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How Does Binge Drinking Affect the Academic Performance of College Students?

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Over the last half-century, heavy alcohol consumption has become a widespread practice of campus life, and it’s grown to involve up to half of the student population. As binge drinking habits increased, so did the concerns of administrators, faculty members, and other students. The effect that’ll be of particular focus is that of heavy alcohol consumption on college students’ academic performance.

There is plenty of research that proves the correlation between binge drinking and poor academic performance to be more than existent. For example, in the article “Understanding College Alcohol Abuse and Academic Performance: Selecting Appropriate Intervention Strategies” by Michael Sullivan and Ed Risler, a study conducted by C.A. Presley, P.W. Meilman, and R. Lyera was referenced. In their study, Presley, Meilman, and Lyera found that students who consumed less alcohol performed better academically than students who drank more. A-students had 3 drinks a week on average, while D-students had 10 drinks per week on average (Sullivan and Risler 115). Naturally, it’s expected that findings like these would shift the behaviors of college students, and prompt administrators to take action. Instead, research proves quite the opposite.

Although poor academic performance has been directly linked to binge drinking, the notable lack of response from students and administrators sparked an interest in researchers. After confirming the notion that binge drinking does, in fact, constitute poor academic performance, researchers began shifting their curiosity to the more perplexing component of the issue: Why, after the numerous occasions where subpar academic performance has been linked to binge drinking, haven’t students changed their habits? Why haven’t administrators and faculty members handled the matter with a sense of urgency? These topics are ones that came to be deeply discussed in order to introduce possible solutions to the bigger issue at hand.

-taken by No Revisions, Unsplash.

taken by No Revisions, Unsplash.

In another study “Problem Drinking Among College Freshmen” done by doctors Mark J. Werner and John W. Greene, two questionnaires were given to freshmen volunteers to analyze their drinking habits, and deduce which students were at high risk for alcohol dependency. It was discovered that more than half of their volunteers claimed that they’d drunk heavily in the last thirty days, forty percent of which scored as high-riskers on the questionnaires. The interesting fact, however, is that more than seventy percent of the students whose scores indicated that they were at risk for alcohol dependency soon intended on joining a fraternity or sorority house (Werner and Greene 489). According to Werner and Greene, “students intending to join the Greek system are more likely to be frequent, heavy, problem drinkers” (Werner, Greene 491). It’s important to highlight that problem drinking is different from alcoholism. While they are similar in the sense that both consume unhealthy doses of alcohol and deal with negative effects, alcoholics are physically addicted to alcohol consumption, and problem drinkers are not.

 The habit of binge drinking on campus has led to many dangerous and chaotic situations, many of which have left students injured, in legal trouble, or even dead. Although this connection isn’t unbeknownst to university administrators and faculty members, they haven’t seemed to be taking serious action to stop these casualties from happening. According to Beth Mcmurtie’s article  “Why Colleges Haven’t Stopped Binge Drinking”, there are multiple reasons to take into account when discussing binge drinking in college. Campus culture and environmental pressures are some serious contributors to the issue (McMurtrie). McMurtrie explains how environments like local bars, for example, promote college binge drinking by luring students in with happy hours and discounts. And because the local bars aren’t affiliated with any colleges, nothing can really be done about it.

taken by Yasin Arıbuğa, Unsplash.

One campus culture that constitutes the issue of college binge drinking traces back to societies known as Greek-letter organizations. Founded in the 1700s, Greek houses were created by students as a form of escape from the rigidity of their academic environments.  In her article, “The Dark Power of Fraternities”, Caitlin Flanagan discusses the phenomenon of fraternity culture in relation to their excessive drinking habits. She asserts that there’s a concerning number of injuries, physical assaults, and sexual crimes that happen in fraternity houses while the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol. Flanagan also introduces another possible reason as to why college administrators won’t take serious action to solve the college drinking issue. She claims that as fraternity houses became a popular part of campus culture, colleges grew to become more dependent on them. According to Flanagan, Greek Houses have advanced to assist universities with their admission, student retention, and housing rates, therefore becoming a valuable asset to the school (Flanagan).     

Though these unsettling results might depict college binge drinking to be a helpless matter, researchers also began to explore possible resolutions to the issue. In the article “Understanding College Alcohol Abuse and Academic Performance: Selecting Appropriate Intervention Strategies”, Michael Sullivan and Ed Risler reinforced the findings of the previously mentioned researchers, including Werner, Greene, Presley, Meilman, and Lyera. Additionally, they present possible ways to apprehend the issue of college binge drinking. To do this, they first present three common methods of apprehension. The public health strategy suggests that reducing the availability of alcohol would lower consumption rates. The second apprehension strategy the authors present is the sociocultural strategy. This strategy suggests that rather than getting completely wasted, the use of alcohol should be promoted at legal and appropriate doses. The third strategy that Sullivan and Risler present is known as the disease approach. This strategy suggests that students who’ve been identified as having a predisposition to alcohol dependence should consider abstinence (Sullivan and Risler 116-117). While each strategy promises some level of success, Sullivan and Risler highlight that each of these strategies has its limitations. With regards to the public health strategy, the authors state that the interdiction of alcohol won’t curb heavy drinkers’ habits. Next, the authors claim that the sociocultural model will only be effective for a small percentage of students, since many of them displayed unhealthy drinking habits before they enrolled in college. Lastly, Sullivan and Risler debunked the disease approach because they argue that binge drinkers tend to be in denial of the fact that they have a drinking problem (Sullivan and Risler 117-118).

So, what are some effective apprehension strategies that don’t work only under certain conditions? This is where Sullivan and Risler’s ideas begin to align, almost identically, with the previously mentioned researchers. One common resolution strategy among the researchers is to create as much of a non-confrontational, collaborative, and social environment as possible. Indirect and empathetic approaches have proven to be the most successful apprehension strategies when aiding college students in moderating their drinking habits. By creating college communities that promote the moderation of, or even abstinence from alcohol consumption, researchers are hopeful that the issue of binge drinking in college students will someday be solved.

 

                                                 Works Cited

Werner, Mark J. M.D., Greene, John w. M.D. “Problem Drinking among College Freshmen.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 13, no. 6, 1992, pp. 487-492. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/1054-139X(92)90012-Z

Sullivan, Michael, Risler, Ed. “Understanding College Alcohol Abuse and Academic Performance: Selecting Appropriate Intervention Strategies.” Journal of College Counseling, vol. 5, no. 2, 2002, pp. 114-123. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2002.tb00213.x

Flanagan, Caitlin. “The Dark Power of Fraternities.” The Atlantic, Mar. 2014, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/03/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

Mcmurtie, Beth. “Why Colleges Haven’t Stopped Binge Drinking.” The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/us/why-colleges-havent-stopped-binge-drinking.html

 

 

  

Analysis of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

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Summary

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private, non-profit university located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The university is known for its aviation and aerospace engineering programs. Their website seems to be directed towards students who are driven, curious, and planning to pursue careers in aviation or engineering. ERAU uses the “emotional tone” APATSARC strategy and “imagining ideal readers” as their larger rhetorical strategy.

Analysis

The APATSARC strategy that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University uses the most on their website is emotional tone, and they imagine ideal readers as their larger rhetorical strategy. On their website, ERAU takes a very welcoming and confident approach towards their readers. They show many pictures, articles, and videos of the accomplishments made by their faculty members or students. Bold headlines like “’Gregory, Lyrintzis Named ‘Among the Best Minds in Aerospace’” (Pinholster), or “Reaching the Red Planet: Eagles Build Instruments for Mars- Bound Satellites” (Cavaliere) were placed on the home page of their website. By displaying these headlines on their home page, readers can tell that if they were to attend ERAU, they’d be part of a very proud and successful community. They also present many impressive pictures of students doing things like lab work, testing model airplanes, building robots, and competing.   

Although ERAU used emotional tone as their argumentative strategy, they don’t necessarily present their university in a heartfelt manner. There weren’t any sentimental  articles or pictures on their website. Instead, ERAU structured their website to create feelings of inspiration and welcome in their readers. Their “Values, Mission, and Vision” page is emblematic of this. While analyzing ERAU’s mission statement for emotional undertones, small words and phrases began to stand out. Some apparent ones were “…in a culturally diverse community that supports the unique needs of each individual”, “Embry-Riddle will be the source for innovation and excellence…”, and “We will be the unquestioned global leader…” (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). To a student who might be interested in applying to ERAU, the website presents the university as welcoming, diverse, innovative, and community-oriented. It displays students as proud Eagles (ERAU’s spirit animal), the faculty as upbeat and helpful, and the campus as spacious and lively. As a result, students feel urged to apply.     

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University imagines ideal readers as their larger rhetorical strategy. When analyzing their website in a more general sense, it becomes clear that they’re targeting a specific kind of student. Namely, students pursuing degrees in aviation or aerospace engineering. Even though ERAU offers other programs such as biology, astronomy, business, and art, aviation and engineering programs are their main focuses, as stated on their “Values, Mission, and Vision” page. It reads “ Our mission is to teach the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace engineering” (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). These programs are also the ones most represented in their articles and pictures. On their home page, they proudly state that Embry-Riddle has 9 top ten spots in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 rankings. They placed fifth in best aerospace engineering programs, as well as most innovative schools nationwide. 

In connection to aviation and engineering students, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has another kind of ideal reader: students who believe in collaboration, ethicality, and innovation. They make it clear that they want curious, determined, problem-solving students. This also connects to ERAU’s specialty in aviation and aerospace engineering programs. The skills they want their students to have are ones that are important in those fields. 

To summarise, Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University uses the APATSARC element “emotional tone”, and the larger rhetorical strategy “imagining ideal readers” to attract and persuade their ideal students to apply. Through analyzing ERAU’s website, the congruence of the two strategies becomes noticeable. They use emotional tone by displaying  inspirational phrases, pictures, rankings, and headlines that represent the school’s overall success to grasp the attention of their ideal student: aviation and aerospace engineering students.

Response 

If all barriers were uplifted, I would definitely apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. They have awesome programs, faculty members, research opportunities, and campus resources. If I were an interested student looking through their website, I would feel welcomed, and I’d consider applying. Their mission statement page shows that they’re confident in the community they’ve created and the discoveries made by their students. That’s something anyone would be interested in being a part of.  

One thing that really stood out to me is the different hands-on opportunities that ERAU provides to students. They have a variety of labs, research projects, and competitions. The number of resources and equipment they invest in shows how much they value discovery. Another reason why I would apply to Embry-Riddle is that they have really nice weather throughout most of the year. Their Daytona campus is 2 miles away from Daytona Beach, which means that they receive more than 230 sunny days in a year on average. Although tropical weather is bound to bring in heavy rainstorms and hurricanes, it’s still a risk worth taking. Lastly, I would attend ERAU because of its value for community and involvement. They have plenty of clubs and social events, which I think is really cool. All in all, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univerity seems like a pretty decent school, and I’d go if there weren’t any obstacles. 

Works Cited

Cavaliere, Mike. “Reaching the Red Planet: Eagles Build Instruments for Mars-Bound Satellites”, 13, Dec. 2021, https://news.erau.edu/headlines/eagles-build-instruments-for-mars-bound-satellites

Pinholster, Ginger. “Gregory, Lyrintzis Named ‘Among the Best Minds in Aerospace”, 01, Feb. 2022, https://news.erau.edu/headlines/gregory-lyrintzis-named-among-the-best-minds-in-aerospace

“Values, Mission, and Vision”, https://erau.edu/leadership/president/values-mission-and-vision

  

Academic Profile: Laila Thurman

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This profile is compiled of information from a recorded interview with my profile partner. We decided to meet in person to conduct interviews and/or revise our drafts. Through talking about her academic self, I, as an interviewer, gained a considerable amount of insight from my partner on how crucial determination and resilience are to achievement.

-Laila Thurman

Meet Laila Thurman, an 18-year-old dual-enrollment student here at GSU. Laila originally planned on attending GPTC, but a close high school teacher of hers motivated her to attend GSU instead because of its more challenging programs. Laila’s major is currently undecided, but she plans to pursue a career in either clinical psychology or psychiatry to counsel veterans. During our interview, we discussed topics ranging from career goals and academic pasts, to descriptive words and their connections to her current academic self. 

  Laila grew up in a small town in Mississippi. She recalls her first years of primary school as being an average student, that is, she wasn’t in any gifted classes. Then, in about fourth grade, she re-took the exam for gifted children and did, in fact, place in gifted courses. She notes the significant shift in her academic environment once she was placed into gifted classes. “All of a sudden, I’m thrown into this whole thing of gotta be the smartest, gotta be the person that knows the most, and gotta get the highest scores” explains Laila. She admits that she wasn’t surprised that gifted classes entailed more work or higher expectations. However, the sudden shift in her academic environment combined with its intense competitivity caused Laila to become very insecure in her knowledge; she just never felt smart enough. As a result, she began comparing herself to “better” students.

 The three academic self words Laila used to describe herself were “insecure”, “overachieving”, and “perseverent”. When I asked her to elaborate, she explained how each word academically connects to her. Laila described her academic self as insecure because of the competitive nature of her academic history. That feeling of “not being smart enough” resonates with her even during her collegiate life. Secondly, Laila described herself as overachieving because she was never urged by her family to reach her goals. She’s always felt like she had to develop the ability to fuel her own willpower. “What I can do, I will do, and I’m going to do my best, even if I’m doing it by myself” she affirms. She’d made it imperative to highlight that she wasn’t speaking ill of her family, she was simply implying that she was self-motivated. She described how her competitive academic background planted a habit of working as hard as she needed to reach her goals.

Lastly, Laila described herself as perseverant, which somewhat connects to her “overachieving” academic trait. In another sense, however, she explains this word in the context of continuously seeking help if need be. For instance, she recollects the many obstacles she’d encountered when seeking help from school faculty. She remembered calling their offices and there either being no answer or receiving very unhelpful service. Laila also stated that sometimes they would claim they would “get back to her”, but never did. In this situation, she would be perseverant in order to make sure that faculty member responds, and that she got the help she needed.

Laila’s favorite part of the material from this class so far is Dr. Chew’s video “Beliefs That Make You Fail…Or Succeed”. She found the video to be very informative. Laila was surprised by how many inaccurate beliefs she had, and she was able to reflect and begin altering her mindset towards effective learning. 

Laila Thurman is an exceptionally hard-working student; she’s gifted with a flame of ambition that radiates when she speaks of her goals. Unsurprisingly, she’s excelling in her courses. After learning Laila’s academic history, I began to recognize the roles backgrounds, families, and school environments play in creating an “academic self”. Just how predictable are college academic selves solely based on their histories? If certain points in an academic history were removed or altered, how much of a difference could it make in a college academic self?

Works Cited

Thurman, Laila. Academic Profile Interview. Conducted by Mizaan Arshad, 24 January 2022.

Chew, Stephen. “Beliefs That Make You Fail…Or Succeed.” Samford University, 16 Aug. 2011, https://www.samford.edu/departments/academic-success-center/how-to-study