You’re going to party in college.
Here are tips to help you make friends and have fun safely.
1) Don’t Drink the Jungle Juice
College parties are fun.
A lot of fun.
But they can get dangerous quickly.
Never drink anything you don’t pour yourself or you haven’t seen being made. This includes: punch bowls, alcohol bags (they usually bring around the party and have people slap them before drinking), beer pong cups, and drinks at the bar.
You need to know the alcohol content of your beverages to keep track of how much you’re drinking.
If you’re not looking, someone could easily slip drugs into your drink. There are predators, so watch out.
When in doubt don’t drink at all or stick to bottled drinks you open yourself.
2) Know Your Limit
People may push you to drink more than you want to… Don’t. It’s never worth it. You’re not cooler because you can chug more beer than your friends.
Never drink alone.
Never drink without familiar faces around.
Same rules apply for drugs.
I don’t recommend doing drugs at all. I understand that you may try them, so never do drugs alone, and never do drugs without friends around.
Find people you trust to party with and make them your party crew/ team. You go where they go and they go where you go.
If someone looks too sick/ passed out don’t be afraid to call paramedics (even if you’ve been drinking), you could be saving their life. I’ve called during a dodgy situation and the paramedics were very helpful. You can never be too cautious even when having fun.
If you don’t want a hangover, drink a minimum of 8 oz of water for every shot, glass of wine, or beer can you consume.
Also drink a bottle of water or electrolyte drink before bed after a night of drinking. You may have to pee, but it will help rehydrate you.
3) Colleges Have a Lot of Clubs and Organizations, You Don’t Have to Join All or Any of Them
A lot of people run clubs because it looks good on a resume, but they don’t actually do anything except send you a monthly email.
If you join a club, stick to ones that feel worthwhile/ have cool people. If people are pushing you way too hard to join a club it’s probably not that great. Make sure it’s something that you want to do/ feels right for you.
I would recommend joining two or three clubs at most, depending on how much time you need to give to them, any more than that is probably too much.
4) Check Out Greek Life:
I would recommend trying rush week, just to see what is out there. Maybe you meet cool people, maybe you don’t, but it is a valuable college experience.
After rushing, decide if you want to be in a house. You don’t have to be. I wasn’t and I had a great time in college. That being said, I have friends and family that were in a house and absolutely loved it. There are a lot of positive social aspects to being in Greek life, so if it’s your thing, then go for it.
Things to Consider Before Joining a House:
- Like the clubs, if a house is selling you too hard, they are probably not cool.
- Houses have stereotypes. Know that people will assume things about you if you tell them you’re in a specific house.
- Greek life takes up a lot of time, especially pledging, so plan accordingly.
- Know the due fees.
- Make sure you have solid friends in the house. When rushing, pay attention to how members treat each other. If they treat each other with respect, you’re in the right place, if not, reconsider.
- Remember that being in a house is like a sports team, you are only as strong as your weakest link. If someone in your house does something stupid, it reflects on everyone, even if the rest of the members had nothing to do with it. Like a team you enjoy both the wins and losses together.
5) Your Friend Group Will Shift Over Time
The First few weeks of college, everyone is everybody’s friend because no one knows anyone. Then, you settle in, and friend groups start to change. People shift based on interest so don’t be surprised if your friend group at the beginning of college looks drastically different than the one at the end.
I met some of my best friends junior and senior year. Don’t be afraid to let people go. They may do the same to you.
Stick with the friends that help you soar, not the ones that clip your wings.
6) Use Protection
Don’t commit sexually or romantically to any person you’re unsure about.
A lot of colleges make you watch sex education videos and alcohol/ drug videos before you come on campus.
The videos are usually poorly produced and have terrible acting. If you’re like me, that can be pretty distracting.
That being said… Sex happens a lot in college.
Not saying you need to have sex in college, but if you do, use protection. Not just for the ‘baby’ aspect (important!), but also the STI (sexually transmitted infections) aspect.
If you are going to have sex it’s the smart and respectful thing to do.
Click here to learn more.
7) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
College is a great time to try new things.
I was really amazed at how much fun I had at Salsa Dancing night at USC.
I didn’t know a single person there except one friend who had to drag me into the ballroom, but it was a great experience. There were people I had never seen or interacted with and they were extremely fun and friendly. Though I was completely out of my whits, it helped gain perspective.
I highly recommend trying something new/ different than you expect as often as possible. You don’t have to do it alone. Try things with a friend or a group. Surprising your system will help you grow as a person, so take advantage of what is offered.
8) Get off Campus
Explore the town with friends. Check out the local nature, restaurants, theaters, concerts, museums, shops, bars, and fitness centers etc.
You are likely in different city/ state then where you grew up so enjoy that. Getting off campus is important to break the social cycle. It also helps to switch things up and reinvigorate your mind.
Befriend a local. Learn what the locals do and where they go.
If you are a local, be willing to try different things in your city and show your classmates the local lifestyle. They will thank you for it.
9) Take a New Language
Language classes are so much fun in college. They open you up to a new culture and a new group of friends.
Taking a new language, is certainly challenging, but you get to know the people in your class well as you practice, and it becomes a new community. If you suck at it, you will suck together, and as you get better it is extremely rewarding. It’s harder to practice a language alone so it forces you to be social with your classmates.
I made some of my best friends in French class, which drove me to study abroad in France. I will have a more detailed post about that in the future, as I highly recommend studying abroad if you can.
10) Focus on Your Mental & Physical Health
No social event is bigger than your personal health and wellbeing.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is real and understandable, however if you need to miss a social event or two it’s okay.
Take time each week to focus on your mental and physical health. Whether that’s a yoga class with friends, reading on the lawn, or watching your favorite TV show in your dorm room, do what’s best to help you cope with the great college balancing act.
Always remember to enjoy college. You’re there to learn and have fun.
Author’s Note
I hope these tips are a helpful start to your social journey in college.
Another topic I want to focus on is mental and physical health in both college and beyond.
My next post will be on tips to stay healthy in college.
All the best,
Ariel
This is nice stuff, its good to be in the know.
Glad you like it! 🙂