12 Tips For Staying Safe At College Parties

When heading off to college, one could be excited about the freedom, the friends they might make, the opportunity to expand his or her knowledge on a particular topic, and maybe the college parties. Now don’t get me wrong, college parties are fun because you can hang with your friends, make new ones, and pretty much do whatever you want without the worry of being home by curfew.

However, college parties are fun until someone gets hurt. Here are some tips on staying safe at college parties:

1. Always have a buddy that you trust.

When it comes to college parties, pretty much anyone can show up. You also might not know everyone yet, and will therefore have a hard time figuring out who you can trust. That’s why when you go to a college party, you should declare someone to be your buddy. This buddy will be someone you can trust to help you through any dilemma that comes up throughout the night. Now remember, this is a two-way street. If he or she is going to be your buddy, odds are he or she are counting on you to be his or her’s buddy, too.

2. Never drink the jungle juice.

At college parties, there will be an assortment of drinks to choose from. One might be the jungle juice, a juice where college kids just mix different kinds of alcohol along with lots of fruit juices to mask the alcohol. This juice is dangerous because you honestly don’t know what’s in it. So, it is safer to stay away from the jungle juice.

3. Keep a constant eye on your drink.

Like I said before, there are going to be lots of people at these parties that you might not know. You have no idea what their intentions are that night, so please keep an eye on your drink. Anyone can be watching you, anyone can make you his or her target, and anyone can slip something dangerous in your drink. Also, if you set your drink down somewhere, leave it. Your previous drink is not worth the possibility of something bad happening to you.

4. Have a fully charged phone.

In this day and age, our cell phones are the best and easiest way to get in touch with someone. If your phone is dead at a party and you have lost contact with your friends, it is going to be difficult to get in touch with them.

5. Declare a meet up place.

That being said, when you get to a party, you should declare a meet up place. This is good to do in case one of your friends loses contact with you and for whatever reason has no way of contacting you. It can be anything. Pick a tree, a door, or bench, and you have your meet up place.

6. Have a way to track your friends.

On the iPhone, there is an app called Find My Friends. Now it may seem creepy, but it can be extremely helpful when it comes to college parties. For all you know, a friend of yours got lost trying to get home on his or her own (which no one should do alone), and he or she aren’t answering his or her phone. Well, you can track them without calling him or her a hundred times and then go pick them up. They also have apps for Android users.

7. Always have a buddy in sight.

It is completely fine to wander around college parties alone. It gives you the chance to meet new people. However, you should always have a buddy in sight just in case something were to happen that you weren’t expecting.

8. Be aware of the people around you.

Like I said earlier, you’re not going to know everyone at the college party. You might know a good chunk of people, but definitely not everybody. Therefore, be aware of the people around you. If someone is making you uncomfortable or staring at you in a creepy way, move and go find a friend.

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9. Know your location.

If you ever decide during the party that you are uncomfortable or if someone gets in a horrible, drunken state, it is good to know the location of the party. Especially if you want a quick getaway and want to call a cab, they’re going to need to know your location. I don’t believe that it’s a good idea to travel home alone, but it’s always good to know in case of an emergency.

10. Have a “parent”.

It is smart to declare someone to be your “mom” or “dad.” That person might drink a little, but in general he or she will stay sober in case anything were to happen to any of his or her friends. Usually this position will rotate throughout the friend group, but in some groups, it’s usually one friend who is considered the “mom” or “dad” at all times.

11. Always stay in a well-lit area.

You never want to find yourself in the dark at a college party, especially alone. Someone who is hiding could pop out of nowhere and harm you in whatever way possible. So, if you ever find yourself alone, make sure you at least stay in a well-lit area.

12. Always be occupied.

In general, it’s a good idea to always look like you are doing something or talking to someone at a college party. If you seem bored or if you are alone, you might be considered an easy target. So, stay in groups if you can, keep making small talk with people, or pick up a game of pong to constantly appear occupied.