At college, when parties are in full force, entering a house full of crazy kids – especially at a fraternity – can be much more than you expected. A lot can happen in that one night, good or bad. Never-ending keg stands, people hooking up in every corner, bodies grinding around each other on a smoke-filled, sweaty dance floor that’s so hot you can literally see the steam rising, and condensation on the walls. Meanwhile, you have to watch out for beer spills that might send you into a nose dive, fellow party-goers who might spill their jungle juice all over your LBD, and that person who can’t find their coat and decides to take yours.
That said, there are some crucial “heads up” thoughts to take into consideration before jumping into the party. Here are three major tips for how to survive a wild night!
Choose Your Party
Figure out which house is throwing a party and decide which party you want to go to. The personality and reputation of the fraternity can tell you a lot about what people you’ll be running into, how the party will go, the type of alcohol that will be there, and whether it’s even worth attending. If the house is known for their crazy parties, then prepare yourself for a crazy night. If the house isn’t known for their parties or has a bad reputation, you may want to try finding another party to go to instead. If they’ve gotten in trouble for partying in the past, you might want to find another house that’s a safer bet. Also keep in mind if you know people there or if it will consist of strangers. It’s always good to have some friendly guys or girls around that you know will watch out for you. Also keep in mind the party theme of the fraternity. Don’t end up at the stoner fraternity if you hate to smoke or the basement lined with beer pong tables if you don’t like to drink. All of the above can really help to perfect your party experience.
Find Your Best Party Friends
The people you go with can totally shape what type of night you will have. Go with friends that are down to have a crazy time, with memories you’ll never forget. (At least, that’s the plan.) Yet, you want to make sure your friends are responsible enough to not ruin your night. Don’t go with the people that are going to leave you stranded on the corner, drunk, with no way of getting home. Your friends should be there to help you, support you, and bring you home if need be. Also stay away from friends that will give up your seat in the car for some walking STD, or forget to tell you when they leave, so you end up looking for them the rest of the night.
We all know those girls that bring drama wherever they go. No matter what, they end up getting into a fight, letting their emotions get the better of them, having a drunken messy cry, and overall ruining the fun. Avoid these types of party-goers. Also avoid going with girls (or guys) that get sloppy drunk, angry drunk, or just any type of drunk that isn’t going to end well! Similarly, try to avoid girlfriends that mysteriously run off or go missing without letting you know where they’re going. It’s important to watch out for your friends, but you don’t constantly want to be playing babysitter.
Always remember that the most important friend of the night goes to the designated driver. Make sure your DD knows that they are responsible for getting you and your friends home and to your destinations safely. Drinking responsibly is key, whether you have a DD, call a taxi, or an uber driver that can get you home safe. If you’re the DD, here’s some tips on how to still have an awesome night!
Know Your Limit
Everyone likes to get wild, but it is important to know your limits and what you’re drinking. This means drinking enough so that you’re having a fun time, but not until your passed out on the grass or blacked out from downing half the bottle before you could even get in. Be sure to pace yourself, drink some water or mixer in between, and slow down if you feel like you’re about to go overboard. We all know that feeling where we think we’ve had too much, but just want one more shot anyway. It never ends well.
Also, never put your drink down. Putting your drink down can leave it open for people to slip things into it. Frat parties are filled with random people and you never know who you can truly trust. Instead, try bringing a bottle for yourself to drink so that you are able to control what goes in it. If you can’t bring a bottle, just attend with your drink, hold it in front of you, and you can even hold it with your fingers on the rim, hand above the top.
Get Crazy
Frat parties can live up to the wild stories you hear. Have fun, be yourself, and never regret anything. Ask that hot guy you’ve been eyeing to be your partner in beer pong. Win flip cup with all your girlfriends on your team. Wear something that will glow in the backlight. Give a bong (or a beer bong) a try for the first time. Try all those jungle juice cocktails and see which taste most delicious. Go with that cute frat boy to that dark corner or dirty couch and get your make out on. Dance on tables, chairs, and anything else you can find. Make some friends with the guys and exchange numbers so that you’ll always have an insider scoop on the next party – someone to get you in – and someone’s room to safely put your coat. There are so many ways to let loose and go a little crazy without going overboard. Enjoy them!
A frat party is also the perfect place to throw yourself on any guy you see that catches your eye. If the connection is there, slut away! Just make sure you stay alert when it comes to creepy men that may want to take advantage of you and make sure you and your friends watch out for each other. You can be wild and fun without making a fool out of yourself. Get crazy, slutty, and remember, you’re young! Even if you do end up doing something embarrassing, there will be plenty of other frat parties to help you recover from that. Dress and act the part and you’re guaranteed to have a night that will hold tons of memories for you and your friends!
