On the biggest day of music, dartying, and drinking at Conn, it is important to be safe and responsible about how much you are drinking. It is easy to let your day go by and not notice how much you’ve had to drink. The hype and excitement of Floralia, starting from when you first wake up in the morning, makes many students drink too much. Remember– the most important thing to do is to pace yourself! Here are some tips for drinking responsibly this Floralia.
1) Make Sure to Eat: Drinking on an empty stomach is never safe. Make sure you start your day with a hearty breakfast and make sure you are snacking throughout the day. SAC always sets up a tent with lots of snacks and there will be food available throughout the day!
2) Stay Hydrated: It is important that you drink water throughout the day. The sun will enhance your buzz and it can be dangerous. You don’t have to sit by yourself under a blanket, but just make sure that you balance your time in and out of the sun because it can dehydrate you. The key is to have a drink or two and then drink a glass of water. Alcohol will dehydrate you, so water throughout the day will only help you. This may have you running to Cro more frequently to use the bathroom, but at least the alcohol in your system will be balanced.
3) Try Not to Mix Alcohols: We all know the saying, beer before liquor makes you sicker and this should be taken seriously– mixing hard and soft alcohol never ends well. Its okay to drink a little hard liquor, but if you plan on drinking beer, stick to beer, don’t switch back and fourth.
4) Make Sure to Stay with Friends: Watch out for your friends and have your friends watch out for you, but don’t let people pressure you into drinking too much. Don’t worry about “keeping up,” just go at your own pace. If you lose your friends throughout the day, find people you can rely on, or just take a break from drinking.
5) Know What Your Body can Handle: You are ultimately the only person that knows how much alcohol your body can handle. It is easy to sip on your drink throughout the day and still have fun! Have in mind the amount of alcohol you want to consume and cut yourself off after you have reached that limit. Make sure you are keeping track of what you are drinking. The easiest way to do this is by marking it on your hand. Be careful when you are playing drinking games; games like beer pong can be easily played with water and you can sip on your drink so that you can make it out until the end of the night. After your mid-afternoon nap, don’t feel pressured to “rally.”
No matter what, make sure you have fun! Floralia is one of the greatest days at Conn. With these tips in mind, you can enjoy the day while drinking responsibly and staying safe!