Wonderland and the rabbit hole: A commentary on university students’ alcohol use during first year and the early transition to university

Abstract

For new students, university can be a wonderland of opportunity. But the first few weeks of the university experience are also typified by change, stress and uncertainty. From a health promotion perspective, the first few weeks of the university experience present an important yet understudied opportunity for alcohol misuse prevention. In this narrative review, we distinguish students’ alcohol use during their first year at university from what is known about their use in the first few weeks on campus. First, we outline the developmental context of the first year experience and the descriptive epidemiology of alcohol use and consequences. Second, we highlight how distinctly different the first few weeks of the university experience are relative to the rest of the academic year and overview the limited research on alcohol use and consequences during the first few weeks. Third, we overview the limited number of strategies that have focused on reducing alcohol use during the transition to university. Finally, we offer a number of suggestions for future research. A better understanding of the nature and determinants of alcohol use and consequences during the transition to university is critical to designing effective prevention and intervention strategies.