College bar crawling 101
Everything you need to know about doing bar crawls right
It’s nearing the end of spring semester, and that means one thing: it’s officially bar crawl season. Every club, student org, intramural team and IC restaurant staff is in the midst of planning a night of matching t-shirts and drunken belligerence to celebrate a year of hard work and putting up with one another. Several big ones have already gone down, like the infamous FAC, Chicago South Side and baseball bar crawls.
As always, there are unwritten rules when it comes to drinking. In the case of bar crawls, there are several more that will ensure that you make it to that last bar on the schedule. Here are the do’s and don’ts of bar crawls that will keep you going strong until the very end.
DO eat before you start crawling
Although it’s tempting to skip a meal before you begin your night of drinking to get as plastered as possible, boozing on an empty stomach will catch up to you. Enjoy a hearty lunch or dinner before the festivities kick off to ensure you make it to bar close.
This will also keep you from dropping your booze money on a Panch burrito before 9PM.
DON’T pregame the bar crawl
Pregaming any and all events seems to be customary in college. However, bar crawls are the one event you should avoid pregaming, as doing so is a sure guarantee you won’t make it to the end of the night.
DO hydrate before the boozing begins
This one goes along with eating before the crawl starts. It’s all about preparing yourself for the long night of drinking you’re about to embark on.
On a side note, drinking enough water will also help your morning hangover suck just a little bit less.
DON’T over do it at the first bar
S P A C E O U T Y O U R D R I N K S. Going way too hard at the first bar will not only make you look like a lightweight, but is also just another way of ensuring that you won’t make it to bar close, or survive for that matter.
DO check your cash and card funds
Come prepared. Cash is the easiest way to pay for your drinks, so bring a lot of it, but in small bills. Don’t be that guy constantly asking the bartender to waste time breaking your $20’s while they’ve got a million drinks to make.
If you choose to go paperless, make sure your credit and debit cards actually have sufficient funds to get you through the night. Don’t be that other guy asking his friends to spot him for drinks because your card got declined. Pathetic.
And for the record, only open your tab ONCE and close it ONCE at each bar. Someone that leaves their tab open is a bartender’s favorite kind of customer. An open tab means your bartender doesn’t have to worry about printing receipts and closing tabs every single time you order a drink.
DON’T wear heels
Ladies, although a cute pair of booties or wedges might perfectly complete that cute crawl outfit you put together, don’t. Stick to a pair of strappy summer sandals or go classic with some white Converse.
Your feet will thank you in the morning.
DO take your cute group photos early
It should go without saying that you want to get your pics in while your makeup is still fresh and your crawl shirts are free of spilled booze.
You’re definitely going to want to post up some good ones on social media the next day, and Grandma probably doesn’t want to see you and your friends completely hammered with eyes half closed in your most recent Facebook post.
DON’T mix your liquor types
As the age old saying goes: beer before liquor makes you sicker!
DO fully charge up your phone
Your phone battery is absolutely going to plummet down to 20 percent within the first few hours from constantly updating your Snap Story. Do yourself a favor and leave home with a full battery so you can call an Uber home at the end of the night.
DON’T go home with someone in the group
Chances are you’re out crawling with fellow club members, teammates or coworkers, meaning you will have to face them again. Don’t make the mistake of going home with someone, no matter how drunk you are.
It’ll only make things horribly awkward.
