Encountering alcohol is, for better or worse, a very common experience for students at colleges and universities in DC and throughout the U.S. Whether you choose to drink or not, it’s important to know about the potential dangers you could encounter.

At DC Student Defense, we often represent students facing academic or legal consequences for drinking on campus. If you’re underage, you could be facing legal consequences, or you could just be in trouble with your school for violating campus policies.

From experienced student defense attorney Shan Wu, read on for a rundown of the consequences of getting caught drinking on campus.

Every college or university has different policies about drinking on campus, and those policies can differ based on your age. To fully understand your school’s policies, thoroughly read your school’s code of conduct.

That being said, most colleges prohibit the consumption of alcohol while on campus property, regardless of your age. This includes the privacy of your dorm room.

Here are some of the most common alcohol violations you can get in trouble for on campus:

So, you and your friends are having some drinks in your dorm room, and your RA comes in for a surprise inspection. What happens now?

Again, you should check your school’s code of conduct for specific details. In general, these are some of the consequences you could face from your school’s administration:

In addition, many schools in the DC area have policies of reaching out to local police departments when a crime is committed on campus. So if you’re caught drinking while underage, driving under the influence, drinking in public, or doing anything else against the law, you may also face a criminal investigation as well.

However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t contact emergency medical services if you are facing an alcohol-related emergency.

Here are some examples:

Many schools have student-run medical services, or private university-run security services, that can help in these situations.

In addition, some schools have medical amnesty policies, which mean that if you report an alcohol-related emergency, you and the other people involved won’t get in trouble for campus drinking violations.