Ashley was the stereotypical good girl. She had A’s in high school and was the track, volleyball, and even power-lifting star. She was heavily involved in her church and worked at a Christian camp over the summer. Her family is close to one another, her parents are happily married, and her siblings all serve the Lord. She didn’t drink or do drugs, and she had only dated a few boys casually. Her life as a whole was pure and happy. No, she was not perfect, but she was Ashley, your cliché, all-American good girl. Everyone expected great things out of her- high grades, a good sorority, med school, a Christian boyfriend, and an excellent reputation. She would be that girl, that “Baylor approved,” beautiful, sweet girl.
However, a few weeks into college, she became that girl, but not the girl that everyone had predicted. During Welcome Week she went to a few fraternity parties and had a little to drink, but nothing serious. She kissed one boy, but just in a drunken stupor, nothing serious. The next weekend she had a little more, and the next, even more. Ashley quickly spiraled out of control. She now drinks constantly, whether at a fraternity party, a friend’s house, or even in her dorm room by herself, with a cup of Ramen and a movie on Netflix. She has smoked weed, but she says, “It wasn’t a big deal.” She has been with twelve boys in a mere three months, and now has a reputation with the fraternities as that freshman girl. She has made a fool of herself time after time in public places, and is blacklisted from several major sororities. Her grades are horrible, with D’s and F’s in the majority of her classes. Does she see the error and problems in her ways? Does she agree it is time for a change? No. She is in college, the time of her life, so she is “just having fun. It is nothing serious.”
The above “Ashley” is my roommate. She is the sweetest, most funny girl you will ever meet. Our personalities mesh perfectly and I love her during the week. However, when it comes to the weekend, she transforms into the one stereotypical person I did not want to room with. Her wild side comes out and it is unbearable. This is not what I signed up for. I signed up for that girl, who loves Jesus and her family. What happened to transform her into that one freshman girl, who boys love for a night and sorority girls instantly dislike? This problem is not just a personal problem with my roommate; nearly every college freshman knows someone like this. People who lose control of themselves and their bad habits are common. What can we, as friends and family, Baylor University, as the school, and authority, like professors and CLs, do to help reduce good students losing themselves in the freedom of college?
In order to find a solution, we must know the causes, and this problem has several different origins. Some students are too sheltered or protected. When they get to the “real world,” they cannot handle it. The newfound freedom overwhelms them, and they want to do everything. One Baylor student told me, in regards to one of his friends, that “Jimmy went wild because his parents were way too strict on him prior to going to Baylor, thus he never got to experience the things he is now doing in college.” Protecting your children from the evils of the world is a great idea, but a general education is still key. That does not mean that giving your middle school kids vodka will help them control their future alcohol consumption, but to send a child into college completely naïve of their future independence is a common and foolish mistake. Other students greatly desire popularity, friends, the title of being “cool,” and a place in the right crowd. They will do anything to ensure that. Unfortunately, they appear foolish and immature more than they impress others. For a while, “Ashley” would bring alcohol into our dorm room. She would get beer from friends, and even stole some while babysitting. She made sure everyone knew she had it in the room. She once lied to a guy about having vodka mixed in with the cranberry juice. Her ploy to impress him did not work, which was evident by the confused and even slightly repulsed look on his face. The last cause seems to be an invincible mindset, where nothing bad can happen to you. It is just alcohol and a little pot, right? This is college, with no parents, no responsibilities, and all opportunity. We are young, free, and wild. It is just having fun and this is the time to experience everything. “Ashley” has said several times, “What’s the worst that could happen?” She’s driven drunk, ran from several busted parties, and fooled around with many, many guys, only to have her heart broken. Each and every day she is living the repercussions of the “what’s the worst that could happen?” mentality, yet she is still blind to her errors. Media reinforces this lifestyle all the time, but very rarely does it show the realistic consequences.
Excessive drinking and partying can lead to various devastating ef