Peer pressure is a part of our everyday lives. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of peer pressure? Chances are it is a negative example of peer pressure such as drugs or sneaking out. But there is also a very positive side to peer pressure. Peer pressure has a very strong influence on our decisions; so it is capable of bringing about great change, whether it’s for the good or the bad of the situation or person. I have recently changed what community I live in. I have moved from a high school senior living with my parents in Lehi Utah, to a college freshman living with roommates in St George, Utah. This changes a lot for me including the kind of peer pressure I am around the most.
One of the most common peer pressures in college is drinking. The impression about college is that it is a big party and there is plenty of alcohol. From my personal experience this is true. I am always hearing about parties and have been to a few; and just as expected there was plenty of alcohol. Sure, getting drunk can relieve stress and lead to a funny story, but I am sure there are people that sometimes don’t feel like drinking, but they do because that’s what everyone else is doing.” (Roberts). If you don’t want to drink and you do because everyone else is, then that is a form of negative peer pressure. This is a lot different than the high school I went to. Binge drinking is a serious problem affecting social life, health and our overall education. Binge drinking by college students has become a socially normal thing where students don’t realize the health risks that are involved with their drinking habits. Alcohol abuse is one of the biggest problems with colleges. Students end up missing class, having unprotected sex, damaging property, and getting injured as a result of abusing alcohol. There are many cancers and diseases caused by alcohol abuse that can lead to death. Statistics have shown that drunk driving, unsafe sex, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases are rising. All of this is caused by the peer pressure of drinking at parties. Binge drinking is a very unhealthy and negative example of peer pressure.
Another negative peer pressure present in college is cheating. Cheating is around in high school too, but in college it is completely different. The punishments are far greater. In high school cheating is just a waste of time; after all high school is paid for by taxes. But in college you are paying for your own education and it’s not cheap. So cheating is a waste of time and money. Your school can punish you to many extents including suspension. You will lose creditability with your professors, making the rest of your schooling that much harder. Future employers or internships may turn you down due to the sole fact that you were caught cheating on a test or essay. “Cheating in college is widespread for many reasons. First, students feel tremendous pressure to earn high grades as a ticket to later opportunities. The college degree is increasingly viewed as little more than a ticket to future success. Thus, learning has become secondary to grades. Second, study after study has demonstrated that students do not define cheating in the same way their professors do. Using a copy of an exam from a prior semester (even if it was not obtained legitimately) may be seen as appropriate. Copying answers from a peer may be defended on the grounds that people help each other in “the real world.” Strange as it seems, many students do not see anything wrong with copying someone else’s paper and passing it off as their own. Third, students are surrounded with examples of dishonest politicians, celebrities, athletes, etc. Of course, I could go on forever, and this list is not intended to be exhaustive.” The fact that a lot of students don’t even see anything wrong with cheating means students will face significant amounts of peer pressure to participate in cheating. But the fact is that cheating is a big deal.
Something that relates closely with cheating is lack of studying. Studying is a key part to being successful in college. There is plenty of positive and negative peer pressure that goes along with studying. Studying requires you to actually take some time review the material. A negative peer pressure situation may arise when a student’s friends are encouraging them to come hang out or go to a party instead of studying. This correlates closely with cheating. A student will be more tempted to cheat if they do not know the material they are being tested on; this is a direct result from a lack of studying. There is also a positive peer pressure that goes along with studying too. Study groups are a pretty common thing in college. A bunch of students in the same class will get together and help each other study and quiz each other. This is some very good peer pressure and can lead to more studying and less cheating.
Positive peer pressure is a great thing. This can lead you to join certain groups such as a study group. The kinds of groups we associate ourselves with can lead to the person we turn out to be. Good groups help mold you into a good person. But if you are involved with a negative group it can lead you down paths you never thought you would go down. This can involve illegal drugs or other illegal activities. In an article by Shari Caudron; she talks about Barbie doll collectors and the group or community they are involved in. She goes on to talk about a shooting that happened in a church back in 1999. A lady named Judy who she talked to had a son that was killed in this shooting. Judy goes on to say “Well my Texas friends gradually dropped out of sight after my son was killed. I mean, I don’t blame ’em. They didn’t know what to say. This kind of thing is hard for everybody. But my Barbie friends, you wouldn’t believe what they did. They called or wrote to me every day. They sent me money. They sent me care packages. They helped raise thousands of dollars for a tuition assistance fund in Justin’s name. They also contacted Mattel. Can you believe that? They contacted Mattel, and the company sent me a special collectable Barbie and a hand written note the first Christmas after Justin died. My Barbie friends even had a special Angel Doll made for me” “I’m so blessed. This is the closest circle of friends I’ve ever had.” Can you believe they did all that for her? Judy clearly was a part of a very positive good group. Then when she had a life altering moment, they were all there for her. Peer pressure affects the kinds of groups you become a part of. College students need to realize this and surround themselves with positive peer pressure so they can join positive groups just like Judy did. I have already mentioned study groups, but there is also a ton of college clubs you can join. These range from rock climbing and skim boarding clubs to business and medical clubs. Students are encouraged to join one or several of these clubs. They help students’ surround themselves with positive peer pressure along with giving them something to do. Too much free time can lead to boredom which can lead to stupid ideas such as tagging a building. Clubs and intramurals help reduce instances like this. They give students stuff to do and responsibilities that help keep students occupied. Extracurricular activities can also help you in the future. An article by Merry Jazz states “Scholarship foundations consider the extra-curricular involvement of the scholarship applicants aside from their academic grades.”
And not only that, when you graduate from college and you start looking for job, your resume will look better if you have extracurricular activities and organization memberships. Most new graduates do not have any work experience and the clubs you joined during college years are the next best way to prove yourself to employers.” Students need the positive peer pressure that can lead them to all the benefits of all the extracurricular activities they can join.
Peer Pressure has huge effects on everyone’s life. Positive peer pressure can lead to a very successful college experience. Students will have the opportunity to meet great people and be more capable of fulfilling all their academic goals. While on the other side, negative peer pressure can greatly damage some aspects of students’ college careers or even their physical health. Students need to learn to decipher the difference between positive and negative peer pressure and seek out the positive. Peer pressure can bring about great change in most any kind of situation; students need to learn to use the peer pressure to their advantage. Too often peer pressure is only seen as a negative thing. The right kind of peer pressure is a very powerful influence that should be used to its full potential. Peer pressure will always be around in our college communities; the only thing students can do about it is learn to tell the difference between the two and use it.
Work Cited
“Cheating in College.” Atheist Revolution. 5 May 2005. Web. 07 Oct. 2011.
Jazz, Merry. “Why Extracurricular Activities & Clubs Are Important – Study Skills Blog – Study Skills Blog.” Study Skills Blog – Learn How to Study Better! 27 June 2007. Web. 07 Oct. 2011
Roberts, Lindsay. “Peer Pressure: How College Life Can Change You.” The Quinnipiac Chronicle. 15 Apr. 2009. Web. 07 Oct. 2011.
