Scientists figure out how much you can drink in college without messing up your job prospects

  • Heavy drinkers were six per cent less likely to land a full-time job on graduating
  • The more they drank, the worse the students' prospects became
  • Students who binge drank six or more times a month were a full 10 per cent less likely to get that job
  • Students who drank responsibly did not affect their prospects - and were just as likely to be hired as non-drinkers

By HANNAH PARRY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

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Scientists have figured out how much you can drink in college without messing up your job prospects.

Unsurprisingly, it's not good news for heavy drinkers.

Analysts found that students who drank more than four drinks in two hours for women or five drinks in two hours for men were six percent less likely to land a full-time job when they graduated. 

Scientists have figured out how much you can drink in college without messing up your job prospects (stock image)

And the more they drank, the worse their prospects became.

Students who drank binge drank six or more times a month were a full 10 percent less likely to get that job.

But it's not all bad news for job hunters who enjoy a pint or two.

Students who drank responsibly did not affect their prospects - and were just as likley to be hired as non-drinkers.

Analysts found that students who drank more than four drinks in two hours for women or five drinks in two hours for men were six percent less likely to land a full-time job when they graduated

Analysts found that students who drank more than four drinks in two hours for women or five drinks in two hours for men were six percent less likely to land a full-time job when they graduated

'The manner in which students drink appears to be more influential than how much they drink when it comes to predicting the likelihood of getting a job upon graduation,'Peter Bamberger, a Tel Aviv University professor who worked on the study, told FromTheGrapeVine.

The study, conducted by Israel's Tel Aviv University and New York's Cornell University, was based data from 827 students who had recently graduated from colleges around the U.S.  

Binge-drinking doesn't just affect job prospects, it can also cause brain damage.

Having five or more beers for men, or in excess of four for women, within two hours leads to distinctive changes in brain activity.

Such changes, which can lead to muddled thoughts, are similar to those seen in alcoholics, Portuguese scientists claim. 

The findings are worrying, as the researchers said for many students, this amount of drinking wouldn't equate to a particularly heavy night.

Previous studies found binge drinking was linked to neurocognitive deficits, poor academic performance, and risky sexual behaviour.

While studies have found heavy drinking by alcoholics altered brain activity, there is also evidence that bingeing can change a teenager's brain too.

The new University of Minho study, based on 80 undergraduates, highlights the damage that can be done by alcohol.

Lead author Dr Eduardo López-Caneda said: 'A number of studies have assessed the effects of binge drinking in young adults during different tasks involving cognitive processes such as attention or working memory.

'However, there are hardly any studies assessing if the brains of binge drinkers show differences when they are at rest, and not focused on a task.'

 

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