Am I Any Less Cool If I Don't Party, Smoke or Drink?

​So the weekend comes around and for college students that means getting drunk, getting high and partying the stress away, right? Well for some students that might be what their weekend looks like and that’s completely fine. But, for me it’s not something I’m interested in.

Before I go on I’ll admit that I went to a couple of parties during my freshman year. However, I realized that I wasn’t comfortable in that particular social situation because I didn’t go to parties in high school and I didn’t feel like I had to. So trying to suddenly be a party animal in college wasn’t going to be the right fit for me. And this realization is what prompted me to not go to anymore parties. So does that me boring or any less cool than students who do all of those things? I don’t think so.

​College is an extremely immense experience with gaining more knowledge about your field, contributing to your campus community and personal development to name a few. In the grand scheme of things it really transcends those pass times of partying, smoking or drinking. Also, I don’t think I’m missing out on anything because in this age of social media almost everyone is on their phones during a party so I can just live vicariously through everyone else.

But when I’m not burdened down with school work or other responsibilities, my weekends tend to include Netflix binges (hello Twilight Zone fans), writing, lots of sleep and hanging out with friends. This is how I de-stress after a long week and it honestly works for me.

Also, most school clubs will host free activities such as movie screenings, arts and crafts and food events on weekend nights for students who want to have fun with their friends or meet other students. These events give students an alternative way of gathering with other students. I’ve definitely taken attended some of these events at my school and it’s helped me connect with other students beyond the lecture hall setting.
 
Ultimately, college is the time to figure out what you like/dislike and what you feel comfortable doing versus what you might not feel comfortable doing. And it’s too short of an experience to do anything just because everyone else is doing it and you don’t want to feel left out. This can applied to life in general in any circumstance. But, a person has to figure that out for themselves and be confident enough to do their own thing if they wish.
 
This was one of the first lessons I learned in my college experience thus far and it’s really helped me embrace going off the beaten path without caring what the status quo is. And I personally think that’s the coolest thing that anyone can do.

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Written By Alexandria Brooks

My name is Alexandria Brooks. I'm a junior journalism major who is passionate and curious about the world. When I'm not writing I'm probably making a latte or endlessly scrolling through Instagram. One I hope to have my own creative platform to showcase my writing and photography!