strongly advise staying with good friends when you drink. That's easier to do when you start drinking than it is later on, when parties get more crowded and you may have consumed more than you can handle. 

If you get separated, find your friends right away or go home.

Bryant Jones (University of Vermont) has seen some pathetic sights involving drunken students at his school: "I have been to parties and seen people throwing up over toilets and vomiting on themselves, and nobody was there with them," he says. "My best advice if you want to go out to a party is to go with friends you can trust and don't leave friends behind or let a friend go off with a stranger, no matter how nice that stranger has been to your friend over the last few beers."