By Darren Mcvey

Freshmen girls, listen up because I’m going to tell you some things most boys don’t want you to hear. I know you are finally free from your little hick town and thrown into this world of anonymity and freedom. Now you are supposed to let loose, have fun and make mistakes. But please, let me beg you to avoid one of the biggest mistakes a girl can make at 18:? hooking up.

Don’t fall into this culture of drunkenness, promiscuity and permanent regrets. It’s easy for freshmen girls to think that one-night-stands and drunken hook-ups is as much a part of the college experience as football games and final exams. If you dive headfirst into that shameful pool of promiscuity, be prepared for the ravaging consequences which will stay with you for the rest of your life.

I’m not just talking about unwanted babies and weird rashes. Hooking up also affects your psyche. In an editorial?by Donna Freitas in the Wall Street Journal, she reported in her study of 2,500 students, “among those who reported ‘hooking up’ 41% are profoundly upset about their behavior. The 22% of respondents who chose to describe a hook-up experience (the question was optional) used words like ‘dirty,’ ‘used,’ ‘regretful,’ ’empty,’ ‘miserable,’ ‘disgusted,’ ‘ashamed,’ ‘duped’ and ‘abused’ in their answers.”

As if this mental anguish isn’t enough of a deterrent, the health stats are harrowing as well.?

According to a U.S. Center for Disease Control study released earlier this year, one in four girls under 20 have a sexually transmitted disease. Guys, that means if you see a group of four girls at a party, one of them may have an STD. Girls, that means if a potential hook-up has hooked up with four other girls, he has probably been exposed to an STD.?

I know. I’m freaked out too.

Sometimes numbers can seem distant and irrelevant, but sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted conception do not discriminate. Instead of passing over those numbers, go back and read them again.?

So, because I care, here is what you can do.?

Make good friends. Concern yourself with finding a few same-sex friends to get really close to instead of a boy you won’t see after you give him your body. College can be hard and it’s better to have friends that relieve stress than boys that add to it. Besides, these friends will be around a lot longer than the boys you meet at a frat party.?

Sometimes, it may feel easier to swim with the current.

Don’t go to big parties. Don’t get drunk. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. And don’t believe a word out of the mouth of a boy with a beer in his hand. Always be suspicious of boys and err on the side of safety. If a boy wants to take you away from the crowd, ask him: why? If he seems to be insistent on giving you alcohol, get away. Guys who really like and respect you will work through your suspicion, and if he’s worth anything, he will find it attractive. Guys treat a million dollar girl like a million dollars and a five dollar girl like five dollars.

Most of all: respect yourself. Guard your body like it’s worth more than cheap beer and a little attention. Demand boys treat you like a prize and make them work for your attention. Not only will you stay out of trouble, but you will find a man who’s worth having and not a boy who’s worth nothing.