What they do not tell you about college in the movies.

College is the goal that most people have after high school. They can’t wait to get their diplomas, pack their bags, and head off to the land of the free. According to the movies that most watch before attending college, show that college comes with all the freedom that their parents have been preventing them from having all these years.  In the land of the free, you can drink till your eyes fall out.  You can become popular and join a fraternity or sorority, and feel like you’re on top of the world with all the connections you’ll be able to make. And since there is so many people in college, you can change your sex partners like you change your clothes. Unfortunately, the movies never explained that the land of the freedom may come with a price, your life. Most students who enter college are not educated enough about the bad side of the “land of the freedom,” and how some people do not make out healthy or even alive.

STDS
            According to nursingschools.net sexually transmitted diseases rates are much higher among teens and young adults than any other age group. Most college believe that are not at risk of contracting an STD. The website states otherwise. One in four students are estimated to contract an STD during their four years of college. The smaller the population of students in the college community the bigger chance the students have to acquire an STD. It is very important for college students to educate themselves about sex and what may come with it. Many students don’t realize that many of these STDS are untreatable and can be carried with them for the rest of their lives. School health centers know the high risk that students have when it comes to STDS, so they offer free condoms and sexual education courses. Students tend to not utilize these resources that their school health center provides for them, till it’s too late.

Fraternity and Sororities

Majority of college students attend college to get their degree. Before attending college most student’s watch movies that deal with college, to get a better understanding of what to expect. In the movies that show the life of a college students, you see the “popular” students. The ones who have all the friends, and get invited to all the parties. You see the guys who get all the girls, or the females who have other females dying to be their friend, and guys begging to be their boyfriend. Those popular students in the movies tend to have letters on their clothing. Those letter represents Greek organizations, known as fraternities and sororities. Majority of the students that have watch those movies come to college and develop this feeling of wanting to belong to Greek organization. Most of those same students who are interested in these organizations did not learn from those movies the dark side of some of these organizations. Movies did not teach them about “hazing.” Babson.edu defines hazing as an activity that is expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuse or endangers them, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate. It’s important for students educate students on the dangers of joining a Greek organization, because the lack of knowledge can cost the student their life.

Drinking and Driving

In a lot of movies that portray a life of a college student, you tend to see that college student going a lot of parties. In those parties, you tend to see tons of drinking going on. After those parties are done, you sometime see the characters get in a car, and attempt to drive home.  Most movies don’t explain to viewers the bad outcome of driving after drinking. A lot of college students feel that they are invincible, especially when they have alcohol in their system. They believe that they can do anything, including driving while intoxicated. According to collegedrinkingprevention.gov, about one-half of all fatal traffic crashes among 18-24 year olds involve alcohol and most of the people who have died in these crashes are college students. Well.wvu.edu reported alcohol related crashes kill one person every 31 minutes and injures one person every two minutes. The website also reported that 1,700 college students doe each year from alcohol related accidents, including car accidents. Majority of students either don’t know these numbers or don’t care, until it’s too late. Educating college students on the dangers of drinking and driving is very important and vital for their safety.

College is a beautiful experience for the majority of people who get a chance to go.

College comes with many lessons, that most college students learn outside of the classroom. A lot of people who come to college spend their four years at their institution with no problems, and others don’t get that same pleasure. Although college can be very fun, it can also become very dangerous. Life is all about choices, and its very important that students educate themselves not only about the bright side of college but also the bad side too.