5 Tips for Remaining Sober Through College

Granted, college is not a time usually connected with sobriety, but that is exactly the problem: you may feel that you will be unable to remain sober through this time in your life because of the reputation that precedes college life. The fact is that with these five simple tips, maintaining an alcohol-free lifestyle though this incredible time in your life actually won’t be too hard after all.

Be upfront

Tell your friends, classmates and roommates what you are doing and even why. Be honest about what you are trying to achieve, and people will not only respect you for it but they will probably try to help you along the way. If everybody knows that you don’t drink, most of those will respect your boundaries and refrain from offering you drinks and putting you in a position where it is difficult to say ‘no’. The fact is that most people will absolutely respect your decision.

Stay active

If you play sports or maintain a physically active lifestyle, drinking alcohol just doesn’t really fit in with your routine. Set yourself training goals that completely prohibit alcohol and once again it will win the respect of others and further remove any temptation you have to take a drink.

“If you are part of a sports team at college, the team and coaching ethos will be to refrain from unhealthy activities, so you will surround yourself with likeminded individuals and the support you need to live a sober college life,” advises Todd Karthik, a health blogger at Boomessays.com and Academized.com.

Join a sobriety club

There were be many people just like you who will choose to have an alcohol-free education, and at most large colleges you will find clubs dedicated to students just like you who want to enjoy themselves without the pressure of having to drink. These clubs will organize a host of social events which do not revolve around drinking, which will again make it easier for you to enjoy yourself without feeling the need to have a drink.

Surround yourself with strong advocates

Once again, most people will totally respect your decision, and there will likely be many more students like you who won’t want to have a drink. But even if your friends do, quickly align yourself with those people you know will support you and seek to remove the temptation. These people will be your advocates at the most difficult times, and are truly the kinds of people you want to have around you, not just through college, but after too.

Don’t hide away

Just because you don’t drink, it doesn’t mean you can’t go to parties or go out and enjoy yourself. What some people who drink find hard to understand is it is possible to go out and have a good time without alcohol. Indeed, some of the most socially engaging people are those who have led a lifetime of sobriety, and you can be the same.

“Feel comfortable in your own skin, and you also have the added advantage of knowing you won’t do anything silly or wake up in the morning full of regret, and with a terrible headache. It really is a win/win situation,” suggests Becky Devlin, a writer at PaperFellows.com and BigAssignments.com.

Takeaway

So there you have it. Approach college safe in the knowledge that not only will there be many people like you who will want to enjoy a sober education, but there will be countless others who will support your decision and actively help you to maintain your stance. Then just go out and have fun like everyone else, you totally deserve it.