The Repercussions of Substance Abuse in College - Assignment Example

You're 5 May 2006 The Repercussions of Substance Abuse in College College life is very difficult and when an individual has to live in the dormitories it makes this experience even more profound and tense. Because substance abuse often occurs on campus and usually takes place within fraternities, many college students get sucked up into the problematic equation of the stress of school along with the peer pressure to drink and do drugs. This appears to be what has transpired with George and now he is transcending his problems onto Edward as well. I personally feel that they both need someone to intervene in their situation so that they might be able to have a new perspective on what is taking place from someone that they trust. Also, since I have been hearing many complaints flying rampant around the dormitory I do feel it is in everyone's best interest if I am the one to be the go between in this situation. Since the problems have been concreting upon each other, and causing disruption in the dormitory, I feel if I don't make a move quickly then the various drinking occurrences might be brought to the Dean's attention and I don't feel neither George nor Edward would want that to occur. Furthermore, as a personal friend of them both I believe that I owe it to them to help them find a resolution to their dilemma by communicating with both of them what the possible outcome of the situation could entail. My main goal is to express to them my disapproval in how each one of them appears to be ignoring the situation and neglecting to respect each other. I also aim to point out to them that these specific activities are disrupting not only their lives but the majority of the other college students routines as well by allowing their personal problems to transcend into something even more pronounced than when it initially began. On the day I planned to discuss the situation with Edward and George, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of tension in the dormitory. I even heard a few people discussing going to the staff and letting them know what had been occurring for the past few months. After hearing this I hastily made my way to George and Edward's dorm room. They both looked horrible went I entered and that just pressed upon me even more how urgent it was to convince them both that they needed to help one another as friends should. I emphasized to Edward that although he was not the reason for George's drinking he had allowed it to continue for months, depleting him from energy he needed for classes, as well as denying rest to many of his other classmates also. I discussed with him how he could be a better friend to George. The way I did this was to point out he could be his talk buddy, and what I meant by that was that he could be there for George to talk to when he felt the urge to drink instead of simply sitting back and allowing him to do so. I pressed upon George how he was ruining any chance he might have at a good college education by his late night partying and then having no reserve energy left over for his studies. They both seemed to understand where I was coming from in my explanation and vowed to each work together as friends to put an end to the problem. In between hearing them both out, I made sure that they understood that by carrying on the way that they were they were not only hurting each other but the rest of the students in the dormitory. I explained that everyone was losing much needed sleep because of the extracurricular activities not being controlled. Also, I went on to stress to Edward that I understood he again was not to blame but at the same time I pointed out that he had a responsibility to help someone with whom he was friends with. I explained that if he would have intervened when the problem was only minimal perhaps it wouldn't have gotten as bad as it has and Edward seemed to understand my point exactly. He did feel bad that he let George down by not watching out for him when he knew he had a drinking problem but his attitude he expressed to me now detailed that he was ready to help his friend fully. I took this as a very positive thing as it seemed both of them were ready to fix this serious drama that had been created. However, I did not end my conversation with them there. I let them know that if the Dean were to find out about what had been transpiring then they both might face the repercussion of getting kicked off campus or thrown out of college entirely. I emphasized that many of the other students were starting to complain much more so than they had been and that it was obvious some of them were ready to turn both of them in for their unruly attitudes and the behavior problems going on. Yet again, they both seemed to fully grasp the seriousness of the situation when I brought the Dean into the picture. Neither of them wanted to get kicked out of school so this was just another reason that they both gave for planning on working together to get the problem corrected. In conclusion, I believe the experience that George and Edward went through and endured together taught them both how worthwhile it is to be friends to each other. I believe that any college student could learn that drinking (especially over drinking) is not beneficial to them and hurts all of those that are around them in very adverse ways. By being there for both of them as an interceptive tool, I do believe it changed what would have been a very negative outcome for them both, possibly more severe for George than it would have been for Edward. So, ultimately anyone could learn a good responsible lesson from this experience and gain the knowledge that college is far more important than tipping a beer bottle. Sentence Outline Abstract: This essay was developed to answer the question of why intervention was necessary to help Edward and George with their escalating problems. It was extended to an in-depth format to bring cohesion to the ideas of thought in order to correctly point out the complications found in the scenario. This was carried out so that an amicable resolution could be obtained to assist everyone involved with the dilemma. Thesis: Because substance abuse often occurs on campus and usually takes place within fraternities, many college students get sucked up into the problematic equation of the stress of school along with the peer pressure to drink and do drugs. I. There is a lot of disruption in the dormitory due to George's constant late night partying hours and the adversity it is causing. (Paragraph) A. The dormitory is tense and everyone is upset. B. Edward looks exhausted as well as many of the other students due to George's ignorance of his actions. C. The reasons are explained as to why the behavior must be controlled and respect for each other must be given. II. There is a rising concern that the other students in the dorm are going to complain to a department head if George and Edward do not get their acts together. (Paragraph) A. Students are whispering about turning George and Edward in. B. The points are made to George to back away from his drinking before he gets kicked out of the dormitory. C. Edward is told to try and control the situation by being there for George and helping him through his problems. III. The point is made that it would seem the Dean is close to getting wind of what has been happening and this would be extremely bad for George and Edward. (Paragraph) A. One point discussed is the possible outcome that could occur if the Dean finds out the various activities of George. B. Both Edward and George might get kicked out of campus C. George and Edward face being expelled from the college due to the disruption that has occurred within the dorm because of George's drinking. Conclusion: As a result of the intervention process, George and Edward have both come to realize the error of their actions combined together. Their experience has developed an ability to help other college students who might suffer with similar problems such as George and Edward. Read More