So you’ve got the perfect bag for going out. What do you put in it? Let’s get the obvious out of the way: keys, money (cash and card), ID, and a phone. These are all necessary for a successful departure from your room. But going out requires a different set of items, carefully curated to ensure partying success and to minimize the panic attacks that ensue when a collegiette is caught unprepared. Here are the top 6 items you need in your going out bag to make sure you’re always ready for any situation!
1. Gum or mints. Beverages served after 10 PM tend to linger on your breath, and bad breath puts a damper on heavy socializing. Make it a non-issue by always having mints on hand! Either flash them and become the most popular girl at the party, or pop a mint discreetly and ensure fresh breath for the rest of the evening. It’s a win-win!
2. Band-aids. Minor scrapes and cuts happen, especially if there’s intoxication involved. Exposed toes get stepped on, heels blister from those so-cute-but-so-painful new wedges, knees get skinned from falling on concrete (hopefully this particular injury gets kept to a minimum… let’s keep it classy), and if not to you then definitely to somebody else. Minimize the gore with band-aids!
3. Birth control. Some collegiettes take their birth control just before bed during the week, and oftentimes that can be between the hours of 9 and midnight. If you’re staying out much later than your usual, bring the little pill with you so you don’t throw off your schedule, or even worse, forget it altogether. Along those lines, bring a condom if there’s a chance you’ll need it. No glove, no love. Or sex.
4. Eyedrops. Even if you make it back to your own room, it can be a hassle to pull out delicate contact lenses when all you want is to get in your comfortable bed. Save your dried out eyes the next morning with eyedrops. These are especially handy when you wake up on the couch in your sorority house or in the arms of a new paramour and being able to see properly is of the utmost importance.
5. A quick beauty fix. There are girls who bug out over their hair, and there are other girls who could care less how their hair looks but can’t handle when their eyeliner smears. Bring whatever it is you need to make sure you get through the night without feeling the urge to whip out a mirror. Whether that’s a hair tie and a bobby pin (I HATE when I forget these), a mini eyeliner pencil, oil blotting sheets, or lipstick to reapply, if you’re feeling confident about the way you look you’ll be able to enjoy yourself a lot more!
6. Important phone numbers. Have the numbers of Campus Safety, your ResHall Duty Line, your roommate, an emergency contact, and a cab company programmed into your favorites in case of an emergency.
What do you bring with you when you go out? Did I miss anything crucial? Leave a comment below and let us know!
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