Congratulations! You’ve completed the Relationships, Boundaries, and Influence module.

Throughout this module, you’ve learned that one of the biggest influences on your college experience isn’t your major, your residence hall, or even your class schedule.

It’s the people you surround yourself with.

The friendships you build, the communities you join, and the decisions you make together can shape your health, your well-being, and your college experience in meaningful ways.

While relationships can be a source of encouragement and support, they can also influence how we respond to stress, navigate social situations, and make decisions about alcohol, vaping, marijuana, and other substances.

The goal of this module wasn’t to tell you who to spend time with.

It was to help you build the confidence to create relationships that support the life you want to build.

What We Learned

Belonging Is a Basic Human Need

Everyone wants to feel accepted.

Starting college often means leaving behind familiar routines and relationships while trying to find your place in a new community.

That transition can feel exciting, but it can also feel lonely.

Remember that belonging takes time. You do not have to change who you are to find people who appreciate and respect you.

Strong relationships are built through shared values, trust, and genuine connection, not through alcohol, vaping, or other substances.

Peer Influence Is More Powerful Than We Realize

Peer influence is part of everyday life.

Sometimes it encourages healthy behaviors, like studying together or joining a student organization.

Other times it can make unhealthy choices seem normal.

One of the biggest takeaways from this module is that what you think everyone else is doing is not always reality.

Research consistently shows that college students often overestimate how much their peers drink or use substances.

Making decisions based on facts instead of assumptions can help reduce unnecessary pressure.

Healthy Friendships Include Healthy Boundaries

Healthy friendships are built on mutual respect.

Good friends respect your decisions, encourage your goals, and support your well-being.

Setting boundaries does not make you selfish.

It helps protect your physical, emotional, and mental health.

Whether you’re saying no to a party, declining a drink, protecting your study time, or choosing to leave a situation that feels uncomfortable, boundaries allow you to make choices that align with your values.

Looking Out for Others Matters

Sometimes the person who needs support is someone you care about.

Learning to recognize warning signs, start caring conversations, and connect friends with professional resources can make a meaningful difference.

Remember that supporting someone does not mean taking responsibility for solving their problems.

Your role is to care, listen, encourage, and connect them with help when needed.

How This Connects to Substance Abuse Prevention

Healthy relationships are one of the strongest protective factors against substance misuse.

Students who feel connected to supportive friends, mentors, family members, and campus communities often report better mental health, greater resilience, and healthier decision-making.

When you have people who respect your choices and support your goals, it becomes easier to:

• Resist unhealthy peer pressure.
• Set and maintain personal boundaries.
• Ask for help when you’re struggling.
• Support others in healthy ways.
• Make decisions that reflect your values rather than social expectations.

Substance abuse prevention is not just about saying “no.”

It is about building a life where healthy choices feel possible because you have the support, confidence, and relationships to make them.

Final Reflection

Before taking the quiz, spend a few minutes thinking about these questions.

• What does a healthy friendship look like to me?
• What personal values do I want to protect during college?
• Who are the people I can turn to when I need support?
• How can I be the kind of friend who encourages healthy choices?
• What is one thing I learned in this module that I want to remember throughout my first year?

Write your answers in a journal, notes app, or somewhere you can revisit them throughout the semester.

Keep Building Healthy Connections

College is about much more than earning a degree.

It is an opportunity to grow, build lasting relationships, and learn skills that will serve you long after graduation.

The people you choose to surround yourself with can influence your confidence, your well-being, and your future.

Choose relationships that encourage you to grow.

Choose friends who respect your boundaries.

Choose communities where you can be yourself.

Those choices can make a lasting difference in both your college experience and your overall health.

Disclaimer

All content on the RTT Virtual Hub is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, mental health, or professional advice.

Complete the Module Quiz

You’ve reached the final step of this module.

The quiz is not graded. Its purpose is to help you review the key ideas you’ve learned and reflect on how they apply to your own college experience.

Once you’ve completed the quiz, you have successfully finished this RTT Virtual Hub module.