When your parents were in college, they were probably thinking about the same things we are. Freedom, independence...and sex.
College students today are more focused on sexual exploration than their parents might have been, though.
"In general, I think that college has become a place where people start to get in touch with their sexuality," said Karlene Cunningham, graduate clinician in psychology.
Cunningham said views on sex in college have changed over the years.
"During the sex revolution in the '60s and '70s, people were getting into this kind of free love ideal, and then we went back a little bit and reined things in, and now we're getting in touch again," Cunningham said.
People commonly think present-day college students' partying and drinking makes unplanned and unprotected sex more likely.
According to a 2007-2008 study conducted by the Journal of American College Health, men are more likely to initiate sex while intoxicated and women are more likely to accept while intoxicated. The occurrence of unprotected sex is low, however, with only 16 percent of students reporting sex without a condom.
The introduction of new technologies has given today's college students a variety of ways to spice up their sex lives. Cunningham said that technology can be a great way to communicate sexually.
"In terms of being sexual with your partner, you can send them a dirty text message or something like that. We're just now getting a handle on how Internet and technology are starting to impact the way people interact sexually," Cunningham said.
Emily Fessler, of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, said technology is impacting multiple aspects of sexual communication.
"The advances in technology allow for individuals to have multiple sexual outlets and multiple ways to consume, and produce, sexual media," Fessler said.
Cunningham said researchers are taking advantage of sites like YouTube to share knowledge about sex, especially new forms of birth control.
"I think we're getting a lot of different information out there in a lot of different ways," Cunningham said.
But just because people are being informed doesn't mean they're listening.
"Our approach right now in research is to say, 'We know you've heard about it, but what are the barriers keeping you from using birth control correctly?'" Cunningham said.
Fessler said she believes people are confused because of a lack of truthful knowledge about the use of birth control.
"There is often a perpetuation of misinformation spread from one individual to the next, or one group to another," Fessler said.
In our parents' generation, the only place to get information about safe sex was in sex education class, and the main forms of birth control back then were the condom and the pill.
Today's birth control methods include many different varieties of the pill to suit different women's needs; multiple kinds of female condoms such as the vaginal ring and a long-term hormonal form of birth control called Implanon which is implanted in the upper arm.
Cunningham said a male form of birth control is also in the works.
Even with all this protection, sexually transmitted diseases and infections are still prevalent and a source of anxiety for many.
Family Planning Perspectives states in a special report that last generation's STD scares were AIDS and syphilis.
Cunningham said AIDS is still a concern today.
"HPV and HIV are very much in the limelight at the moment," she said.
To keep STD and pregnancy risk at a minimum, Cunningham offered a few suggestions.
She said the biggest mistake people make with birth control is "not taking it on time every day. And with condoms, using the wrong kind of lubricant. You want to use a water-based lubricant instead of a petroleum-based lubricant because the petroleum breaks down the latex in the condom."
Even with all the mistakes people have made with birth control, Fessler said people do have a general knowledge about STDs.
"Now, people know that STDs can happen to anyone, even the first time!"
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