Well, folks, the last great party day of the term — St. Patrick’s Day — has come and gone.
Even as I write this (Sunday morning), hundreds of shamrocked college kids are making their way back to their respective homes, mopping up their DayGlo-green vomit and bracing themselves for yet another day of hungover studying.
While it’s true that Finals Week is nigh, and spring break seems a million years away, that glorious week of nonstop drinking and partying is closer than it appears.
Of course, there are those much more responsible and wonderful than most who are using spring break to volunteer, and to those people I tip my hat. But you’re making the rest of us feel bad about ourselves.
For those who are going to be busy tearing houses apart rather than building them, don’t let the lessons you learned on St. Patrick’s Day go to waste; you can use that knowledge to ensure a successful spring break.
1. Don’t drink anything that contains food coloring
Green beer, green jungle juice, green shots; there was an awful lot of colorful barfing that was happening Sunday morning. While it’s certainly fun going down, it’s not nearly as festive coming back up. Never mind that you get some weird-looking lips going on. Spring break is all about rented condos and houseboats; don’t waste your deposit by staining the hell out of all your floors.
2. Everything’s better with a theme
Between the shamrocks, emerald-green everything and horribly executed Irish accents, St. Patrick’s Day brings everyone together under a single theme. If you’re going to be partying with people you’ve never met, having something in common — even if it’s as simple as the color of your shirt — can do wonders to break the ice.
3. Don’t go out with someone who has been drinking since noon
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. You don’t want to be forced into the babysitter role (although if your friend is in trouble, of course you should help them out).@@I’m guessing that was a shout-out from McKenna for her birthday@@ When it comes to drinking, less can definitely be more.
4. Skip the corned beef and cabbage
I finally attempted corned beef for the first time Saturday night and was surprised that it actually turned out pretty well. (I was concerned, though, that the entire cut of meat cost a measly $3.63. What the hell is it made out of? Yikes.) My stomach was not so pleased with me, though, a few hours later, and I had a beer in my belly too. Luckily I held it together, but I learned a valuable lesson: Don’t freak your out stomach with weird food.
Many students will get the opportunity to branch out a bit cuisine-wise over spring break, and they absolutely should. Trying new foods is a big part of visiting new places, but if you’re planning on drinking later than night, do your stomach a favor and keep dinner mild.
5. Don’t lose sight of school
St. Paddy’s Day this year fell on that special weekend between the relief of the end of Dead Week and classes and the full-on panic of Finals Week. Students could allow themselves one final night to let loose before they had to buckle down once again and get stuff done.
Luckily we Ducks are on the quarter system, so we don’t have to worry about returning from spring break and diving right back into existing projects. We do, however, have to dive back into a brand new term, so keep that in mind. Don’t get so crazy that you can’t switch back into school-mode when the time comes.
St. Patrick’s Day may have lead to some regrets, some embarrassing stories and probably some ruined clothes. Don’t let your St. Paddy’s mistakes go to waste; remember them and you can ensure a mortification-free spring break.