It’s your first weekend at college and you’re looking forward to the nice break from classes. A friend of yours invites you to a small gathering he heard about. There shouldn’t be too many people there. You willingly go, hoping to make a few more friends. You arrive and there are around 15 people at the house, which isn’t bad at all. As you’re finally starting to relax, more and more people start showing up. Before you know it the house is filled and overflowing outside. People are clearly intoxicated and you know you need to get out of there. Looking for your friends, you find them drunk with the people in the house.
In college, the party scene can be a mess of bad decisions. Alcohol and strangers combine to form dangerous, life-altering situations. Through peer-pressure, misdirection, or even a personal mistake, you might find yourself in a scenario typical of a party school. Here’s some options for what you can do:
Option 1: Leave
You leave, quickly. This is not what you were expecting. You grab your drunk friend and go back to your dorm. Luckily there’s still time for the two of you to watch a movie and hang out before going to bed. What if your friend doesn’t want to leave? You don’t want to leave your friend by themselves, even if they did make a bad decision. You also don’t want to walk back alone because you’re not 100% sure of the way back.
Option 2: Stay
You’re worried about your friend getting themselves into trouble and want to make sure they get home safely, so you reluctantly agree to stay for a while. Now how do you navigate this party you’re stuck at? Here are a few tips:
Don’t take any drinks that are offered to you. If someone offers you water, make sure you get it yourself. You never know what could be in them
If you have a cup of water, or any other drink, don’t leave it alone. If you leave it alone or turn your back to it, don’t drink the rest of it and throw it away.
Be sure to know the signs of alcohol poisoning and be on the lookout for those signs. It’s important to know how to help someone if they’re in trouble.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. This is really important. It’s better to ask a professional for help and have someone be angry at you that for that someone to die.
If you are able to and the circumstances seem safe enough, walk people back to make sure they get home safely.
As you go throughout college the next few years, it might be tempting to participate in these activities. Everyone is tempted to sin at points in their lives. What’s important is that you set up accountability for yourself and avoid putting yourself into situations of temptation. Remember to rely on God for strength.
©1994-2020 Cru. All Rights Reserved.
