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Latwell Nyangu Youth Interactive Writer
Going to college is a profound change, and even the most prepared students are likely to face a few hurdles as they adjust.
As students set new priorities or adopt different lifestyles, it exposes them to pressures that they may have resisted in the past.
The first few weeks on campus can be challenging.
Of course, you want to make new friends, and that may make you go along with things you wouldn’t otherwise do.
But remember that all the new students are trying to make friends. There are lots of people looking for connections, and some of them will be good fits for you. Most of us go with the first people we meet, especially if they seem pushy or want to do things that don’t seem right to you.
However, rather look for people with whom you share interests, like exercising, music, or student leadership – anything were you have more in common other than drinking.
The bottom line is, we all have been students and peer pressure has at some point caught up with us.
College brings a new environment, novel situations, and different expectations — and with those comes a new wave of peer pressure, sometimes in a form that students are not accustomed to dealing with.
Whereas students in high school likely had strategies and support groups to help them make smart choices, college students may feel isolated and on their own for the first time, making them even more vulnerable to peer pressure.
Upon starting tertiary education, it’s normal for students to feel influenced by their peers as they negotiate and manage new structures around friendships, belief systems and where they fit in.
This generation is most associated with having sugar daddies, impulse buying, squandering school fees, borrowing, hiring cars to impress, doing assignments for girls, seducing lecturers, abusing drugs, promiscuity among other activities.
It can be asked; If all your friends were going to jump off a bridge, would you jump too? The fundamental issue is one that almost everyone faces at some time, that is, how to deal with peer pressure.
Some if not most young people may struggle to cope with varying forms and degrees of peer pressure—whether it’s keeping up with middle school fashion trends or being subjected to hazing in a fraternity house.
Peer pressure can be a powerful force, but fortunately, increased awareness has led to numerous resources to help students, parents and educators manage it effectively.
Peer pressure can cause students to do or say things they wouldn’t normally do or say.
Likewise, everyone makes mistakes; stupid people keep on repeating the same mistakes.
If you do bow to peer pressure, think about some of the following:
- What were, or could have been, the consequences.
- Ask yourself again what things happened that nudged you to cross your boundaries?
- Who were you trying to impress?
- What did you learn about who is trustworthy and who pushes people?
- Next time you are in a similar situation, what can you do differently?
Peer pressure can play a huge role in the choices that students make, extending beyond the clothes they wear or music they listen to.
Nowadays, peer pressure in school is becoming a big problem, not just for students, but even parents and teachers.
Peer pressure is when a student is influenced by fellow peers to do something, most of the time which is not good.
Many students have fallen or still fall victim to peer pressure.
Parents watch their previously well-behaved children turn rebellious and develop bad manners. Most times, this behaviour is influenced by peer groups or individuals.
You will see teens taking alcohol, disrespecting elders, missing classes and forgetting what they are supposed to be doing in school.
I have been a student, I am still one, I have seen it all.
Some think if they refuse to do something done by their peers, even if it’s bad, they will not be considered ‘friends’ or they will be laughed at.
The biggest problem is that children who are influenced by peer pressure fail their studies, and we all know that failure in school can destroy one’s career and whole life.
Some of the myths students might have heard about peer pressure need a reality check to be put into perspective.
Peer pressure tends to intensify as students move up the grades; by the time they reach high school, fitting in has become a priority – and often a source of anxiety—to many. While peer pressure can be manifested in any number of ways, it’s typically focused in a few common areas.
Drugs and alcohol are easy to find at both colleges and high schools, and teens might feel the pressure to be “cool” by experimenting with something exotic and daring.
Seeing friends hooking up can make it seem as though sex is what everyone does — a common activity that’s not a big deal. That perception can easily lead a person to tamper down their misgivings or hesitation and go further than they wanted to,with a sexual partner. This pressure often begins in high school or even earlier.
The way a student perceives their friends’ sexual activity and attitudes toward sex has a strong influence on how they view their own sexual choices. Those who partake in the ‘hook-up’ culture in college often do so upon the advice or expectation of their peers.
When hanging out with a group of friends who are doing crazy things, standing firm against it – or even walking away – can be difficult. It’s also easy to justify some behaviour as “not that bad,” especially if it doesn’t seem all that risky on the surface.
Knowledge is power; understanding anything makes it much easier to deal with. The same holds true with peer pressure. Knowing what it is, grasping why it happens, and learning how to spot it, can empower students to better handle it.
If college students believe their peers approve of smoking, they are more likely to engage in smoking tobacco or using smokeless tobacco products. In fact, the perceived approval of peers is the strongest predictor of tobacco use among college students.
Drinking is common at college, but how much a person drinks often depends on the company they keep. When social drinking is reinforced by valued friends, a student may find it difficult to refuse alcohol; conversely.
Everyone wants their children to be leaders and not followers.
In everything you do, your decision is of most important.
Happy college life!
Online Reporter