"The ugly reality is that peer pressure reaches its greatest intensity precisely at the age when children tend to be most callous and cruel." -- Walt Mueller, Understanding Youth Culture Today. Overcoming peer pressure always proves to be a challenge; being in the moment with the intention of pushing away the pressure tends to fuel fear. There are all kinds of pressures in life, from people, to possible addictive agents, to the desire to have fun. Personally at UC Irvine people might say there isn't much to do, but there is a lot if you know where to look - seen in another Zot blogger's posts. The peer pressure at UCI in terms of drugs or alcohol is not excessive, but the possibility of neglecting your studies is. Involvement, going out to eat and taking a break all prove to be factors that take more time away from studying. There are ways that can free you from too many of these temptations and that you can be productive; However, there are also ways to not be persuaded by negative peer pressure. Be involved, but don't put your interests before your needs...