We all know that drinking is dangerous. It's bad for your health, can lead to addiction, it impairs your mind and causes lack of judgement. Alcohol can cause car accidents, injuries, blurry memory, and in very unfortunate cases, death. And on top of all that, it's illegal for anyone under 21 years of age. It seems as though alcohol had more negative side effects then positive ones but, similar to most college students, I took advantage of having alcohol easily attainable during my freshman year.

Many drunken nights came for me during this year of my life. A lot of nights forgotten as an effect of one too many shots. A lot of these nights ended in bad decisions. A lot of poor judgement on my part, but growing up in a fairly conservative family, I took advantage of my newly found freedom in college and consumed alcohol at least once or twice a week.

It wasn't until the end of my freshman year that I realized that I wasn't happy with the decisions that I was making. With the support of my roommate, family, and friends, I made the decision to stop drinking around a month before summer break. I knew all of the health and legal risks that came with drinking alcohol, but none of those reasons are why I decided to stop drinking.

Coming into college I was a very happy and confident person, I was never afraid to meet new people and I never felt as though I didn't belong in my own skin. I realized about halfway through my freshman year of college that I had began to hide behind the effects of alcohol. I found myself unable to talk to someone without the confidence boost that a little booze gave me. I also found myself very insecure unless I was a few shots deep. Drinking alcohol changed me as a person and it was something that I knew I needed to eliminate from my life.

After I stopped drinking, I began feeling like I was myself again. I didn't feel the need to hide behind alcohol anymore and even though it was a difficult transition at first, I believe that I am such a better person due to the fact that I know how to have fun and feel confident at all times of the day and not just on Friday and Saturday nights.

The buzz isn't worth the risks that most college students take, and it's sad how few people realize that. College isn't a time to drink your life away, it's a time to find yourself and figure out where you belong in this world. Hiding behind the effects of alcohol makes this seemingly impossible.

So, college students, I leave you with a mission. Live your life to the fullest. Let your personality shine through, and don't try to mask it behind alcohol. Let your brain run wild, and let yourself remember as much of your life as possible. Give people the opportunity to make an impact on you, and don't forget it. Make an impact on others live, and not by winning a beer pong tournament or being able to shotgun a beer faster than all of your friends. Make your presence known and know that you are a blessing and you don't need to hide behind booze. May your 4 years be filled with late nights, early mornings, lots of laughs, and endless happiness. Give yourself the chance to find a way to achieve all of this without the impairment of alcohol. Trust me when I say that it's well worth it.