As you pick up that bottle, you are making the conscious decision right then and there that you will most likely not be doing homework. Instead, you will be letting your mind and thoughts wander throughout the night and take you elsewhere.

The thought, “Should college be a four-year party?” at some point has traveled through students’ brains, taunting them about what kind of person they should be.

It’s plastered all over television. Movies show huge college parties where beer is being poured down a staircase and nobody remembers anything but a fun night.

A fun night it may be, but a four-year party comes with consequences. I myself have witnessed this. My stepbrother attended the University of Rhode Island and was enrolled before I knew him.

I attended his college graduation—well, sort of. He did walk the stage, but he didn’t actually finish all of his classes. Why? Well, for one, he was the partier and didn’t know when to quit. He also didn’t have friends at the time who saw this as a problem.

My stepbrother went through a lot. His uncle died while he was in college in a fire truck accident which resulted in him being brain dead and was he unable to recover. My stepbrother became depressed. Although he enjoyed his share of beer, it became worse as a result.

Instead of graduating in four years, it took him nine. He took a break from URI and ultimately went back, but still didn’t even fully graduate when the time came.

Now, I’m not trying to knock him down. I am insanely proud of him. Losing anyone in your life is extremely difficult and everyone handles it differently. With that being said, I believe some people use college parties as an escape, but eventually, it will catch up.

I myself have fallen for it. Dealing with any type of stress puts a weight on our shoulders that hunches us over while we feel as if we’re ready to break. The thought of going to a party instead of staring at an eight-page study guide is probably what most college students would like to do. I know sometimes I would, whether I’d like to admit it or not.

You have to know when to stop and if you don’t, then you have to know when to seek help. Going to a party is not a bad thing. Having a drink or two is not damaging, but letting it occur every day can become an addiction.

I believe in moderation. College was made for students to get an education and succeed after graduation. College was also made for new experiences and creating lifelong memories worth sharing down the road.

After seeing what my stepbrother went through, there is no doubt in my mind that college was one of the best takeaways from life that he will ever get. For myself, even though I did not know him at some points of his college career, I can say I want to do things differently.

I want to create memories and photo-worthy times while keeping in mind that college should not just be a four-year party. College should be a time where people own up to their responsibilities. High school was for games. College is for growing.

I want to grow and learn from the experiences I had and the people I have surrounded myself with; some good, some bad. I want to treat college as a four-year learning experience, not a four-year party.