The 5 Negative Consequences Of Partying Over Studying
“I don’t get high, but sometimes I wish I did.
That way, when I messed up in life, I would have an excuse.
But, right now, there’s no rehab for stupidity.”
– Chris Rock, U.S. comedian, and actor
Right now, there really is no rehab for stupidity. There’s no place you can go to detox, away from other stupid people, under the correct professional guidance and supervision, to get yourself a little brighter, a little bit smarter, and then to re-enter the local community as a valid member of society, prepared to never return to your utterly nonsensical ways of the past – indeed, as someone now in possession of a few more sandwiches in the picnic basket.
Unless, of course, I’m subconsciously discussing college here…
Take any typical college campus. Throw in a free(ish) weekend, and the majority of young people are going to be looking to enjoy themselves, have the proverbial good time. And why not? And so what if those Monday memories of it all are a little jaded, a little sketchy, filled in only by amigos who approach you with a look of fair disbelief on their face? There’s time enough in your life to be putting your shoulder to the wheel, making the mortgage payment this month, every month, and filling the tank every couple of days. If cars still have tanks then…
That was my attitude during my college days. Add the fact that I was well down the road of chronic addiction (liquor and meth, to be precise), and a free weekend was a done deal. Winner, winner, blackout dinner. Tell me about it on Monday. Or Tuesday… Or never. Just avoid me in the corridor.
Nowadays, I’m a little more focused, to say the least. Nearly ten years ago, and thanks to my parents, I found myself in one of the other kinds of rehabs – the ones where they detox you and then make you well from the years of substance abuse that you subjected yourself to. And, with good luck and a following wind, I’ve been clean and sober ever since. And sobriety feels good.
Real drug and alcohol rehab, for me anyway, was a far better source of meaningful education than college ever was. But, I guess, it comes down to what you’re studying. I, as it turned out, was majoring in a chronic disease that came close to killing me. Now if that doesn’t get you to sit up and pay attention in class, I don’t know what will.
I’d like to share some of my class notes with you here. Especially aimed at those students who are tempted by a weekend of drunken and drug-induced debauchery as opposed to settling down with a nice History essay or five. Here are your 5 negative consequences of partying over studying:
Alcohol Overload
“It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.”
“What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?”
“You ask a glass of water.”
– Douglas Adams, British author, and playwright
Drinking alcohol at college parties is as endemic as textbooks. It’s there, and how you deal rationally with it is an important aspect of your college life. Fail to do so, and rationality will go out of the window as your reliance upon it increases. Take it from one who’d chug a shot before the first class of the day. Alcohol’s effect on any student will take various forms – here’s a few to get you thinking:
- Liver Disease
- Pancreatitis
- Cancer
- Ulcers & Gastrointestinal Problems
- Immune System Dysfunction
- Brain Damage
- Malnourishment & Vitamin Deficiencies
- Osteoporosis
- Heart Disease
- Accidents & Injuries
Being young doesn’t make you exempt. Many of the fellow addicts I shared rehab with were experiencing a number of these, and some were irreversible. Irreversible.
Sleep Deprivation
One of the main consequences of partying like you’re Prince (am I showing my age here?) and it’s 1999 is this – sleep deprivation. Not enough of it, poor quality sleep, or not even being able to get there in the first place. And this can be whether your party fun was chemically-induced or not. So, say goodbye to past levels of concentration when the lesson bell rings. And everybody knows that Monday morning feeling of wishing for a brand new weekend to suddenly begin again.
Sliding Grades
“Striking a balance” is pretty good advice for anyone when it comes to getting through life. Yes, there is doing what needs to be done, and, yes, there is doing what doesn’t need to be done, but you want to anyway. Get the balance right, and they won’t be able to wipe that smug smile off your face. Get it wrong at college, and your teachers and professors will know before you do – your grades will snitch, and will tell on you. Guaranteed.
Remember, it’s never too late to recover your academic performance, and get back on track. Or is it? I’m an example of principal-stamped proof of the latter. I actually remember one tutor telling me that I needed more than a miracle to pass the semester, and considering I had failed every Monday morning to rise from the dead as Jesus had done, that was probably a little too far-fetched for me. That was my “Satirical Humor” class.
Ever-Changing Moods
Partying should make you happy. Usually, it does. However, the after-effects of any binge, drugs or alcohol or both, is going to hit you emotionally. You are in no way going to be your usual motivated, leveled, industrious self if you have become a permanent fixture of the house party circuit. Two biggies to watch out for here: anxiety and depression. If either of these sound alarm bells with you, it really is time for a time-out.
Conflicts Where There Should Be None
When you become out of control on a reasonably regular basis (and take it from me, control wasn’t one of my things), conflicts will invariably arise, some of which you will have no idea about until the other side decides to vent at you. And, in my experience, vent they will. Too much partying will always try and knock down the walls of personal relationships – romantic, friends, and acquaintances. You have been warned.
What Happens Next…
Well, that’s up to you. Tone it down, hit the books a little more, strike that balance, and all will be good. Carry on like you’ve got one month to live, and, like me, maybe you’ll be told that for real one day. Yes, it’s college, yes, it’s your life, yes, you’re younger than I’ll ever be, but, unless you make changes if you are bearing witness to the consequences described above, then maybe you’ll wake up one morning, back of a dumpster, no money, no home, no nada, just an angry thirst. Yes, many a time, in case you’re wondering.
Have you been out too much lately, living it up when you should be handing it in? Please let us know by sharing a comment below. The last thing – take it easy. Because life gets no easier.