I, like many other college students, have had many a “wild” night. You know the type. They start off innocently: One friend mixing dangerously sweet drinks, another doing everyone’s makeup on the couch, the rest fighting over the chance to pick the next throwback song. Then there comes a point when the night really gets going. A time when your friend finishes your makeup, you start feeling that second mixed drink, and a M.I.A. song starts banging. It is then when the girls circle up, bare down, and take a group shot. It’s fun. You feel amazing surrounded by your friends. Once the last girl has perfected her winged eyeliner (after 6 tries) and everyone has reapplied deodorant, someone calls a cab, and it’s onto phase 2.
The cab is packed full of too many people and everyone is negotiating who is Venmoing who for the cab fare. After 5 minutes of being squished beyond repair, the cab pulls up outside of (insert your favorite downtown venue), and everyone piles out. You wait in a line that would not have seemed too long had it not been 20 degrees out. But, feeling warm from the pregame, you endure the wait and finally get inside. You tie your jacket with your friends and immediately head to the bar because how could you be seen without a drink in your hand. Vodkacran, whiskey sour, rum and coke… you pick your poison.
You know how the rest goes. You got the first round so obviously your friend must buy the second. The first drink catches up to you as you finish the second and you’re thriving. The music is incredible, every song is YOUR song, and that guy you’ve seen around campus is eyeing you. It is going to be a great night. Until, that guy you’ve seen around campus offers to buy you a drink and of course you oblige…….the music really is good tonight.
You wake up the next morning with a gnarly headache and raccoon eyes. Fun night though right? You feel around the nightstand for your phone but it’s not there. You try and remember the last time you had it and you can’t seem to remember. Wait, you can’t seem to remember anything. What happened after guy you’ve seen around campus bought you a drink? You rack your brain but you can’t remember. Damn…you blacked out.
But you know what? It is okay. Of course you shouldn’t be blacking out every weekend, that’s a problem, but you shouldn’t freak out about it. I’m only saying this because the first time I blacked out, I fully freaked out. How could I not? I didn’t remember the ridiculous things I could have done and I had a bad feeling that other people were less drunk than me and definitely did remember the ridiculous things I inevitably did. But, like my incredible older friends who have many more wild weekend nights under their belts than myself told me, it happens to everyone. Additionally, most people are not paying attention to people they don’t know. Sure, maybe someone did see you do or say something weird last night, but think about all the times you’ve seen someone do something weird on a weekend and the next morning you can’t remember who they are or what they did and honestly, you don’t care.
The moral of the story is… try not to blackout, but if it happens, which it might once in a blue moon, go easy on yourself. The night started out great so just don’t let it get out of control. If you need some help doing this, follow my helpful tips below and remember to have fun!!!
- Only bring enough cash out to pay for 1 drink and 2 cab fares…do not bring your credit card.
- Tell a friend that you’re pregaming with that you’re having trouble recognizing your limit and you’d like her to keep an eye on you and remind you of how much you’ve drank
- Eat dinner…not eating one piece of bread will not make you look any thinner that night but you’ll be mad you didn’t eat it when you have to go home early because you’re feeling sick
- Don’t feel guilty to ask a friend to take you home at any point in the night