When I think back to my freshman year at university, it’s surprising that not one of my floormates dropped out of school. For most of us it was our first time living away from home for an extended period of time. Add to our newfound “freedom” (in the sense of lack of restraints) an ample supply of alcohol and sexual liberation and you have a recipe for disaster.

Jackie Burrell of About.com reports on some sobering statistics regarding college drinking:

Drinks Per Week: The average male freshman … consumes 7.39 drinks – a bottle of beer, glass of wine, shot or mixed drink – per week, while the average female has 3.86.

Academic Impact: 31% of college students missed a class due to substance abuse, according to the Core statistics, and 22% tanked an exam or essay. And some 159,000 of the nation’s current freshmen will drop out of school because of alcohol or drug use.

Booze and Sex: Alcohol and sex make for a particularly unhealthy cocktail. Alcohol has been involved in 90% of all campus rapes – either the rapist and/or the victim were under the influence … 70% of college kids say they had unplanned sex – sex they wouldn’t otherwise have had – while under the influence, and 20% didn’t take precautions, even though they practice safe sex when sober.

Many bright young students enter this sort of environment unready for what they will encounter. One student who found this out the hard way was Tenisha Gainey. She didn’t enter college thinking she would become a prostitute, but eventually that’s what happened. After several semesters spent drinking and partying she was able to do what many unfortunately do not: Turn her life around. Read her story here to find out more.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or other problems affecting their school success, or you fear that they will in the future, online mentors are available to talk with privately via email. Your emails will be kept strictly confidential but you will receive a personalized reply from an online mentor.