3 Tips for Navigating Clubs and Parties in College… Sober
Whether we like it or not, alcohol is a big part of college life: from keg parties, to beer pong, to Thirsty Thursdays around your dorm, there are few college social events that don’t involve drinking. But if you’re a designated driver, or if you simply don’t drink, it can be awkward to navigate these situations when the pressure is on to get wasted.
But, being sober doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and enjoy clubs and parties; there are lots of ways to enjoy yourself and avoid getting hassled to have a drink. Here are a few tips:
1. Get a “Buffer” Drink.
If you don’t feel like explaining why you’re not drinking to everyone you meet, grab yourself a cup and fill it up with your drink of choice. Most sodas will suffice, since lots of mixed drinks contain it, but for something different, try some soda water with a slice of lime.
A bonus? Lots of bars offer free Coke or other non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers, so try mentioning to the bartender that you’re not drinking and see what kind of deal you can get! Having some sort of drink in your hand will keep the obnoxious party-goers from hassling you, so you can enjoy your night.
2. Let Loose.
One of the advantages of being a sober partier amongst a bunch of drunk college kids is you can dance like a fool, flirt shamelessly with your crush, and laugh until soda water comes out your nose with the knowledge that no one will think twice about your behavior; they will all be acting the same way. So take advantage of this time to enjoy yourself and relax.
Lots of people use alcohol as a way to loosen up and feel more confident, but who needs an excuse to do that? If you’re in the right mindset, you can loosen up without any chemical assistance. Use the anonymity of everyone else’s clouded judgment and memories to really enjoy yourself and have some fun without feeling self-conscious.
3. Be a Little Devilish
Hey, if your friends are going to insist on getting completely wasted, you have a right to take a bit of advantage don’t you? I’m not talking anything sinister, but snapping a couple photos, and asking a few brainteasers can be a lot of fun when your girlfriends aren’t running at 100%. Plus, the next morning (when you’re the only one feeling great), you’ll have lots of fun stories to share that, let’s face it, everyone else might have forgotten.
To make up for taking an embarrassing photo or two, be the good friend you know you are and make sure everyone gets home safely. They’ll appreciate it, and will hopefully return the favor if you’re ever in a similar position in the future.
What do you think?
Do you drink? If not, how do you handle the pressure to drink in college? How do you enjoy yourself as “the sober one” at parties? Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences!
Posted on on July 25, 2010 / Filed Under: College Life / Tags: College Life, Drinking, parties
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Sarah
this is great! i have to work on weekend mornings often, so i usually end up DD anyway, and it can be awkward not drinking much at bars or parties. thanks so much for the tip!
Jessica
Great article, thank you CF for not choosing the easy “being trashed is sooo cool” position. :)
Sam
I went through all of my undergrad (I’m in grad school now) without really drinking anything. No one ever pressured me or anything. Just say “hey, I don’t drink.” It’s not hard at all to avoid alcohol in college.
Sari
Kaleigh, I’ve actually been planning on writing on this subject for awhile. I don’t drink in college, and usually I don’t even join my friends when they hit the bars, because I just don’t want to feel pressured. I think #1 is the best tip, and I think it’s also important not to be judgmental of those who do choose to drink.
lia
these are good tips… the best advice I can give for any girl out there who wants to stay sober during college (for whatever reason) is to talk about it with your girlfriends or whoever you’re going out with that night. It’s not hard to say “i don’t drink,” but to say it without alienating the ppl around you can be tough. Try explaining your reasons… once you’ve got a couple ppl who understand, it gets easier to get through the night even if you do get judgmental looks from others.
Sam
Another fantastic article! I started summer term for college about a month ago and while I sometimes drink, this really makes me feel better about the nights I choose to stay sober. I just started reading your blog its very helpful!
Molly
Great article! I went to a college in the southwest that touted itself on once being named the #1 party school by Playboy, so to the folks I knew, binge drinking was a habitual practice. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting a little bit (I fully admit that I did), as long as you learn your limits ASAP, don’t get out of control, and don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation. There’s a difference between drinking a little bit occasionally with your friends and getting so wasted multiple nights a week that your education is suffering. Unfortunately a lot of the people I knew fell into that second category. And lots of them are still in college, going on their fifth or more year, and I’m graduated, a year early.
Drinking excessively all the time is just disruptive… it disrupts your education, your health, and in some cases, your dignity.
Sorry for long post, just wanted to pass along a few tidbits of college wisdom :)
Millie
Good! I’m glad this is here. I don’t drink now (since I’m underage) and I find it supremely annoying when people look at your like you’re a cyclops.
It takes a very powerful, strong, and confident girl to go against the grain like this in college. We should be proud.
Faith
My experience was that of a small arts college instead of a big “party school”, but I have to say that I didn’t have a hard time avoiding alcohol. I don’t drink at all, and while most of my friends do, they don’t drink much. It’s easy to avoid big ragers if you don’t want to be at them.
Charlie
Thank you so much for this article! I am staying sober in college and it’s refreshing to see this advice.
Kaleigh - University of Western Ontario
Awesome comments, ladies. It’s nice to know there are other girls out there that don’t drink, or don’t drink often. I do drink occassionally (as in, once every 3 or 4 months) but at school people seem to drink once every 3 or 4 days, so it gets a little overwhelming, at least for me. Hope I could help!
Molly
I really appreciate this advice! I’m a little nervous about the coming school year because I won’t be able to drink due to medication I’m taking. But I love to go out dancing and be social. These tips have made me feel better about going out with my friends and having a great time without feeling left out. Plus I don’t want to have to be bothered with everyone asking me why I don’t drink. Thanks for the article!
Chelsea - University of Oklahoma
Great post!! I love the direction CF is taking, so classy and inclusive!
Lindsey
Very good tips! I’d love to see more! But that #1 is a very good tip! :)
I will be a junior this fall and am always “the sober one” with my friends, and actually genereally people really respect me for it. One of my friends sure did when I kept her from basically falling of a deck one night. -.-
Anyways, I really do like being able to remember what I did the night before and not suffering from hangovers! :)
FabulousSavings
In College I would go out on a regular basis. But sometimes I’d be pressured into going out even when I wasn’t feeling 100%. In those situations I found that the buffer drink was key. My drink of choice is usually vodka-cran so no one ever questioned it when I was carrying around just the cranberry juice.
Shannon from FabulousSavings
Kenna
I definitely loved this post! I always feel awkward or bored when I’m the only sober person there but the tips really showed me how I can have fun too!
Katie
Thanks CF – I think this is really good for girls to hear, especially incoming freshmen like me. Drinking can get you into so many different awful situations, plus its way more fun to be the only one with a clear head :)
Lyd
I do drink, but i don’t like to over-do it i.e get drunk / wasted…… every few months is ok, but not every couple of nights….
Katie
Ah, I love this! CollegeFashion.net is all about standing out in a crowd by the way we carry ourselves (like the way we dress), and I love this post. It promotes the fact that the CROWD drinks and classy girls don’t have to. :)
Ruth
The most I’ll really have on a night out is 2 glasses of wine (mostly I will just drink 1 Crabbies Ginger Beer at 4%). I don’t like the feeling of being drunk and out of control. I hate not being able to walk totally normally. I am a social drinker but I never ever get drunk because I just hate it so much. I never get hangovers because there isn’t enough alcohol in my system for it.
I love going to parties and bars and I love being sober!
:)
Lavender
Great advice! I always have a “buffer drink” in my hands and my close friends all know I dont drink but I can get so wild at parties the ppl who don’t know me think Im completly wasted. I just drink coke or water the whole time and I usually end up getting invited to more parties later cuz you can get loose sans alcohol. So thanks for delivering that msg CF!
Rin from Books, Trends, and Sweat
I’m a senior in college and style get teasing comments and nasty comments because I don’t like to party! I do drink, but I hate getting drunk. Mostly I have a drink with dinner or a couple during girls’ night in. But its mostly about who you surround yourself with. My real friends don’t care that I don’t like to drink. Its only when I’m out around others that it really affects me.
I like the message you’re sending here, except for the last tip. I think that’s a little mean.
Yayis
Kaleigh, you’re my hero!!!!!!
Ali
This is awesome, thanks for writing this post!! Over the years, ALL of my friends have started drinking, and it by junior year, it became way less socially acceptable since people started turning 21. From my own experience, these are great tips, and it’s nice to know other people don’t drink and are social too!
p.s. If anyone is considering studying abroad in England, be aware of the UK’s pub culture! It is practically impossible to socialize without hitting a pub (unlike the US where people go to coffeehouses and such just to hang).