Blame It On The Alcohol, “Did I Do That?”

It’s college, so let’s be realistic– most students (whether legally or not) are drinking– and they’re not just having one. Face it, most college students go out and toss back countless numbers of drinks in record breaking time. Mostly, they pay for this the next day when they wake up hungover and nauseated. Here’s the problem: college can be just as much of a “he said, she said” world as high school. Whenever we go out drinking, most of us experience the inevitable next day: “Do you remember when you did this…?,” “Oh my God when this happened…,” “I can’t believe you…,” etcetera. It can become a never-ending list of embarrassing things that you did, but the real question is: did you actually do them?

Memory loss can be an ugly thing because no story is ever the same twice. Once you surpass the level of control where you know exactly where you are and what you are doing, you may never know. Friends are always eager to dish out what happened the next day, but half of the time they were drunk as well, or they are distorting and exaggerating for comic effect. Let’s face it: they can do this simply because you don’t know. Did you run up and down your dorm halls screaming? John says you did, but Jane said you were quiet as a church mouse. This is a problem that ultimately results in not knowing how dangerous you are when you’re drunk. You will never truly know how you act when you’re drunk until you catch it on tape.

Stop perpetuating drama! For all of those people who love to dish the “dirty deeds” from the night before, just stop. You are potentially ruining reputations and spreading lies, and in college this is a dangerous game to play. People get angry, people get upset, and ultimately, this isn’t high school anymore, so there aren’t parents around and keeping their kids in line. Basically, shit can get real, and fast. Take this for what it is, a warning. Most people wind up suffering the next day, battling the difference between “I remember that…,” and “I think I remember because someone told me…”

To finish up, let me throw out some helpful information to keep in mind the next time you go drinking, because you know you will. According to factsontap.org the average blood alcohol level at which a person can begin experiencing memory loss is .10%-.12%, for an average girl this only about three drinks, and for a guy about four. Depending on the alcohol, you could be surpassing this amount with one red solo cup. There’s safety in knowledge, so aim to remember your actions.