Transitioning to College: A Guide for Penn State Students
Substance Use
Many young adults are excited for what lies ahead as they come to college. This is a time to make new friends, explore romantic relationships, carve out their personal identity, and surely create what will become life-long memories. College can also be a time when young adults drink heavily and are exposed to other substances, both legal and illegal.
Drinking alcohol is considered by many to be a normative experience in college, but some students might take this too far and drink excessively and/or use other substances. This is not only dangerous for the individual, but also negatively impacts other students and the college community as a whole.
Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health examined the magnitude of negative consequences among college drinkers between the ages of 18-24.
Consequences for the individual student include:
- Academic problems such as missing class and falling behind on schoolwork
- Blackouts that cause students to forget where they were or what they did
- Unplanned sexual activity or unprotected sex
- Arguments with friends
- Physical injuries
- Trouble with campus or local police
- Death
Consequences to others include:
- Interrupted quality of life (loss of sleep/interrupted studying/taking care of drunk friends)
- Physical assault
- Sexual assault or date rape
Consequences to the college campus:
- Property damage/vandalism
- Dropouts
- Community strain
The first few weeks a student spends on campus can be crucial to their future academic success, according to The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Many students might initiate drinking heavily in their first few weeks on campus with increased exposure to alcohol availability and because of new social situations. This early drinking can potentially interfere with the student’s ability to adapt to their new college environment. This transition can be difficult and one-third of students will not return for their second year.
The posts in this section will mainly focus on alcohol-related issues as this is a major concern on Penn State’s campus and in the surrounding community. Future posts will feature other substances that are common among college students, such as cigarette smoking, marijuana, and prescription drug use.
Drinking alcohol is considered by many to be a normative experience in college, but some students might take this too far and drink excessively and/or use other substances. This is not only dangerous for the individual, but also negatively impacts other students and the college community as a whole.
Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health examined the magnitude of negative consequences among college drinkers between the ages of 18-24.
Consequences for the individual student include:
- Academic problems such as missing class and falling behind on schoolwork
- Blackouts that cause students to forget where they were or what they did
- Unplanned sexual activity or unprotected sex
- Arguments with friends
- Physical injuries
- Trouble with campus or local police
- Death
Consequences to others include:
- Interrupted quality of life (loss of sleep/interrupted studying/taking care of drunk friends)
- Physical assault
- Sexual assault or date rape
Consequences to the college campus:
- Property damage/vandalism
- Dropouts
- Community strain
The first few weeks a student spends on campus can be crucial to their future academic success, according to The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Many students might initiate drinking heavily in their first few weeks on campus with increased exposure to alcohol availability and because of new social situations. This early drinking can potentially interfere with the student’s ability to adapt to their new college environment. This transition can be difficult and one-third of students will not return for their second year.
The posts in this section will mainly focus on alcohol-related issues as this is a major concern on Penn State’s campus and in the surrounding community. Future posts will feature other substances that are common among college students, such as cigarette smoking, marijuana, and prescription drug use.
Some First-Year Students at Greater Risk of Heavy Drinking
Did you know you could be more at risk for heavy drinking in your first year of college before you even get to campus? Some students may come to college predisposed to heavy drinking, according to a review by Brian Borsari, James Murphy, and Nancy Barnett. These researchers identified factors that might increase a student’s alcohol use.
Students who have a strained relationship with their parents when they enter college are likely to drink more in their first year. This is especially true for male students with a poor father-son relationship. Students are likely to experience more negative consequences from drinking if their parents are approving of their alcohol use.
Mother knows best…
If a student’s mother in more approving of their drinking, they are likely to experience even more negative consequences. Young adults might be more concerned about pleasing their mothers. Students might not be so wary about their drinking if their mothers view it with a lenient attitude.
Prior to starting college, if students were more open with their parents and told them where they were going and who they were going with, this was a sign of greater parental monitoring. Parental monitoring, or a more open relationship with parents, has been shown to reduce alcohol use in students first year. Students with a better quality relationship with parents seem to make safer choices when it comes to drinking.
Some students might choose social networks or a pattern of drinking that increases their risk of negative consequences during their college years. The more a student participated in drinking games, the more alcohol the student drank. This may seem like an obvious finding to you, but many students like playing games because it is a fast way to get drunk. Their assumption is correct, but they might not be aware of just how much they are drinking.
While involvement in the Greek system can help students make new friends and give them a sense of belonging, it has also been linked to heavy drinking among first-year students. This is especially true for male students. Although heavier drinkers might be more likely to get involved in the Greek system, the Greek environment will encourage them to drink even more.
Did you know that students often overestimate the amount their friends are drinking? This overestimation can cause students to drink more if they feel pressure to match what they think their friend is drinking. The stress faced by first year students also causes them to use drinking as a coping mechanism. There are healthier ways to deal with this stress, such as exercise, getting involved in an intramural sport, or in any one of the hundreds of organizations offered at Penn State. Students can check out the recreation webpage to see different options on campus or the list of student organizations.
Directory of Student Organizations
http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/allrsos.asp
Intramural Sports
http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recsports/
Club Sports
http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recreation/csindex.asp
Did you know you could be more at risk for heavy drinking in your first year of college before you even get to campus? Some students may come to college predisposed to heavy drinking, according to a review by Brian Borsari, James Murphy, and Nancy Barnett. These researchers identified factors that might increase a student’s alcohol use.
Students who have a strained relationship with their parents when they enter college are likely to drink more in their first year. This is especially true for male students with a poor father-son relationship. Students are likely to experience more negative consequences from drinking if their parents are approving of their alcohol use.
Mother knows best…
If a student’s mother in more approving of their drinking, they are likely to experience even more negative consequences. Young adults might be more concerned about pleasing their mothers. Students might not be so wary about their drinking if their mothers view it with a lenient attitude.
Prior to starting college, if students were more open with their parents and told them where they were going and who they were going with, this was a sign of greater parental monitoring. Parental monitoring, or a more open relationship with parents, has been shown to reduce alcohol use in students first year. Students with a better quality relationship with parents seem to make safer choices when it comes to drinking.
Some students might choose social networks or a pattern of drinking that increases their risk of negative consequences during their college years. The more a student participated in drinking games, the more alcohol the student drank. This may seem like an obvious finding to you, but many students like playing games because it is a fast way to get drunk. Their assumption is correct, but they might not be aware of just how much they are drinking.
While involvement in the Greek system can help students make new friends and give them a sense of belonging, it has also been linked to heavy drinking among first-year students. This is especially true for male students. Although heavier drinkers might be more likely to get involved in the Greek system, the Greek environment will encourage them to drink even more.
Did you know that students often overestimate the amount their friends are drinking? This overestimation can cause students to drink more if they feel pressure to match what they think their friend is drinking. The stress faced by first year students also causes them to use drinking as a coping mechanism. There are healthier ways to deal with this stress, such as exercise, getting involved in an intramural sport, or in any one of the hundreds of organizations offered at Penn State. Students can check out the recreation webpage to see different options on campus or the list of student organizations.
Directory of Student Organizations
http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/allrsos.asp
Intramural Sports
http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recsports/
Club Sports
http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recreation/csindex.asp
Students with Substance Use Disorders Rarely Seek Help
Students who are most in need of help for substance abuse problems might be the least likely to seek it out. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported statistics that almost one-quarter of young adults (18-25 years old) met criteria for a substance use disorder. Unfortunately, of all age groups, young adults are the least likely to get treatment for their problem according to a new study. Kimberly Caldeira and her colleagues reported results using a sample of 946 undergraduate students from a large public university. The students’ substance use was evaluated using personal interviews during their first three years of college.
Approximately 47 percent of the students in their third-year of college met criteria to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder involving alcohol and/or marijuana. What is even more discouraging from these findings is that only 4 percent of students with a substance use disorder perceive themselves as needing help, and only 9 percent of cases actually sought out help.
So why aren’t more students getting help? It could be that these students have the attitude that their alcohol and marijuana use is normal and harmless undergraduate student behavior. However, this is not the case and their disorders will only hinder them further as they advance through college. Students might be unaware of the confidential help available to them.
Penn State offers a free intervention for those who think their drinking might be a problem. Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students is a brief intervention that consists of two sessions with a health educator. The health educator will provide you with harm reduction strategies and provide personalized feedback of your drinking compared to other Penn State students.
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/basics/
University Health Services also offers a free intervention program for marijuana use.
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/mip/
Have you heard of Late Night Penn State? It is alcohol free alternative entertainment that is held on Thursday-Sunday evenings. Late Night Penn State features bands, movies, games, and cheap food. Check out their website to see a schedule of events for this weekend.
http://spa.psu.edu/latenight.html
Students who are most in need of help for substance abuse problems might be the least likely to seek it out. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported statistics that almost one-quarter of young adults (18-25 years old) met criteria for a substance use disorder. Unfortunately, of all age groups, young adults are the least likely to get treatment for their problem according to a new study. Kimberly Caldeira and her colleagues reported results using a sample of 946 undergraduate students from a large public university. The students’ substance use was evaluated using personal interviews during their first three years of college.
Approximately 47 percent of the students in their third-year of college met criteria to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder involving alcohol and/or marijuana. What is even more discouraging from these findings is that only 4 percent of students with a substance use disorder perceive themselves as needing help, and only 9 percent of cases actually sought out help.
So why aren’t more students getting help? It could be that these students have the attitude that their alcohol and marijuana use is normal and harmless undergraduate student behavior. However, this is not the case and their disorders will only hinder them further as they advance through college. Students might be unaware of the confidential help available to them.
Penn State offers a free intervention for those who think their drinking might be a problem. Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students is a brief intervention that consists of two sessions with a health educator. The health educator will provide you with harm reduction strategies and provide personalized feedback of your drinking compared to other Penn State students.
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/basics/
University Health Services also offers a free intervention program for marijuana use.
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/mip/
Have you heard of Late Night Penn State? It is alcohol free alternative entertainment that is held on Thursday-Sunday evenings. Late Night Penn State features bands, movies, games, and cheap food. Check out their website to see a schedule of events for this weekend.
http://spa.psu.edu/latenight.html
Female Students More Likely to Underestimate Their Level of Intoxication
Should I have one more drink? Researchers at Penn State’s Prevention Research Center might tell you to think twice before having that drink. Many college students boast that they have a high tolerance and are aware of how drunk they are. How accurate do you think these students really are?
College students often assess their level of intoxication (or perception of how drunk they are) by examining internal and external cues. An internal cue can be if a student can walk straight or can see clearly. An external cue can be thought of as how many drinks the student had within a certain timeframe. Previous studies done on college student drinking suggest that students are better at using their external cues to estimate their level of intoxication.
Kimberly Mallett, Rob Turrisi, Mary Larimer, and Nadine Mastroleo examined data of 3,707 undergraduate students at three northwestern colleges to see just how accurate they were at estimating their intoxication level. Overall, they found 20 percent of male students and female students underestimated their level of intoxication. Female students were more likely to underestimate their intoxication when they drank moderate to high levels of alcohol (four to five alcoholic drinks).
These findings have dangerous implications considering women are at higher risk of sexual assault and rape after heavy drinking. Be aware that if you fall within this range of heavy drinkers, you might not be as sober as you think you are after a night of drinking. Have you ever insisted on walking home alone or driving home because you thought you weren't drunk? Think again next time and choose to walk home with friends or take a cab.
Should I have one more drink? Researchers at Penn State’s Prevention Research Center might tell you to think twice before having that drink. Many college students boast that they have a high tolerance and are aware of how drunk they are. How accurate do you think these students really are?
College students often assess their level of intoxication (or perception of how drunk they are) by examining internal and external cues. An internal cue can be if a student can walk straight or can see clearly. An external cue can be thought of as how many drinks the student had within a certain timeframe. Previous studies done on college student drinking suggest that students are better at using their external cues to estimate their level of intoxication.
Kimberly Mallett, Rob Turrisi, Mary Larimer, and Nadine Mastroleo examined data of 3,707 undergraduate students at three northwestern colleges to see just how accurate they were at estimating their intoxication level. Overall, they found 20 percent of male students and female students underestimated their level of intoxication. Female students were more likely to underestimate their intoxication when they drank moderate to high levels of alcohol (four to five alcoholic drinks).
These findings have dangerous implications considering women are at higher risk of sexual assault and rape after heavy drinking. Be aware that if you fall within this range of heavy drinkers, you might not be as sober as you think you are after a night of drinking. Have you ever insisted on walking home alone or driving home because you thought you weren't drunk? Think again next time and choose to walk home with friends or take a cab.
Why Do College Athletes Drink More?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism specifies certain groups at risk of heavy drinking on college campuses. These groups include first-year students, fraternities and sororities, and athletes. Compelling evidence suggests that college athletes drink more than their non-athlete peers. This is an unexpected finding considering college athletes are supposed to be healthy both mentally and physically, and need to compete to the best of their abilities. Drinking alcohol can hinder their performance and so much as double their risk of an injury. Athletes are engaging in heavy drinking though, and they are not immune to the adverse consequences associated with it. But why do athletes drink more?
David Yusko, Jennifer Buckman, Helene White, and Robert Pandina compared 392 student athletes to 504 student non-athletes at a large northeastern university to see if motivations for drinking differed between the groups. In a previous post, I mentioned how students can feel social pressure to drink when they overestimate the amount their peers are drinking. Athletes were found to be especially sensitive to this social pressure. Compared to non-athletes, athletes had greatly exaggerated perceptions of what their peers were drinking. Athletes have very hectic schedules and they might have a misperception as to what their peers are doing in their free time. Athletes might sense that they are missing out on having a good time and they need to make up for it with heavy episodes of drinking.
The researchers also found that athletes with sensation seeking personalities were more likely to drink heavily. Sensation seeking means they like feeling a “rush” from doing something dangerous, or they enjoy being impulsive and spontaneous. Athletes might feel this rush from drinking because they know they shouldn’t be doing it or will get in trouble from a coach if they are caught. They might also like the positive attention they get at parties because they are considered celebrities on campus.
Athletes who used heavy drinking as a coping mechanism experienced more negative consequences from their drinking. Considering the physical requirements and their demanding schedules as athletes and full-time students, it might not be surprising that athletes use drinking to cope with this stress. Pressure felt from this additional responsibility is actually what might cause student athletes to drink more, rather than deter them from alcohol use.
Check back for a special post by the women’s rugby coach at Penn State, Pete Steinberg. Pete will be adding a post on how alcohol can negatively impact an athlete’s performance on the field.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism specifies certain groups at risk of heavy drinking on college campuses. These groups include first-year students, fraternities and sororities, and athletes. Compelling evidence suggests that college athletes drink more than their non-athlete peers. This is an unexpected finding considering college athletes are supposed to be healthy both mentally and physically, and need to compete to the best of their abilities. Drinking alcohol can hinder their performance and so much as double their risk of an injury. Athletes are engaging in heavy drinking though, and they are not immune to the adverse consequences associated with it. But why do athletes drink more?
David Yusko, Jennifer Buckman, Helene White, and Robert Pandina compared 392 student athletes to 504 student non-athletes at a large northeastern university to see if motivations for drinking differed between the groups. In a previous post, I mentioned how students can feel social pressure to drink when they overestimate the amount their peers are drinking. Athletes were found to be especially sensitive to this social pressure. Compared to non-athletes, athletes had greatly exaggerated perceptions of what their peers were drinking. Athletes have very hectic schedules and they might have a misperception as to what their peers are doing in their free time. Athletes might sense that they are missing out on having a good time and they need to make up for it with heavy episodes of drinking.
The researchers also found that athletes with sensation seeking personalities were more likely to drink heavily. Sensation seeking means they like feeling a “rush” from doing something dangerous, or they enjoy being impulsive and spontaneous. Athletes might feel this rush from drinking because they know they shouldn’t be doing it or will get in trouble from a coach if they are caught. They might also like the positive attention they get at parties because they are considered celebrities on campus.
Athletes who used heavy drinking as a coping mechanism experienced more negative consequences from their drinking. Considering the physical requirements and their demanding schedules as athletes and full-time students, it might not be surprising that athletes use drinking to cope with this stress. Pressure felt from this additional responsibility is actually what might cause student athletes to drink more, rather than deter them from alcohol use.
Check back for a special post by the women’s rugby coach at Penn State, Pete Steinberg. Pete will be adding a post on how alcohol can negatively impact an athlete’s performance on the field.
