A qualitative comparison of the drinking/non-drinking habits of 1st and 4th year male students who have or are presently living in the residence halls

Alcohol use among male undergraduate students continues to be problematic. Most college drinkers started drinking in high school, but some begin even earlier; their college alcohol problem is just a continuation of earlier practices. The precise reasons that the college environment is particularly risky for alcohol use are not understood.The first and fourth year experience in college appear to be very different. This study has examined the drinking / non-drinking habits of first and fourth year Ball State male students who have or are presently living in the residence halls. There were five first-year and five fourth-year students who were asked questions in a qualitative interview format. Some of the issues which were covered included hangovers, tolerance, drinking games, and music.First and fourth year students act similarly in some areas, while there are significant differences in others. Drinking from the first to the fourth year seems to become progressively moderate. Drinking, and the consequences from drinking are most serious for freshmen and less serious for seniors and upperclass students.All of the respondents had a very high tolerance to alcohol. This was very puzzling considering that most students use their tolerance and the effect of hangovers to determine whether or not they are drinking responsibly. Therefore, because the respondents generally did not get hungover from a night of heavy drinking, they may think that their drinking is responsible, when it fact it may be causing unforeseen harm.Respondents drank for two specific positive reasons: (1) euphoria and (2) malebonding comradary experience. Many of the respondents stated they received some of their emotional and problem-solving support when they were drinking and talking with friends. Music also played an important role in the drinking experience. "Classic" rock and roll was popular among the respondents because of the rhythm and the pro-drug and pro-alcohol lyrics. Drinking games were looked upon as activities to make drinking even more convivial. They also contributed to the male-bonding experience whereby one would be surrounded by friends cheering them on to have another drink.In conclusion, alcohol is a significant problem on the college / university campus. The narrative suggests that although students experiences are individual, there are perceptions about alcohol which are common among many students. These commonalities can be used to provide effective educational programming to students in order to educate about responsible alcohol use.Fisher Institute for WellnessThesis (M.S.