Binge Drinking :: essays research papers

Binge Drinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all know what it is like to wake up in the morning, your head is aching, and your body feels like it was hit by a big garbage truck. College students worldwide know this feeling. These are the results of binge drinking. Why do they do it?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Binge drinking is defined for men as drinking five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks, and for women as drinking four r more drinks in a row ( ICAP 1). This has become a great pastime for college students nationwide and a major concern on many campuses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A survey taken by students attending Yale University in 1997 showed the average binge drinker profile to be white, lacking religious participation, athletic, and members of fraternities or sororities (ICAP 4). Contrary to popular belief, year in school (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc.) was not a significant factor in binge drinking, despite the fact that students under 21 would still participate in the drinking activities (NCADI 3). Studies show that binge drinking can start in high school and continue through college (ICAP 4). Twenty-eight percent of high school seniors have already associated with binge drinking (ICAP, 4).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question of why students continue to submit themselves to alcohol is unknown. While many reasons are given, students generally fall into three categories (Kaufman 2). Peer Pressure is one of the main reasons students feel as if they need to binge drink. They do this because their peers are doing it and they want to fit in better. Insecurity is another incentive as to why students binge drink. College life can be very stressful, and drinking can sometimes become a â€Å"crutch† to make up for it (Kaufman 2). Students also binge drink to help them solve their problems. They turn to alcohol to aid themselves with hiding their feelings and numb their pain for a while.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many consequences of binge drinking. Health problems and social problems are just a few. Nausea, having a â€Å"hangover† and memory loss are just a few of the short-term effects of binge drinking. The more serious and long-term consequences of binge drinking can result in higher chances of stroke, heart disease, and brain tumors (ICAP 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frequent binge drinkers have the most serious problems. These people are seven to sixteen times more likely, than non-binge drinkers to have missed classes, gotten behind in their school work, engaged in unplanned sexual activity, and not used protection during sexual intercourse, had run-ins with campus police, damaged property, or been injured or hurt (NCADI 2).

Home Education: For better or for worse Essay

A home school, as the name implies, is basically an alternative form of education that allows students to receive their education at their own homes instead of going to traditional public or private schools. Students who study at home are either taught by personal tutors, their own parents, or sometimes the school sends the whole curriculum or all the lessons that need to be learned to them. Most of the time, home school students only need to go to their respective schools when they need to take an exam, for example, but in several cases, they take their quizzes or examination at home as well. There are several reasons why parents opt to have their children study at home instead of sending them to educational institutions. These reasons may include: the parents’ belief that they can give their child better education at home, the child’s disabilities or psychological disorders which need special attention; the parents inability to afford sending their child to traditional schools, the child’s failure to learn anything in private or public schools, the desired school is too far from the child’s home, the child’s failure to pass the entrance exams in any school, problems with policies of the school, and even religious reasons. At present home education has helped a lot of students who are unable to study in traditional schools all around the world. However, while I acknowledge that there are millions of students that are home schooled and that the trend is growing almost every year, I am not entirely in favor of the concept due to various reasons. Although it may be true that home education provides a number of benefits for students, especially those who are impoverished, I believe that it defeats the other purposes of private and public schools, which is to ensure the child’s emotional, intellectual, and social growth and to prepare the child for the life after graduation. It is a well-known fact that a traditional school teaches not only the lessons found in textbooks but also certain aspects of life itself. In private or public schools, students get to interact with their peers. Interaction between students facilitates the exchange of new information, new insights, and new ideas which is highly essential for intellectual growth. Moreover, interacting with peers enables a student to create his own circle or network of friends which is important for social stability and growth. In addition, making friends can also be educational especially if it involves people from different cultures or nationalities. For example, an American student can learn a lot from his or her Chinese best friend regarding the lifestyle, food, beliefs, traditions, and history of China or vice versa. On the other hand, a home schooled student is strictly contained within the four corners of his or her house so he or she is unable to meet and interact with new people. In addition, since this student becomes isolated, he or she may develop a fear of other people or even the outside world in general. Moreover, although a home schooled student may be more intellectual than his or her traditionally educated counterparts since he or she is primarily focused on studying, he or she may not learn new information because of his or her dependence on textbooks. In short, he or she will have a narrower perspective about a lot of things as compared to a student in a traditional classroom setting where he or she can ask questions and give their own opinions regarding certain matter about the lesson. Furthermore, since a home-educated student is basically confined in his or her house, he or she may have a tendency of slacking off because there are no school rules. Home schooled students may study and may work when they want to provided that they pass the exams given to them. However, this defeats the purpose of having school rules and regulations which develop discipline in students. In traditional schools, students generally have to follow rules such as wearing of proper uniform, observing silence in hallways, displaying proper behavior while in the campus, and throwing of trash in the proper garbage cans, among many others. If they fail to abide by the rules and regulations of the schools they will be penalized. This â€Å"penalty system† in traditional schools instills in students the fear of breaking a rule due to the corresponding punishments and in effect, they become disciplined and follow the law. In addition, this system also teaches students to respect the authority and the law in general, which is basically what is lacking in home schools. Although the parents may have taught their home-educated children proper manners and respect, these children may only apply this when dealing with their parents since they never got to interact with other people. Furthermore, possibly the major disadvantage of home education is that it lacks an avenue for physical growth. Home-educated students generally have no physical activities such as sports which could lead to weight gain and possible health problems. In addition, since home education does not have extracurricular activities, students are unable to showcase the possible potentials they may have. For example, a home- schooled student may have the makings and traits of a leader, however, he or she cannot show his or her capabilities since there are no opportunities to show them. Moreover, a home-schooled student may have amazing talent in basketball and has the potential to be granted a scholarship in a prestigious university but is unable to do so since he or she is restricted within the comforts of his or her own home. In short, what home schools also lack is the avenue for students to be recognized for their talents and skills in activities other than academics. In fact, they may not be even recognized in academics since it is already an advantage for them to be studying at home. Basically, what I would like to point out is that there are necessary lessons in life that cannot be learned inside a home school or even inside a classroom. For a student to be well-equipped to face the real world, he or she should have experienced the little realities of life which are present in traditional schools. For me, I believe that home schools should only be applicable to students who have disabilities and psychological defects and who are too poor to afford private education. The other reasons are not justifiable since traditional schooling is basically a necessity for everyone. Parents who force their children to receive their education at home without valid are actually impeding their personal growth. If this is the case, they should not be surprised if their children grow up with various problems in life. Over-all, I believe that while a home school can provide intellectual growth for students, it lacks an avenue for equally important aspects of personal growth such as emotional, social, and sometimes even spiritual growth, which are all important for a student to understand and face life itself.

Immigration An Influential Aspect Of American History

Throughout American history, immigration has been a constant and significant force in the country. From the early beginnings of the nation in the seventeenth century to the present day, millions of people, from a variety of different and distinct nations and cultures, made the great journey to the United States to pursue greater economic and social opportunities. Immigration has been an influential aspect of American history. These immigrants have enhanced and contributed greatly to the fabric and the story of America. They have brought with them diversity and aspects of their cultures that made America the great melting pot that it is today (Connelly 174). They have also brought with them economic benefits to the country. Immigration is a crucial and a positive influence on the United States. Immigration has increased diversity within this nation. To many, America is considered a melting pot, a place where people of different backgrounds are able to come together as a common culture. Since its colonial period, America has been a home and a safe haven for numerous groups of immigrants. According to Mark Connelly`s book, The Sundance Writer, â€Å"Since its founding, the United States has absorbed waves of new arrivals from around the world† (173). Immigrant groups viewed this land as a prominent and vast place where they can prosper, create exceptional and joyous lives, evade religious and political persecution in their home countries, and construct better communities under aShow MoreRelatedImmigration : The Fundamental Aspect Of American Growth1395 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration: The Fundamental Aspect of American Growth Luis Herrera First Period AP Government February 19, 2015 â€Æ' Immigration: The Fundamental Aspect of American Growth All great empires in history have been rooted in a specific, defining set of characteristics, traditions, values, and perspectives that fuel society towards unity and comradery. 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