Parents, listen up.

When we embarked on our "Wasted Youth" investigation, we expected to find kids partying on weekends and occasionally missing classes. What we actually found was much more disturbing -- freshmen partying until they pass out, kids having sex with numerous partners, and others getting so wasted that they had to be rushed to the hospital.

We surveyed over 2,500 freshmen from all over the nation to see if this was the norm. Sadly not only is it the norm, it's way worse than we ever suspected. Here are some of the most shocking things that we found:

57% of freshmen drank before college and 68% drink now that they are in college
•    21% drink 3 or more days a week
•    26% drink on weekends only
•    34% drink enough to get buzzed and then stop
•    35% drink until they are very drunk
•    37% drink until they're very drunk, throw up, or pass out

Since being in college:

50% of freshmen say that their parents DID NOT talk to them about partying before they left for school

48% of freshmen say their parents WOULD NOT approve of their behavior, while 50% say their parents WOULD approve

56% of freshmen say they know someone who has ended up in the hospital because of partying

38% of freshmen admit to having sex with one or more people since arriving at school

• 17% say they've had a "booty call"
• 22% say they've had sex while drunk
• 11% of students say they have felt pressure to have sex with someone they didn't want to
• 61% of freshmen plan on continuing partying after college graduation
  

Here are the rest of our 2008 College Freshmen Survey results:

65% of students go to schools that cost $15,000 or more

71% of parents pay for half or all of the college tuition
•    42% of parents had the money to pay for college
•    18% of parents took out a loan to pay for college

40% of freshmen did drugs before college
•    40% smoked pot
•    11% took prescription drugs
•    8% took ADD/ADHD medicine
•    6% did cocaine

Since being in college, 31% of freshmen have tried drugs
•    32% smoked pot
•    6% took prescription drugs
•    6% took ADD/ADHD medicine

Kids say they party to:
•    Release from the stress of school (30%)
•    Make friends (23%)
•    Relax (21%)

69% say they don't think they party too much

25% of freshmen have missed classes/assignments because they've partied too much and 10% admit their grades are suffering because of partying

75% of freshmen feel that there ARE negative ramifications to partying

26% of freshmen feel they have to party to fit in

40% of freshmen say their parents DON'T know how much they party, while 34% say their parents DO know how much they party

40% of freshmen say that peer pressure is the same as or worse than in college than in high school

To see our "Wasted Youth: What Freshman Year At College Is Really Like" series, click here.