Natalie. When describing peer barriers, non-health majors talked more about social influence of direct engagement in unhealthy behaviors than did health majors. Participants described pressures to stay up later, binge drink, use drugs, and often felt a fear of missing out if they were not involved in what their peers were doing. Xxxxx expressed that she is more likely to sacrifice sleep to hang out with her friends and push her homework off to a different time. Xxxx talked about a peer influence that led him to consume a lot of alcohol on a weekly basis, conveying that he would not consider himself an alcoholic, but having fun with friends in college often leads to drinking alcohol. A few participants also mentioned that being involved in a Greek organization heightened that pressure to engage in the unhealthy behaviors of some of the other members. Health majors talked more about social influence of competition with peers and comparing themselves to what their peers are doing. Non-health majors also referenced competition, but the only specific comparisons were made by participants in the business school regarding jobs after college, not the immediate stressors in college. Health majors alluded to a stress-inducing competition between themselves and others, especially those within the pre-medicine track. Xxxxx told a story about the competition between pre-medicine participants for internships, volunteer opportunities, and research assistantships. One of her good friends who is also pre-medicine wanted to fill in for Xxxxx while she went back home over the summer, but Xxxxx said no. She explained that the lab assistant job she has is difficult to come by and she got it by herself. Xxxxx wanted what was best for her friend, but when it came to a decision between her own future and her friend’s, she had to choose herself. Xxxxx took the competition barrier in a different direction. Instead of feeling pressured to be involved in everything that his peers are, he felt that other people had their lives under control from every front: Just the competitive aspect of college and the concentrated area of people who are high achieving, who have a destination that they want to get to. And because it's not just the average person… it becomes a competition. Like who am I envious of? I’m envious of a person who can do sciences and have a proper sleep schedule, and do sciences or... not even. Just be a college student who has a proper sleep schedule and eating schedule… I only k...
Natalie on or about August 2000, but in any event not later than September 30,2000;
