Be sure to visit our other Teenage Drug Abuse Articles below! Want updates? Enter your email on the right side of this page.

What percentage of college kids are addicted to drugs and alcohol?

Here is a statistic for you. Of people 18 to 25 in college, over 55% admit to having used drugs and nearly 32% have used them as recently as within the past year (Office of National Drug Control Policy.) Although this statistic doesn’t answer the above question, it does shed some light on how many kids are using drugs in our nation’s colleges.

Drugs as well as the abundance of alcohol in college is a very real epidemic. In fact, drugs and alcohol are so prevalent that not knowing about them and their associated risks is serious health risk for this increasingly vulnerable age group. It’s important to know a few basic safety facts that will help you protect yourself and others in any situation where drug use and drinking is taking place.

So if you do decide to drink, here are some tips to stay safe:

Be in control of your beverage at all times. Never put your drink down and walk away. Date rape drugs can easily be put in a drink without you even noticing.
Don’t drive if you have been drinking and don’t ride with someone else who has been drinking.
Don’t play drinking games such as “beer pong”, “flip cup”, “power hour”, etc. People tend to drink just to get drunk while playing these games and end up consuming a lot more alcohol this way.
If you feel that you have a drinking problem or if your friends are commenting on your drinking, see a counselor for help.
Here are some other key points to consider:

First, understand that drugs and alcoholic beverages are in colleges everywhere. They are in the cafeteria. They are in the study rooms. They are in the library and in the locker rooms. They are everywhere because A LOT of our youth are using them for a multitude of reasons. They are everywhere and you might be surprised how they find their way into these places that they don’t belong. College dorms are like little first homes for young adults and for many, it’s the first time they get to be out of sight from their parents. Some of the things that they might have thought about trying, including experimenting with drugs, can now be done without having a mom or dad breathing down their neck to hand out consequences.

Second, drugs and alcohol, whether used together or alone continue to have the capability to kill you. College aged young adults are old enough to understand that using drugs and drinking is a health hazard. It doesn’t matter if they are regulated drugs (legal with prescription) or contraband. Drugs in any form, including alcohol can kill you and you don’t need to be addicted to have death be a reality from drug or alcohol use. By the time you have found the link to this blog and read it to this point, someone else in this country has died from a drug related incident.

Third, doing drugs is ILLEGAL. This not only makes it a crime to use but a hefty charge comes with possessing them as well. Kids go to college to learn and become educated about a certain subject matter in the hopes of graduating and getting a job related to their curriculum. Many smart kids have gone to college to earn an education and found themselves with something else they might not have thought about. A felony drug charge. Thanks to background checks, all those hours of studying won’t mean a thing to most employers. That job you wanted will be filled by someone else who doesn’t possess a felony.

Many young adults turn to drugs in college because they feel it helps them deal with their daily stresses. The stressors however of using drugs always outweigh the stressors of trying to fit in at school or trying to get an “A”. Drugs and the related consequences equal a life full of problems that are difficult to rebound from. There is help out there for you to avoid these problems all together. Counselors and others professionals right on campus are there to help you and most likely are a free resource to you. Utilize their expertise and allow them to help you through your challenges instead of turning to drugs for relief that will never come.

Using drugs and drinking has the potential to take away all of your hopes and dreams. An addiction to these substances can not only cost you a life full of misery and wasted time, but also your education, your friends, and your life. If you have the amazing chance to go to college, don’t throw it away for the sake of a quick high or buzz. Get help and overcome your struggles. Drugs and alcohol can kill you, but your education in college won’t. I choose the latter!

Got a question for me? Enter your email on the right side of this page.

About me: I am Super Star (yes, that is my legal name). I have earned that name – and accomplished what many people would consider impossible – because I chose to stay sober one day at a time. I left the crack houses to mingle with Hollywood’s elite, ending up working with all of my childhood musical heroes, and have now found my purpose in life after surviving an almost 15-year battle with the disease of addiction.

From our friends over at GreekForMe.com :

So you’re about to choose who you’ll be living with for the next few years of your life, the house you’ll be living in throughout these years, and a great deal of the activities you’ll be participating in for these years. It’s an easy decision right?

We didn’t think so, either! Choosing the sorority or fraternity that’s right for you is a major decision, and getting it right the first time is a lot easier. We have a wealth of Greek experience here at GreekForMe.com, and love being able to not only supply Greeks with Sorority Apparel and Fraternity Apparel, but also helping them with Greek life tips and advice. Here’s some tips to put you on the path to the right fraternity or sorority front door!

1. Attend All Rush Week Events – Rush week is your chance to get to see the inside of the Greek houses, and get to know the vibe of each house. It’s important that you feel comfortable in the house you’ll be living in – if you need a quiet environment to study, and find that the house doesn’t accommodate this well or the members tend to be on the louder side, you may want to choose another house. Rush week can be very busy, coupled with the beginning of your college semester, but it’s important you attend as many rush week events as possible. It’ll only help in the long run!

2. Research All The Chapters – Most Greek organizations have an online presence these days, so visit their websites and take a look at their mission statements, and see which you best align with. Remember, you need to feel comfortable, so choose a fraternity or sorority that best fits you. Check out their academic requirements to ensure you’ll be able to consistently meet or exceed them, as well as any community service requirements they have. Review their activity calendar from the past year, as they’ll likely have similar style activities this year. Many Greek organizations participate in philanthropic endeavors, so be sure to also read up on how you can work with the fraternity or sorority chapter to meet their philanthropic goals!

3. Meet And Greet – One of the best ways to choose the sorority or fraternity right for you is to simply meet the current members. Don’t just shake hands – attend the rush events, ask around about them, and do your best to get a glimpse of their personalities. If you can easily see yourself friends with these people, you’re in the right place. Trust your gut – if something doesn’t feel right, it’s time to move on!

Choosing the perfect sorority or fraternity for you is a major decision, but if you discover that the house you chose may not exactly be the right one, it’s completely fine to change your mind, be open that you would prefer a different chapter on your campus, and of course leave the house on good terms. Here’s to discovering the sorority or fraternity that you’ll always feel a part of!

Alicia
http://GreekForMe.com
http://Blog.GreekForMe.com
http://Twitter.com/GreekForMe

Dear Grandma,

Thanks so much for the care package you sent me-I was so excited to get it! With second semester coming up and book-buy right around the corner; the generous gift you enclosed will definitely go to good use. Thanks also for the yummy food you sent-it’s a nice break from the cafeteria!

Things at school are going well. Classes are challenging but I’m budgeting my time well to study. I also joined a fraternity since we last spoke. Even though I’m still a pledge the guys already consider me a full-member and good friend.

I hope that things are still going well in Key West. My Dad says that we’re going to visit you in April–I can’t wait to see you! Send my love to Grandpa and CiCi as well.

Love,

Peter

Translation:

Dear Grandma.

When I first saw the large box at the student union post office I was excited. The box was probably big enough to comfortably house a small child-so I naturally thought it would be jam-packed with home-made cookies, precious jewels and useless war memorabilia from grandpa.

My boyish hope was put to rest, however, when I opened the box to find only: six boxes cup noodle, one Tide to-go pen, and an envelope with five dollars. How could I forget that you and grandpa are so cheap you’d use a large box left over from your move to Key West in 1968?

In regards to the money-thanks so much! Your petty contribution will go a long way to settle the $100,000 debt I have with the university. Well, probably not, but at least your gift can be used for the cover fee for a party. Who knows, I might go to such a party and find a totally wasted girl and end up sleeping with her. So in a way, you may have helped your grandson get laid-how thoughtful of you.

The cup noodles will definitely go to good use. The cheapest meal plan here only gets you 10 meals per week so maybe if I eat the noodles really sparingly I can support my body’s metabolism on such a meager diet for a few weeks.

I joined a frat last week and it’s only because I told them that you’d died and that I had to write sympathy emails to my parents that they let me out of the putrid basement where they keep pledges locked up to develop “brotherhood.” Speaking of which, the three minutes they’re allowing me to write is almost up. So I’ll make my goodbye.

I have heard it through the grape vine that plans are in order to visit you in Key West during April. While the thought of being in Florida during Spring Break is at first appealing- sipping tonic water on your porch while listening to you talk about your recent bowel obstruction is thoroughly unappetizing. Let it be known that I will do anything I can to avoid such an excursion. Even if it means taking a last-minute “foreign exchange trip” to free me from any obligation to see you.

I hope all is going well with you and grandpa-for god’s sake don’t die! Send my love to grandpa and that annoying dog you’ve recently adopted as a way to feel needed.

Love,

Peter (I’m Catherine’s son).

I am quite glad to be back home, and as my break comes to a close, there are a few things I must reflect on. I think it’s really interesting to see what like is like when you come back from college. You begin to notice how people have changed: who has grown, who hasn’t, what new experiences people have gone through, etc. I think it’s important to understand that everyone’s experience is a little different. NO one will ever understand exactly what you went through while you were away and/or how it molded who you. Don’t be discouraged because people may not immediately accept the ‘new and improved” you. If everyone’s experiences were the same, the world wouldn’t be the unique place it is. Just remember to always stay true to yourself, and be the you you want to be.

Peace and love forever,
Danie Echols

Families are great and all but sometimes they can be a little too much, especially in highly concentrated doses. Here are some tips to make the holiday experience just a little more manageable.

1. Eggnog: Sure, you may tell crazy aunt Martha she smells like wet dog but at least you will feel good about it. If you drink just any drink the family may throw around words like alcoholic but if you generously partake in the eggnog then you’re just festive.
2. New hobbies: Tell them that this past semester you really got into meditation and must be left alone for hours to align your chi.
3. Noise cancellation headphones: Enough said.
4. Strep: let them know via email/letter/Morse code that you have come down with strep/laryngitis/ any throat condition and have no voice.
5. Story time: The more terrible college stories they here from you the better you will look. Take the time out to share the stories about your alcoholic roommate or your slutty roommate or even your alcoholic slutty roommate. You will look exponentially better in comparison.

Happy Holidays….

We all know that times are rough. Every dollar counts. This is why we are tinkering with a concept known as “microscholarships.” We can’t say that we created the term, but we hope that other companies will follow in our path and make more microscholarships available to students.

We’ve created a contest that is giving out $100 microscholarships to ten (10) entrants.

Plus, we’re making it VERY EASY to enter. It’ll probably only take you 30 seconds to submit an entry to win a $100 microscholarship.


In a nutshell, here’s HOW IT WORKS:


1. Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/realcollegetour).

2. Send us a Tweet telling us why you deserve one of our microscholarships or why you want one of them. It’ll look something like this:


3. The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on January 31, 2010. This means your Tweet must be in by then.

4. You can Tweet as many submissions as you want.

5. Entries will be judged on the “originality” and the “entertainment value” of the Tweet. Make them wise, clever, and/or fun!

6. All  ten (10) Winners will be announced on February 14th, 2010. We’ll contact the winners via Twitter, so don’t be a stranger!

Don’t forget to tell all your friends and family about the scholarship!

For more info, go to the Twitter MicroScholarship Page.

I am a hermit. Not the old fashioned kind where they live in a cave in the forest and eat bugs but in the sense that on the rare occasion I can stay holed up alone in my apartment to watch TV all day I take it. (The day is especially good if an SVU marathon is on.) On the average hermit day I’ll wear big socks, fleece sweatpants and a hoodie (that 99% of the time don’t match at all) and maybe even a hat, camp out on the couch with a blanket and my computer and watch TV all day with my cat.  If I’m feeling especially cold though I’ll break out my newly gifted Snuggie courtesy of my grandma (because they always have the warmest clothes). Not the most exciting thing to do, but the sweet sweet act of doing absolutely nothing is wonderful after a semester of school. Even the simple act of cooking food seems strenuous and as we get further into winter and the temperature drops the idea of putting on real clothes and braving the snow (even if there is only an inch outside) seems like the worst possible idea. That’s what home delivery was invented for right?

Staying in all day though breeds an inescapable sense of laziness. A laziness so intense and so epic if may result in an over drafting fee from not doing needed chores like going to the bank which most responsible people would do. I however remain on the internet and surfing basic cable channels while contemplating big decisions like should I nap now or later?

Despite the alarming thought that this may be a series of practice runs for a lifetime of being a cat lady I relish these days when for one there is absolutely no reason why I should leave my house and sit steadfast on the couch because seemingly “important” chores like transferring money and doing laundry can certainly wait another day. And if I don’t keep up with the Kardashians who will?

College relationships are…odd. I would normally suggest that anyone in college remain largely unattached.
Issues with this statement:
A. I have been in a relationship my whole college experience.

B. Miami University has the record for relationships between students that become marriages.
But there are several good things about having a steady relationship in college. The main one being that you aren’t sharing the same things as everyone else. A college campus is like a playroom in a preschool, germs are everywhere and sharing is STILL encouraged.

You can usually expect anyone in a committed relationship to start to exhibit specific signs

1. The “Toothbrush”
a. In the real world this can be anything to signify that they will be back on a regular basis.
b. My boyfriend left his collectors box set of Buffy the Vampire DVD’s

2. The nice dinners out
a. In the real world this will last until things get to be pretty comfortable.
b. In college no one has the money for this. Chipotle counts.

3. The introduction to friends
a. Usually at a gathering specifically for the occasion.
b. Usually at a party or you run into them playing video games in his apartment/dorm.

4. You’re a team
a. Using the word “we” instead of “I” Being together all the time.
b. Literally. He picks you for his beer pong matches. Plus he knows you can distract the opposing team with your feminine attributes. Hey that’s…

5. Trust
a. In the real world this is trusting them with secrets, dreams, and trusting them to be faithful
b. In college this is generally the same! No cheating, and if you have to, just have to, trust not to do it with the roommate/dorm mate/friend.
i. Also trusting them to take care of you if you do happen to loose at beer pong.