Does binge drinking make college a happier experience for students? A new study insists the answer is yes.
The study, conducted by researchers at Colgate University in New York, interviewed 1,595 students at a small college in the Northeast part of the US. The results revealed that students who binge drink are happier with their college experience than those who do not.
For those of you wondering, binge drinking is defined as a man who drinks five or more alcohol beverages in one single sitting at least once during a two-week period. Likewise, women who consume four or more drinks in one sitting during the same time period are also considered binge drinkers.
“Students in all groups consistently like college more when they participated in the campuses’ binge drinking culture,” said Dr. Carolyn Hsu, a co-author of the study.
Interestingly enough, most students admitted that they didn’t drink because they liked the taste of alcohol but more so to “fit in.”
“One thing that was a recurrent comment were students who said, ‘Everyone drinks here…I don’t want to get drunk, but I feel like I don’t belong here if I don’t.’” Hsu added in regards to the results. “Then the next person would write, ‘I don’t really want to drink, but this is what everyone else does.’ And the next person would write, ‘You know, I don’t mind drinking a little, but I don’t want to get smashed, but everyone does that.’”
Do you think that students who binge drink are more satisfied with their college experience compared to those that don’t?
Source: DigitalJournal.com
