It’s college. Everyone expects you to get a little wild occasionally, but it’s important to do it safely. Here’s a few tips to make sure you’re turning up the right way.
Uber: First and foremost, don’t drink and drive. Many of us have probably slacked when it comes to this. Even if you only had a couple beers, your tolerance level is higher than most or you feel fine, if you get pulled over, you’re probably getting a DWI. Just because you think you’re okay to drive doesn’t mean you are. Uber is cheap and convenient, and you can split the ride cost with your friends. Download it if you don’t already have it. Do it for your parents, if not the safety of other drivers. You wouldn’t want them getting a 3 a.m. call from the local hospital.
Free drinks/or pre-gaming: Of course we can’t take the fun out of everything, pre-gaming and free drinks are a key part of drinking on a budget. That doesn’t mean you should drink everything you can in 20 minutes, unless you want a trip to the emergency room and a story that will stick with you for the rest of your college career. Pace yourself–blacking out before the night begins shouldn’t be the goal.
Don’t use fake ID’s: It ruins the fun of 21. You’ll either get it taken away by the doorman or be too afraid to use it. It’s embarrassing to get turned away by a bar. Save yourself some shame and wait until you’re older.
Beer before liquor, you’ve never been sicker: Don’t assume that once you get to college that your liver is made of steel. A Long Island Iced Tea is probably the worst way to start off a night of responsible drinking. Don’t try to out drink anyone. Ladies, he will always be able to handle more than you. I’m sorry, but sadly feminism can’t fix this. Mixing alcohols can bring you the worst hangover of your life, so avoid it. Stick to one type and pace yourself.
Go with friends and turn on your location: This is for my ladies–share your location with the group you’re going out with. And, of course, always go with a group. Nothing’s scarier than getting lost when the night is over. This is especially true for football season and all the partying that comes after it.
Ari’yana Gibson is a 21-year-old English secondary education senior from Slidell, Louisiana.
OPINION: Use Uber, share location to have safe partying experience
June 22, 2016
Richard Vogel/Associated Press
FILE – In this Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a driver displaying Lyft and Uber stickers on his front windshield drops off a customer in downtown Los Angeles. Hailing a ride with a smartphone app in many U.S. cities could come down to a fight over fingerprints. Following incidents where Uber drivers were found to have criminal records, a growing number of state and local governments want ride-hailing drivers to undergo fingerprint background checks. Uber and its chief rival, Lyft, have fought those checks, contending their own method of vetting drivers is just as safe. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
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