Many sober students often go into a college with the discouraging factor of drugs and alcohol to try and pull them into a relapse. But there is a saving grace at most colleges called Sober Dormitories. These are basically dorms that are separated from the crazy party/wild side of college to further encourage previous addicts to remain sober and recovered!

photo © 2010 Andy

Some people go to college because they have money, some go for fun, but some solely go for the education. With the drugs, booze, and pot always present many people become distracted or skewed off their path to a higher education. And not only that, but people that are there to learn, that previously had a chemical dependence, have the opportunity to fall. With all these distractions students can choose to turn to alternatives. The option of having a sober dormitory can be great because not only are students at a distance with temptation, but they also have other students around and with them to help one another.  There are also dorms that can be separated from the general ones either by race, sex, sub-free, etc.

A great way for students to resist temptation, in most situations, is to start a club/group or join an existing one!  At many Colleges that support 12-step meeting groups either led by a student or a counseling graduate in chemical dependency counseling.

Of course not all Colleges have this alternative, but it's up to the students to decide where they want to go and what they will expose themselves to. Even with Sober Dormitories intensity can be high with people coming and going into the buildings with different drugs and alcohol. Remember, you have a choice to stay sober.