Every semester, students hear the same warnings:

Don’t walk across campus alone late at night, don’t leave an open beverage container unattended, don’t park on campus without a permit, don’t eat anything creamed at food service, watch out for bikes on the sidewalks and don’t sleep through a final exam.

This semester, Iowa State students can add a new warning to the list.

Don’t drink heavily just because you think other students are.

They’re not.

Researchers with the Student Health Center have released a study in which they asked 524 undergrads how many drinks they have when they “party.”

The researchers also asked students how many drinks they think other people have when they are partying.

Students responding to the survey estimated that other students drink more than five alcoholic beverages while partying.

But in fact, students averaged drinking 3.8 alcoholic beverages when they party.

Respondents also said they thought more than half of ISU students binge drink.

But only 37 percent of those surveyed said they actually binge drink.

Student Health put this study together in order to test social norms.

The theory goes that people act the way they think others are acting. So if you think other people are drinking, you will, too.

Northern Illinois University, where this theory was first tested, reports a 44 percent reduction in binge drinking since college officials began a study similar to ISU’s in 1989.

They’ve reported fewer alcohol-related injuries and fewer alcohol-related fights.

Student Health officials are beginning a marketing program designed to tell you exactly that.

They want to warn you not to drink excessively just because you perceive other students to be drinking heavily.

They don’t want to see you in their emergency room in the middle of the night with alcohol poisoning because you think binge drinking is all the rage.

Their warning is a good one.

Heed it.

The numbers still aren’t great.

Almost 40 percent of the student population reporting that they binge drink is still way too many students putting themselves in danger.

But people don’t do it as often as we think.

Regardless of what you think other students are doing, drink responsibly.

No matter how much fun you’re having, take care of yourself.

Student Health’s emergency room isn’t a good place for your party to end.