Consequences of alcohol use: behavior changes and problems during first year of university

A sample of students registered to begin first-year university were surveyed 1 month prior to their arrival on campus about experiences they had had with alcohol. The same students were surveyed again 8 months later, toward the end of their first academic year. Overall, the results showed an increase in problems in three problem domains--Personal Effects, Social/Legal Effects, and Major School Problems--although males and females did not show identical patterns of change. The implications for prevention programming in universities are discussed.