I go to JMU and I don’t drink

I know what you all may be thinking, how can I have any fun in college without drinking? No, I do not sit in my room alone all of the time wondering what it’s like to have friends and go places. I still go to parties and hang out with people who drink, and when I’m offered something I just say “No, thanks.” It’s as simple as that.

I’m aware that I am one of a small minority of students at JMU who choose to stay sober, and I’m totally fine with that. Call me crazy, but I actually like it this way.

There are so many events that involve drinking in college (okay, like basically all events). Tailgates and alcohol are pretty much a package deal when it comes to football. But believe it or not, I went to these games without a drop of beer to get me pumped and still managed to have an awesome time.

Just a couple weeks ago I went to a frat party with a few friends. Walking in, the weird smell of crammed bodies in a tight space and the sight of drunk people all over each other smacks you right in the face. Throughout the night I was handed different drinks: vodka, beer and jungle juice to name a few. I politely declined and went about my night like any normal person would. I didn’t feel weird or uncomfortable; I actually had a really good time, just like I do at any other party or hangout.

If you want to know what it’s like to party sober, I wouldn’t describe it as boring, pointless or no fun. You go, talk to people, dance and do everything people regularly do at parties- and maybe you’re able to remember a little more the next morning.

And although I do not personally like alcohol, I am in no way condemning anyone who does drink. I mean hey, this is college, live life and do what you want to do, I’m not gonna tell you what’s wrong or right. It’s just not for me.

My decision to stay sober began when I was in 7^th grade- yes, I’m bringing it all the way back to the glory years. One afternoon, my mother sat me down and told me that one of my family members was sick. I was scared and didn’t know what to think, jumping to every worst-case scenario my mind could come up with. She then proceeded to tell me that this family member was an alcoholic. I had never thought of addiction as a sickness, but as the years passed and the alcohol became increasingly pervasive, I learned just how much of a disease it really is.

My family has been torn up, pieced back together, and destroyed once again too many times to count. I’ve been forced to see the people I care most about become completely and utterly hopeless, all due to one thing: alcohol.

I am genetically predisposed to addiction due to it being in my family already. This scares me more than I can express, which is ultimately why I have chosen to stay away from alcohol altogether.

I’m not saying that if you drink you will become an alcoholic, in fact most people are perfectly fine with it, and that’s great. My DNA just tells me that I should be careful, so I handle alcohol a little differently than a lot of other people.

A friend of mine once asked if I had ever had a drink, and when I responded no, she replied, “Why are you like that?” Well, this is why. Honestly, I just have to laugh a little when I get comments like that. I am in no way offended by people’s responses and curiosity, I would probably react the same way if I were them.

When I came to college I was scared. I feared that I would betray my own values and give into the pressures of college social life and drink- that the temptation would be too strong, and that I would eventually change who I was to gain a sense of belonging and acceptance. But the truth is, I really haven’t felt tempted to do that because it’s just not who I am. I do not mean to downplay the huge pressures of college, those are definitely hard to deal with and everyone handles them differently. Alcohol is just one of the things that I feel like I haven’t had to struggle with as much personally.

My view on alcohol is that it is completely a personal choice, and I would never judge a person with however they choose to handle it. Everyone has reasoning behind their decision to drink or not, and mine happens to be a combination of my own beliefs and family history.

So what’s the truth about staying sober in college? What I’ve learned is that when it comes down to it, this isn’t high school anymore, and people are considerably less judgmental toward others different from themselves. No one cares if you drink or not, because that affects you and only you. We are all free to make our own decisions that have different implications on our lives, and I think that’s what makes college so great. Staying sober is a lifestyle choice that I am happy to live out, so for now I’ll stick to water instead of beer.