Study finds that drinking on weeknights is good for college students

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students have been trying to convince their professors and parents for decades that drinking on weeknights is good for them, and a team of researchers may have just helped them make their point.

A joint study by the Penn State College of Medicine and the Eberly College of Science cited mental health benefits, increased productivity and better time management skills as reasons why weeknight drinking is good for students.

Dr. Robert Duckstein, who headed the study, said that he was inspired to do the study by a student who missed an exam because he was hungover on a Tuesday morning, then asked Duckstein for an excused absence.

“The student asked me in his email to let him make up the exam because he was out the night before making memories and trying to improve his overall quality of life,” Duckstein said. “It honestly almost worked because it made me laugh.”

The research showed that drinking on weeknights gives students a needed break from their regular stressors and the work they have to do for classes and clubs.

Going out on weeknights with your friends can also be good for friendships, the study found. Many form close bonds and more meaningful relationships when drunk, as inhibitions are lowered and people become inclined to tell each other their secrets.

Sabrina Campbell, a third-year student studying communication sciences and disorders, said that drinking with her friends at least one weeknight helps her focus.

“Some weeks the only thing that motivates me to study and do my work is knowing I have a wine night with my friends or a thirsty Thursday night out coming up to make sure that I get my work done,” Campbell said.

It also promotes better time management skills and productivity because students are pushing themselves to make sure they finish assignments in time to go out with their friends.

The researchers also found that drinking is good for students’ physical health. Studies have shown for years that drinking every day can have benefits for the heart and circulatory system. It is also thought to help prevent type-two diabetes.

It also causes students to drink more water, which some college students neglect doing. When hungover, people are more inclined to drink water because alcohol causes dehydration.

The report found that there are benefits for the local community as well. People who drink on weeknights are less likely to go crazy and consume as much alcohol on weekends, which helps to reduce crimes such as underage drinking and public intoxication.

It can also cause a boost to the local economy. Bars are busiest on weekend days usually, and many struggle to get customers on weekdays. This can cause financial hardship for bartenders who work weeknights.

In State College, most bars have at least one weeknight when they have special deals or a fun theme. Bill Pickle’s Tap Room has country night on Tuesdays, when everyone goes dressed in their best country attire. Across the street at Champs Downtown, they have what students call “DVSN,” where they sell vodka sodas for one dollar on Thursday nights.

Other popular weeknight activities are Wednesday night bingo at Cafe 210 West and karaoke at the Gaff on Wednesdays, lovingly referred to as “Gaffaoke.”

It’s important for college kids to pick up drinking habits while they’re young, because then they’ll be able to keep contributing to the economy later in life, the study found. Gen Z has much lower drinking rates than the generations before it, and this is expected to continue.

A university representative issued a press release saying that the report is not advocating for or encouraging students to drink on weeknights, and that the research is not reflective of the university’s beliefs.

(This story was created as part of COMM 498 Humor in Journalism.)