The do’s and don’ts of turning 21 at Temple
Of course they involve alcohol
The wait is over: You’re finally turning 21. You’re in Philadelphia at the best school in the country with some of the best friends you’ve made in your life.
In the eyes of the law you’re now responsible for being a mature human being, taking care of yourself, and not blacking out in strangers’ bathrooms every weekend.
Congratulations! You’re almost a certified adult that can drink alcohol in public. This is a big time in your life, but there’s one thing that still needs to be figured out – how on Earth do you celebrate such a special occasion?
Well, lucky for you, I just did. My experience was far from perfect, but having gone through it so recently I feel strangely qualified to provide you with some insight on how to have a certifiably “lit” experience.
The Do’s
Drink…responsibly
First and foremost, you need to get drunk. I don’t care if you’ve sworn an oath to sobriety, have some religious belief that prevents you from drinking, or just don’t like the taste. Get drunk. You only turn 21 once and you’ll have the rest of your life to sober up, so go ahead and live a little tonight.
That being said, in terms of importance, if getting drunk is #1 on the list then #1a is being smart about it. You’re 21 now – act like it. Get drunk enough to have an amazing time, but a time that you can still remember the next morning. Contrary to popular belief, blacking out isn’t fun! Trust me, you don’t want to end up in a Wendy’s bathroom with a .36 blood alcohol concentration (true story, don’t ask). Also, make sure you don’t drink and drive. There’s really no excuse for that given the amount of transportation options to choose from in the city. Get an Uber, or, if your phone’s dead, just go hail a cab.
Go out on a Friday
Also in the “be smart” umbrella of advice is the fact that you need to celebrate your birthday on the right day – and no, this doesn’t necessarily mean on your actual birthday. What I do mean is this: if your birthday falls on a shitty night, don’t celebrate it. It sounds counter-intuitive, but your friends aren’t going to be stoked to go out on a Monday night. Instead, just wait until Friday to roll around so you can bring the whole squad.
Pick the right friends
Speaking of the squad – make sure you bring some awesome friends along for the ride with you. Nothing really compares to spending some quality time with some quality people.
That’s it for the Do’s, really. Get drunk with some awesome people and don’t be an idiot about it. I have no way of knowing what you like to do on the weekends so I’m not going to give explicit details for celebrating, just some friendly advice to keep in mind along the way. Now onto the Don’ts.
The Don’ts
Don’t stay on campus
Please. If there’s one piece of advice that I think is the most important for a successful 21st birthday at Temple, it’d be to NOT stay at Temple. Most people turn 21 sometime around their junior year, so worst case scenario you’ll have an entire year to learn the ins-and-outs of our on-campus bars. You can spend as many White Girl Wednesdays and Thirsty Thursdays as you want here on campus, but for the love of all that is good please go into the city for your 21st.
No Draught Horse, no Masters, no Pub Webb, and certainly no house/frat parties. We have the fortune of being in one of the largest cities in the country – go experience it. Philly has countless bars and clubs (almost all of which are better than our on campus ones) and the people you meet in the city are way more interesting than the people you meet on campus. Case in point: the Sixers.I obviously got pretty lucky (seeing as I’m a huge NBA fan) in meeting half of the Philadelphia 76ers on my 21st, however this never would have happened if I stayed on campus. So, I’ll say it again, don’t stay on campus!
Don’t plan your night out
Plans are for squares. Have some friends over and decide on a place that you want to go. Don’t listen to everyone else, it’s your birthday, so you choose. Then once you get there just play it by ear. Not having fun? Go somewhere else! Best bar you’ve ever been to? Stay! Just do what makes you happy, it’s your night.
Don’t treat this like any other night
The last “Don’t” I have for you is crucial. It’s your 21st fucking birthday! Do whatever the hell you want to do (as long as it involves alcohol). Get a tiara that says, “I’m 21 Bitch!” and rock it like nobody else can. Kiss strangers. Adopt a porcupine. Take a shower with your shoes on. Take my advice, don’t take my advice, at the end of the day it’s your birthday; don’t let anyone tell you how to celebrate.