Rock and Roll Saved My Soul

Drug use and experimentation tend to proliferate on college campuses. For those who can afford this experience, campuses are often a sanctuary for drug use. In high school, drinking alcohol was my only experience with substance use. Right before college, I was required to partake in an online program about alcohol – one that demonstrated how to minimize harms associated with drinking, such as not drinking if you are planning on driving, staying well hydrated, eating before you drink, knowing how many alcoholic beverages you’ve had, or spacing out the drinks you are already consuming. These strategies help to keep people safe and prevent deaths, and are referred to as harm reduction. In my freshman year, I found myself in a position where drugs of all kinds were almost literally falling into my lap. How did this happen? I was encountering drugs I had never even heard of left and right, and with the emergence of online drug markets, it could be as easy as shopping on Amazon. I ...

Sexual assault on college campuses is a common problem that often goes unreported. It includes any unwanted sexual activity, from unwanted touching to rape. Alcohol and drugs often play a role in sexual assault on campuses. If you have been sexually assaulted, it is not your fault. You are not alone, and you can get help. How common is sexual assault on college campuses? Sexual assault is common among female students of all ages, races, and ethnicities. One in five women in college experiences sexual assault. Studies show that students are at the highest risk of sexual assault in the first few months of their first and second semesters in college. Women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or gay are more likely to experience sexual assault on college campuses than heterosexual women. Why is sexual assault on college campuses so common? Sexual assault happens everywhere and to women and men of all ages. But it is common on college campuses, and, among adults, sexual a...

Be unapologetically yourself: “You will never influence the world by trying to be like it.” I wish someone had reminded me of this more often. You are you and you couldn’t find someone who was made up of the same wonderful characteristics as you are even if you looked forever. Be proud of that. Care about yourself, love yourself, be yourself. Going into college, especially going away to college, you suddenly find yourself (literally) in an entirely new world made up of entirely new people. It is an exciting time, a new adventure, and it can be a wonderful test of your personal independence and growth. But it can also be a test of your recognizing that you are who you are for many reasons. You do not have to be who other people want (or expect) you to be. And you do not have to feel pressured from other people around you. You never have to do what other people are doing or join something you know is not a good idea. Your actions, too, bring these values to life e...