Healthier Choices

In January, as we begin a new semester, students often feel like they can start fresh and take new approaches to getting healthier, working for better grades or having a better plan for studying. Like all of us by February, some of the “newness” and “resolutions” we made begin to fade. For those students who made a resolution to make healthier choices around alcohol use, where do they get the motivation to keep going? You can help. Motivation to make healthier choices can grow by talking with your son or daughter about important goals. Ask your son or daughter what is the most important goal right now. You may be surprised. And re-think what you want most for your student. Goals for both of you may have changed and may revolve around meaningful experiences, getting involved, better grades, a career, and having good friends. This is a good reflective time. Your student may be reflecting on the friendships and habits developed at the beginning of the year and may be in the process of making some changes. You might ask about any changes or new plans for the rest of the year.

Our Jesuit approach is to meet students where they are and most students are ambivalent about alcohol use, thinking that it is no big deal, but they do have hopes and goals. Knowing more about alcohol problems doesn’t help students change, but knowing that the choice to drink or not is theirs to make and that the consequences will also be theirs to experience. This can be, for lack of a better term, sobering. Students do learn that what they personally expect from drinking and what actually happens as a consequence of heavy drinking may not be compatible with their academic, social, personal or health goals. For example, students see a high social benefit to drinking because they can meet new people and have fun. On the other hand, they begin to find out that this is not the best way to make lasting friends and they do not want to be known as “that guy” or “that gal.” That’s where you come in. Remind yourself that your student is becoming the independent person that you want her or him to be and embrace it. You can acknowledge the choices your student is making and spend time listening. Not all choices will be the best but you can look for those healthy choices that reflect the values you have taught. Tell your student how pleased you are when you notice their successful decision-making that leads toward personal goals.

Karen Contardo, Director Student Wellness Resource Center