“To thine own self be true.” ~ William Shakespeare

I thought that my high school graduation signified the end of peer pressure, but it didn’t. Although college is arguably not like high school, this campus still breeds sheep.

In high school the stakes were higher. If you didn’t go out and party with the “cool kids” then you would be considered a loser, or someone that the popular kids would only talk to when no one else was around. It’s safe to say that it was much harder to redeem yourself or change your approach in high school because everyone basically knew everyone.

Of course that’s not the case in college. Having a 5-figure student enrollment guarantees that this is a place where everybody doesn’t know everybody’s name. The only people that know you are the ones in your personal network of friends. And that’s where the peer pressure starts.

During my freshmen year I wanted to get the full effect of college life. And I did with an average of two parties a week. But it wasn’t long before I found out that the whole party scene was boring. My friends however disagreed with me and insisted that I go along with them. After much pleading, I relented and tagged along just so I didn’t have to deal with my friends giving me a hard time.

Now no matter where I went and who was there, I found myself in this constant cumbersome situation. I was being forced to socialize with people I didn’t care to know. I didn’t hide how I felt at these parties. It got to the point that I would bring a book and start reading it to show that I’d rather not be there. Then again, I didn’t have to be at any party in the first place. So why was I?

Peer pressure. I loved my friends dearly and would have done anything for them. Enduring loud music and drunken guys hitting on me all the time was proof of that. Then the wheels started to turn in my head. If my friends loved me, then they wouldn’t constantly beg me to do things that I seriously did not want to do.

I confronted them on this and it took them awhile to let my opinion register into their heads. After a few arguments here and there, they ultimately respected my decision.

I still get the occasional call to go out and party, but it’s okay because now I don’t feel pressured to go anymore. But, I probably would feel pressured if I didn’t speak up and tell my peers what I thought of their precious parties.