I remember the giggles and laughter when first learning about male and female
body parts in junior high health class. All of us were curious to know more,
but
we had
to play it cool and act like we already knew, so we made jokes and played around.
Unfortunately, for many college students, this is still the prevalent attitude.
College is an extremely critical time for your personal and social development. You want to fit in, find a supportive group of friends, and be part of the popular crowd. This will be the first time that many students have been able to make their own decisions about whether or not to go out on the weekends, and how late to stay out. It’s very easy to get caught up in the mix. Instead of thinking for themselves, some students will simply play along with the stereotypical college routine. They think partying, drinking, meaningless flings, and sexual experimentation are the keys to acceptance. And just like back in junior high, they may not really know what they’re doing or have a clue about good sexual health, but laugh and joke along anyway so that they’re not ostracized, labeled, or left out.
It’s a tough position to be in. One the one hand, common sense says that you want to get to know someone before you move too fast, and that you also want to get a good start on your academics. On the other hand, you and that cute guy from your Economics class have been studying together later and later, and he’s invited you to stay over a few times. The interest, curiosity, and excitement have led you to bend a bit, and even put off studying for other subjects so that you could extend your time with him. But now you don’t know what to do.
Or perhaps all of the guys you hang out with have been bragging about how they’ve made successful “hook-ups” at the last few parties. You’ve been trying to stay faithful to your girl back home, but your friends have been clowning you, saying that she doesn’t even exist. Many of the girls you’ve seen on campus have caught your eye, and now, because of your friends, you’re struggling even more with whether or not to play the party scene and create your own stories to tell. What your girlfriend doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?
These are just two quick examples to illustrate some of the difficult situations that you may encounter. Let’s face it – we’re all human, and will have human needs of attention and affection. We’ll also face temptation and peer pressure. It’s often not easy to make the best decisions, especially when there are so many examples of bad decision making around us. Nevertheless, as hard as it may be, you must establish personal standards and try your best to live by them. Everything in your life boils down to the choices that you make. If you end up creating a child, cheating on someone, or catching a sexually transmitted disease, you will be the one stuck with the bill to pay. Things may seem fun and exciting, but can end up hurting your grades, self-esteem, friendships, relationships, future options, and your health. Don’t simply act on impulse or move with the crowd, because often, the crowd doesn’t know what they’re doing either.
