Hi, Amygirl, welcome to SR.
Your situation seems similar to mine. I attended a party college where the accepted thing to do on a Friday or Saturday (or Tuesday) night was to get drunk, and that certainly enabled my drinking problem, although the foundation was always in place. I almost failed classes this semester due to alcohol related absences.
Only you can decide if you're an alcoholic, but it never hurts to get a second opinion. Some places offer free screening tests for alcoholism. Whatever you choose, this place has great folks and lots of resources.