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Written by: Melody Shekari
Throughout our culture, it’s assumed that college is now all about drinking, but is it really? Campus can feel like that on a Friday or Saturday night, but the hours that Bentley students spend in the library on weeknights and Sundays suggest otherwise.
But what is the balance between drinking and studying for college students? According to a recent USA Today article, nearly 50% of college freshmen that drink spent more time drinking than studying. The survey found that an average of 10.2 hours a week were spent drinking compared to 8.4 hours a week studying.
In order to find out if Bentley has similar statistics as the average college, Jessica Greher, Assistant Director for Wellness and Coordinator for Alcohol and other Drug Education, was able to provide information comparing national and Bentley survey results regarding alcohol.
Many studies have shown that colleges in the Northeast have a higher drinking rate than other regions and the national average. Caucasian males and business culture are two characteristics that have also correlated with higher drinking rates.
These surveys are based on self-reported student estimates, and although they may not be as accurate as actually timing a student’s weekly activities, they provide important insight into behavior and how students rate their own habits.
According to the National Collegiate Health Assessment from 2006, 56.9% of the 439 Bentley students surveyed said that alcohol had not affected their academics, while over 8% said that they received a lower exam or course grade as a result of drinking.
The survey also questioned students regarding how many hours a student spent drinking at their last event with alcohol. Almost 28% reported spending only zero to two hours, 22.7% reported three to four hours, 33% reported five to six hours, and about 15% reported seven or more hours.
Through these surveys, it was found that 25% of Bentley students drink more than two days a week, while the national average out of 94,806 surveyed students was 15%.
The AlcoholEdu program that surveys freshmen in August and October about their alcohol habits and attitudes was another thing Greher addressed. She noted that perceptions of what college life should be and what it actually is could impact the behavior and attitudes of freshmen, even after October. She also mentioned that alcohol usage can be high in freshman year and tail off in junior and senior years.
Of the 796 students over 18 that were surveyed, 23% said that they didn’t drink the past year in August, and the number dropped to 17% in October. The 543 drinkers surveyed were also questioned about the number of hours they drank in the last instance of heavy drinking in the past two weeks. 67.4% of students reported drinking for less than two hours, and only 7% drank for six or more hours.
The survey also had interesting indications for when in the week students are drinking. The survey showed that most students drink on Friday and Saturday night. On the issue of getting drunk on a school night, 66.8% of students felt that it was unacceptable to drink on a school night, and that number increased from August to October. From the survey of the freshman class the year before, 71.7% felt that it was unacceptable. This survey also questioned the study habits in terms of number of hours spent studying in a week. Over 86% of students reported studying six or more hours a week, and 50% studied 11 or more hours a week.
Of the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, 10% of students reported that they were concerned about their sleep or studies being interrupted by an intoxicated student.
Although these results came from Bentley students when entering their freshman year, what do Bentley students think after being here for a semester or a year?
Two male freshmen, a female sophomore, and a male sophomore were questioned about their experience and observations of alcohol use on campus, as well as reactions to the USA Today article.
When asked if the average student at Bentley drinks more than studies, one freshman responded, “Most freshmen do. [Be]cause we don’t have – to study.” Another freshman said, “No, the average person doesn’t…people honestly spend a lot of time studying.” He also commented that although going out Friday or Saturday night is common, Thursday night is the breakeven point—students who drink on Thursdays as well spent equal or more time drinking compared to studying. He also felt that the USA Today article blew the alcohol usage out of proportion.
Two nights a week, or the average 10 hours a week a student spends drinking according to USA Today’s article, seems small when considering how many hours of the week students have outside of classes and sleep. He asked, “Do you want [students] to study all of the time? They blow off the weekend anyways.”
This sentiment was echoed by the female sophomore. She said, “weekends would [otherwise] be spent watching movies…weekends are meant to relax.” She also stated that the average Bentley student went out three nights a week, sometimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and estimated that probably 60% of students studied more than they drank. She expressed skepticism regarding the accuracy of the self-reporting manner of the surveys, saying that some may over exaggerate while others under report their behaviors. She also said, “I know smart people who like alcohol…and people don’t drink on Sundays.”
The male sophomore interviewed stated firmly, “more students [at Bentley] are studious, because Bentley is competitive.” He also estimated that students went out on average three nights a week, and he felt that though the 10 hours a week spent drinking may be accurate, students need their “unwinding time”.
There are many questions unanswered in the USA Today article, and the students interviewed for this article brought up some very good points as well. Although surveys show that there are a variety of other interests students have including sports and hanging out with friends, many drink in social settings to relax.
There are obvious risks with drinking too much, but the point of these programs are to educate you on drinking and to inform you so that you can make smart decisions if one decides to drink. Students should engage in activities that include the outdoors, sports, arts, etc., but the argument that students are missing out on these things because they are drinking is extremely short-sighted. It doesn’t take into account financial constraints, laziness, time frame, or dislike for these activities.
{ 1 comment }
To make a couple of points, I think that students at Bentley spend far more time studying than drinking. I can see it from both sides, given during my first 2 years at Bentley, I did drink Thursday through Saturday on a weekly basis- but the second those major classes came around and it became a necessity to buckle down, I did just that. I drink, on average, 1 night every 2 weeks. It’s not an option to do otherwise. To those who still drink excessively in their senior year, I’m amazed. If I drank Thursday through Saturday in my senior year, I wouldn’t survive.
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