This fall I interviewed women who recently graduated from Arizona State, Cal, Dartmouth, Stanford, Tufts, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. The question I asked was, "What advice would you offer an incoming freshman girl on how to navigate the hook-up culture?"
Each woman offered practical wisdom and heartfelt advice. I am currently working on a book on this topic but feel compelled to share some of these women's insights immediately to help girls who are in college now.
I interviewed my own daughter first and then many of her friends and their friends. I asked each woman to imagine a girl she loved -- a younger sister, a cousin, a neighbor -- and to offer advice with that person in mind.
Here are some of their insights on navigating the hook-up culture and alcohol:
Kathleen blogs regularly to The Huffington Post. To be notified when she publishes a blog, please sign up here. Kathleen is the author of two books that celebrate life and motherhood:Mother Advice To Take With You To College, a collection of humorous drawings and wise sayings, and The Tiffany Box: A Memoir, an International Best Book Awards Finalist, a true story full of humor, heartache and love--told through emails, letters, diary entries and columns about the last two years of Kathleen's mother's life. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.