Life at the #1 Party School

With spring break coming up and midterms coming to an end, the last thing us Tulane students want to do is think about our “bad drinking habits”. But, I think it is important, especially after this holiday of nonstop partying, to think about the effect the culture of New Orleans and Tulane has on our life habits as college kids.

We all know there are no shortages of parties here. I mean, we have The Boot open all night every night just 20 steps away from the library. And if that’s not enough, there’s a themed frat party every weekend or hundreds of bars in the French Quarter just a 15 minute Uber ride away. While this easy accessibility to vodka tonics and strawberry daiquiris makes NOLA one of the most fun, exciting cities to go to college in, it can also construe our values and start to overpower our Tulane experience. It is SO easy to get caught up in the pressure to drink and party very often here. It has become normal at this point for us to be going out just 8 hours before class or ferociously Amazon priming sunglasses for the USA themed party on Saturday night. The constant hype of going out and getting drunk has become a central part of many Tulane attendee’s lives.

It is true that this is the stage in our lives where it is ok and totally normal to enjoy partying. We are in this weird place where we are on our way to becoming adults and expected to be doing adult things but at the same time we are still wild kids who just want to have fun. It’s the first time we are living without our parents and don’t have to get permission to go out 3 days in a row if we really want to. We’re surrounded by new people and places, and sometimes it seems hard to say no to the opportunities that come our way, especially if they involve a fun night at the Boot. But, it is so important to remember that these aren’t going to be our lives forever. Although we should enjoy every minute of our wild college years, it’s important to snap back to reality sometimes.

Think about all your recent drinking escapades, like for example, Mardi Gras, a few weeks ago. Yes, this festival is New Orlean’s biggest reason to celebrate and Tulane’s special party, but also, we do have to realize the fact that we just drank heavily for almost a week straight is a little bit crazy and not at all normal. I’m not trying to be a party pooper; I for one am just as caught up in this lifestyle as any other Tulane student. I am the absolute queen of FOMO (fear of missing out) and will never say no to any party. But, I have found myself become overwhelmed with these constant pressures of going to a top party school. It can be hard to escape the party scene when it is such a huge part of your surroundings. We need to remember that there is ALWAYS going to be another frat party, ALWAYS going to be another boot night, and ALWAYS going to be another bar on Frenchman to get drinks at. All the fun that Tulane has to offer is never going to go away. We have to understand that we can’t do everything every single week/weekend for our own physical health, sanity, and well-being. Personally, I have gotten a job recently. By having obligations to work certain hours, especially during the weekend, I’ve realized that sometimes I am going to miss out on things and that is completely OK. I now see that if I’m tired after a long shift on a Saturday and don’t feel like going out that I can absolutely do that without really feeling like I missed anything crucial.

Continue to enjoy the best years of your life in the best city. But, make sure that drinking isn’t the only reason you love Tulane. Make sure that you party responsibly. Make sure you remember that there is SO much more to life than your Friday and Saturday night pregame plans. NOLA has so much to offer to us, and we should get to enjoy every single aspect of it, not just the alcoholic beverages J