‘These are the best years of your life.’
‘Work hard, play hard.’
‘University is where lifelong friendships are made.’
‘You’ll miss it when it’s over.’
These are the words we hear about the ‘holy’ university experience. People often speak of their student years with a sense of longing. My parents both made lifelong friends at university, and they’re still close today. Growing up with that testament set high expectations for my own student experience. But that’s a lot of pressure.
If these are the best years of our lives, we must enjoy them while they last, right? For many students, university life is the first taste of independence. Free from home’s constraints, we start to test boundaries. Alcohol is deeply woven into university culture, a way to bond with peers and cope with academic stress. None of this is inherently bad, but when drinking is seen as a rite of passage, peer pressure is behind the wheel. Think of some student associations here in Groningen, where alcohol is weaponized to haze newcomers. If the rumours are true, these traditions become dark and morally questionable.
The real problem is how normalized heavy drinking has become. It’s easy to dismiss excessive drinking as just part of the university experience, something that will pass once we graduate. ‘You only live once.’ But as the parties pile up and the hangovers worsen, the impact on our lives – and the dependency – grows. Studies show that drinking habits formed during university often follow students into adult life, increasing the risk of lifelong addiction.
Drinking habits formed during university often follow students into adult life, increasing the risk of lifelong addiction
What defines alcoholism? In the Netherlands, you’re an excessive drinker if you have more than 21 drinks per week as a man, or 14 as a woman. You’re a heavy drinker if you consume six drinks in one day, once a week (for women, it’s four). But how does this definition extend to students, where this behaviour is the norm? How do we know when the line to addiction is crossed?
Drinking as a student is typically a social affair. Everyone might drink the same amount – some get drunk, others don’t. We joke about someone being a ‘lightweight’ if they get tipsy easily, ignoring the fact that tolerance and the risk of addiction differ for each person. 10 to 20 percent of people who try alcohol or illegal drugs get addicted. Genetics play a significant role, determining 60 percent of your addiction risk. So, what role should universities play? Is it their responsibility to act?
Addiction is a mental disorder, but stigma often prevents real discussion. Universities can preach healthier habits, but any restrictions on alcohol will likely backfire. The real solution is removing the stigma. Perhaps it’s time to start a group called Alcoholics Not Anonymous.
Personally, I choose to believe these aren’t the best years of my life. That takes the pressure off, because maybe turning 60 will be a vibe.
CARLA ERASMUS