academic success

Does alcohol use impact your grades?

Cups of beerFor many college students, it is important to maintain their best academic performance for a variety of reasons. After all, who doesn’t want good grades?  Good grades will lead to good opportunities, internships, good jobs, etc.

Even a small amount of alcohol can impact your grades.

First, a definition: Binge drinking (high risk for alcohol related problems) is defined as 4 or more drinks in one drinking occasion for women and 5 or more drinks for men; where a standard drink is 12 oz 5% beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz (1 shot of 80 proof liquor)   (1).

It has been shown that, compared to those who did NOT drink alcohol, binge drinking  2 or more times in a typical 2-week period was linked to significantly lower semester grades for both the  1st year and senior level students (2 ).  Translation: binge drinking lowers grades.

Another study shows that even drinking alcohol to the point of getting drunk has a negative predictive impact on your GPA (3).  Translation: even smaller amounts of alcohol could hurt your grades.

According to some evidence based guidelines, moderate drinking (low risk for alcohol problems) is defined as (a maximum) <1 drink per day for women and <2 drinks per day for men; with the gender difference being related to biology (4).

However, it is important to note that there is low risk use, there is no risk free amount of alcohol use.

Additionally, there are people who should not drink alcohol at all (4):

  • If you cannot limit drinking to low level or are recovering from alcoholism.
  • Women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant.
  • Individuals who plan to drive, operate machinery, or take part in other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination.
  • If you have certain medical conditions, sensitivity to alcohol, or are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, you should check with your prescriber before drinking any alcohol.

Additionally, you are at high risk for addiction if you have a personal or family history of alcohol use disorders, and thus should not drink alcohol (5).

Having a healthy brain will help you be in the best position for success. Is alcohol impacting your grades? Is alcohol trying to control you? Are you unable to drink safely? At ccs.osu.edu, we have resources that can help.  Also consider the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service available at 1-800-662-HELP (6).

  1.  NIAAA council approves definition of binge drinking [PDF-1.6MB]. NIAAA Newsletter 2004;3:3.
  2.  Journal of College Student Development, 48(6), 715-727.
  3.  Wolaver, A. (2002). Effect of Heavy Drinking in College on Student Effort, Grade Point Average, and Major Choice. Contemporary Economic Policy, 20(4), 415-428.
  4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Chapter 3 – Foods and Food Components to Reduce [PDF-967KB]. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 2010, p. 30–32
  5. United States Department of Agriculture. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2005. Available at: www.health.gov/DIETARYGUIDELINES/dga2005/document/html/chapter9.htm
  6. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm#standDrink. Accessed September, 2014.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes.  With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

Stress and what to do about it

Hand squeezing stress ball

As we begin the new semester, the campus is buzzing with energy.  There is also stress as you adjust to new people, new places/routines, and new class schedules, etc.  Stress is unavoidable.

What will you do to manage this stress?

Many college students reported feeling highly stressed (61 percent), and more students failed to do much about it (72 percent) reported low use of stress management techniques according to a recent study1 of college students performed by King and colleagues.

Here are 10 effective stress management techniques:

  1. Pause for a moment and take
  2. a deep breath. Relax those tense muscles.  When you’re stressed, proper breathing techniques can be powerful.
  3. See the bigger picture. Ask yourself, “How big a deal is this? How does this fit in the grand scheme of things?”
  4. Don’t let it build up. Reach out to a friend or a counselor and talk it out so you do not hold on to painful feelings.  Seek out a professional: ccs.osu.edu
  5. Daily “me time.” Just afew minutes of leisure activity can be quite relaxing.
  6. Plan it out: Take a few moments each day to plan out the rest of the day. It can bring a calm sense of control.
  7. Listen to relaxing music.
  8. Physical activity. Go for a relaxing walk, take a yoga meditation class or spend a few minutes at the RPAC.
  9. Remember the basics: Get 7-9 hours of sleep.
  10. Avoid alcohol/tobacco/drugs and avoid excessive caffeine. These unhealthy coping methods only worsen your stress.
  11. Eat nutritious food.

King KA, et al. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 2014, 2(2), 132-144

  1. A study of stress, social support, and perceived happiness among college students.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes.  With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.