Summer Before College Top Time for Teen Drinking

Students test their boundaries and spend time at parties with friends before leaving for college; they also overestimate how much drinking takes place on college campuses.

Preparing for a son or daughter to leave for college is a stressful time for any parent. But along with worries about buying furniture for their dorm room and paying for college, parents might also want to consider having a talk with their teen about the dangers of alcohol abuse. While many college students get caught up in the party lifestyle and end up in alcohol rehabilitation after leaving for college, the summer before college starts is also a critical moment in defining their relationship with alcohol.

University of Rhode Island Psychology Professor and a nationally recognized alcohol researcher Mark Wood recently told Science Daily that the summer before a person heads off to college is the time when a teen is most likely to increase their alcohol consumption. This doesn’t just hold true for teens who are already showing signs of alcohol addiction — Wood said this is true of children who have been continually monitored and emotionally supported by their families.

However, teens with strong family backgrounds who have had conversations about the dangers of alcohol and drug addiction don’t increase their use nearly as much as teens whose parents have taken a more “hands-off” approach. This also applies to after the teen is in college. Wood said this suggests that the lessons that parents teach their children about abusing drugs and alcohol resonate and are internalized, forming boundaries which can help them avoid problems which could end with them in an alcohol or drug rehab facility.

So why do students drink more the summer before they leave for college? There are several possible reasons. One is that they consider that summer break to be their “last chance” to hang out with their high school friends before moving on to start another life. This means plenty of parties and other opportunities to experiment with drugs and alcohol. While this might not lead them to alcohol and drug rehab centers, it can pave the way for excessive drinking in college.

In addition, many students might feel like they need to “test themselves” and prepare for what they perceive will be an increased amount of drinking in college. According to Wood, most incoming college students overestimate the amount of drinking that takes place on campus. Understanding that college is not one booze-soaked bender can help students feel better about moderating their drinking — or not drinking at all — before college and limit the type of binge drinking behavior which might eventually lead them to alcohol and drug rehab centers.