With Freshers’ Week fast approaching, we figured you might do well with some tips from us, the social media team, on how to be 100% prepared for your week of partying. So, notebooks at the ready…
1) Buy your Fresher’s pass/wristband.
I’d say before you do, know which events these actually get you into, and make sure you want to be at them – this’ll make it easier to decide if it’s worth your while buying one or not. To purchase, visit www.cusu.org, and if you have any questions, you can tweet them @CUSU.
2) Eat before you drink.
If you don’t, and you drink a lot, your night will be over faster than it began. When you drink on an empty stomach, there’s no food there to slow down the rate of absorption. Drunkenness, therefore, will hit you right in the face, and it won’t be pretty, and it may hurt. Make your time worthwhile and drink responsibly, breaking the night up with water where possible. Sounds boring, I know, but the only person who is in charge of you is you.
3) Go out in a group, stay in a group, and leave in a group.
Again, boring, boring, but you must be safe. It’s probably better to be with your housemates, since you’ll all be returning to the same place. Make sure you’ve got everyone’s phone numbers just in case you lose them during the night, but also (countering the previous comment) make sure somebody knows where you are at all times.
4) Book your taxi at the start of the night.
It’s no good finding yourself stumbling about looking for a way to get home – it’ll just take forever. Know where your taxi is going to be and at what time, and be there to meet it. This is another reason to drink responsibly. Cabbies might try to take advantage of your intoxication and charge you a bomb – don’t let it happen!
5) Know where your valuables are.
Better still, try not to take any with you – but obviously, that’s idealistic. You’ll need your phone and you’ll need some money, but try and keep them both hidden and in a place you can’t lose them. Things like expensive necklaces, earrings, watches etc. can fall off easily and end up in someone else’s pocket. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Also, install phone-finding apps like Find My iPhone, and whatever the Android version of it is. (I have a Samsung. I feel like such a traitor right now.)
6) Get cash out beforehand, set some aside for your taxi, then leave your card at home.
If you’re drinking, you don’t want to check your balance the next morning to see that you have £0.03 in your account because you’ve spent it all in one night. Check drinks prices beforehand, plan your evening, and only take what you need. Do make sure you leave that bit for a taxi home – walking at 3am is just no.
7) Don’t leave your drinks unattended.
We all know this one, but it needs to be said. I’m not big into victim-blaming (‘if you leave your drink unattended and someone puts something in it, it’s your fault‘ and all that baloney), but I am big into taking precautions. Like I said up there, you’re in charge of yourself, so do what you can to stay safe. As an extra measure, if you’ve got a bottled drink put your thumb over the opening of it. Some people don’t mind getting brave and doing it right up in your grill.
8) Look out for your friends.
If you’re sober(ish?) and you can see that one of your friends is clearly really, really not, just keep an eye on him/her to make sure they’re okay. Don’t lose them, don’t leave them, and don’t let them go home alone. This counts for guys as well – look after your bros, dudes. Most people think only women are at risk, but that’s a myth. Look out for each other.
9) Take lots of pictures.
Firstly, because it’s fun and you’ll obvs be looking dapper. Secondly, because that way you can see what was going on around you at the time it was taken when you’re looking through them the next day. If anything went down in da club aside from fun, innocent partying, the proof will be in the pudding.
10) Have a great time.
This should go without saying, but with all the things you need to think about I fear I may have made this all sound like a drag. It won’t be! It’s simple: be safe, be responsible, and have a blast.
