If you are like most college students, you have a modest scholarship, help from Mom and Dad, and student loans that you will be paying back after you graduate from med-school. It all adds up to a lot of money. You certainly wouldn’t want to jeopardize such an investment.
Unless you are attending a college in Utah, drinking is a significant part of college life. It may only be significant in that you are seeing yourself as an adult, that you are no longer under your parents supervision, or you love to have fun, but consequential nonetheless. The impact it may have on your education is up to you.
Kids Will Be Kids
Most colleges and universities disapprove of underage drinking and they will issue sanctions and reprimands against any student violating the law. Yet it happens. It is the siren song of fun and beautiful people portrayed in beer commercials. However, underage students often find themselves over their heads as they try to cope with the effects of alcohol while still trying to stay under the radar. It’s hard sometimes though to be discreet when you are puking behind the bushes.
From Honor Student to Monster
A little underage drinking probably won’t jeopardize your college education, unless you let it get completely out of hand. To a certain extent, they almost expect it to happen; not that they won’t reprimand you for it.
What does have the potential to destroy your college hopes and dreams, whether you are underage or of legal drinking age, is a DUI. You can go from stupid kid to a monster in a few seconds if you climb behind the wheel after drinking. And it won’t have to mean you killed someone or paralyzed your best friend, the penalties of a DUI alone could derail your education and change people’s opinion of you.
Very Little Wiggle Room
Depending on the school, some universities will expel a student for conviction of a DUI, that’s if you are able to make it back to class. If you blew a high BAC, you could spend enough time in jail after your conviction to miss too much class to catch up. Your fines and jail time, plus no driving privileges could really complicate every aspect of your life.
Even though this may be your first brush with the law, DUI offenses are taken very seriously. Don’t expect leniency from the court.
Long-Term Consequences
If you have aspirations for grad-school of any type, a DUI conviction can keep you out of that prestigious school you wanted to attend. It may keep you out of some programs altogether. If you had your eye on a sensitive government position, that opportunity is probably gone forever. Also, many companies won’t hire someone who has been convicted of a DUI.
What Can You Do?
I hope we have made it clear how serious a DUI conviction could be to you, your education, and chosen career. If you have been arrested for a DUI, you haven’t been convicted yet. Don’t plead guilty. Call us here at Action Legal Group as soon as possible so we can start working on your defense. A DUI arrest is more subjective than you think. The only way to keep a DUI from completely altering your life plans is to be represented by an experienced DUI attorney, especially one who knows how to best help college students.
This post is from a guest blogger.