Montana College Freshman At Risk? What You Need To Know.

Before you know it, it will be "Back To School" in Montana.

That first day of class can be both exciting and a little nerve-wracking all at the same time. I remember the feeling well. After I went through my entire wardrobe and picked out what I would wear the next day, I'd lay in bed hoping to go to sleep. It never seemed to work out that way, as I would spend most of the night tossing and turning.

While back to school often focuses on the younger kids, it's also a big deal for those college kids as well, especially the incoming freshmen. In Montana, while we have several great choices for higher education, most of us are either a Bobcat or a Griz.

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I'll be honest, my post-high school education didn't include a 4 year school, instead, I went to a local community college where I dropped out after the first semester because it seemed a lot like the 13th grade.

Here's hoping incoming students are more focused than I was at their age.

What do Montana college freshmen need to be aware of?

College offers lots of experiences and for some that includes either joining a sorority or fraternity. While joining one of these is a great way to network and make life-long friends, experts warn that you must be careful, especially during "rush week".

I'm in no way telling you not to enjoy the college experience. Not only is it a time for learning, but it's also a time to figure out who you are and what you think. For many, it will be the first time out from under their parents' thumb and opinions, however, a little caution is never a bad thing.

Plus, who wants to call their parents for bail money?

How bad is the drinking situation in Montana?

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), Montana ranks 2nd in the nation for "binge drinking" with the average cost per resident spending around 90 dollars a week, or almost 4700 per year on booze.

We shared recently that many Montanans struggle with alcohol and there is data to back this up.

READ MORE: Just how drunk are Montanans?

The data is rather alarming with almost a quarter of the population admitting to either binge drinking, or drinking heavily. Is this something that needs to be addressed? Is there something that should be done about the issue? What do you think?

Let us know by sending us a message on our radio station app.