Opinion: You’re probably not a violinist prodigy who rebelliously vowed to never grace the strings of a Stradivari again. But why not say you are?

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College is a time for people to define themselves and safely navigate shifts in identity. While trying to figure out who you are, why not try on a few identities you know you aren’t? After all, it’s important to remember this time of our lives is supposed to be fun!
We should normalize, hell, encourage people to lie about who they are when casually meeting people. Because it’s fun! Lying about who you are to people you never expect to see again is an entertaining way to pass time with friends, overcome social anxiety and make memorable experiences that will eventually help shape the real you.
For professional research purposes only, I – 21– took upon myself the burdensome task of weekend bar-hopping to determine how to best lie for fun. I soon found that lying is much more than fun; lying is hard. Liquid courage aside, it takes a surprising amount of confidence to lie to the faces of people you plan to never see again. As someone who sometimes stutters, sweats and shakes at the slightest sign of social interaction, I found it difficult to introduce my faux-persona. But, with the encouragement of friends, both solid and liquid, together we soon found our lies going down smoothly.
You may have some similar reservations about casually lying. To alleviate any anxieties, I’ve compiled some tips for you to try.
For starters, this works better as a partner or group activity. Lying is more fun when you and your friends are in on the joke together; you can build your lies off each other or laugh about your truth-tainted conversations afterwards.
Second, there are many ways to approach a night of lying. Maybe you pre-plan a name and backstory, or maybe you make up lies as you go, changing it up with different people. I found that the more fluid the lies, the more fun. Plotting ideas with friends while already out and then trying them with people was the easiest and most entertaining lying method for me.
When you’re going out in Eugene with lies on the agenda, keep in mind that you might actually see these people again. One thing I have learned in my many college seasons is that the recurring character cast list is endless. Worse yet, it’s the least suspected, and least wanted, reunions that happen most. Like that guy who sent your roommate unprovoked, private pictures? He’ll be in your 8 a.m. And he won’t even know who you are, but you’ll know (and also really wish you didn’t.) 
So, remember the six degrees of separation theory is more like one and a half here. The person you’re lying to could be a friend of a friend or even a future classmate. Seriously, though, how does everyone know everyone? It’s like we all go to the same school or something.
The possibility of later running into your misinformed targets brings me to my next point: Be careful about the lies you tell. For example, do not tell someone that you won a pitcher drinking competition the weekend prior. Because they will want to race you. And you will have to flee the bar.
And, if you’re going to lie about where you’re from, ask them first. Fifty freaking states and this random person just happened to actually be from Oklahoma. “What area are you from?” they asked me, excited to bond with a fellow Oklahoman. Uh… the handle? There’s a handle, right?
Be prepared to have slip-ups like these.
Another suggestion: Go with friends who get the memo. Nothing is more of a buzzkill than someone who won’t pretend to be your high school senior cousin who is “super interested in rushing next year!” Like, come on. I had never wanted so badly to hear a girl probably named some variation of Katherine drunkenly tell us about which houses are “just better.” Is this what blue balling feels like?
My weekend experience also reminded me how incorrigible the typical college male is in their Quest to Get Laid. Not even telling someone you have a highly contagious STD called Fecalitus and graphically explaining the symptoms will get them to stop hitting on you, unfortunately.
A positive about lying, though? It’s mostly harmless. Few people will care if the person they talked to for 5 minutes at a party was honest or not. Still, it’s mischievous and funny, and no one really gets hurt. So keep it that way. Make your lies casual and sometimes crude, but keep boundaries. Don’t obviously make someone feel like the butt of a joke or lead someone on without reason (free drinks, in my opinion, count as a reason).
Of course, with any activity that involves drinking, make sure you and your friends are safe. Try not to get too caught up in lies and fun and shooters, and always have someone with you who knows who you are to help out if necessary.

We are all trying to define ourselves while learning, and life experiences continue to shape us.  There is joy in this process, and the world feels ripe with adventures to be had and lessons to learn. In the meantime, it makes sense to mess around with our identities for the sake of entertainment. Going out with friends and telling lies is a fun activity that is sure to make memories and stories worth sharing.