So, Halloween weekend is over and we all have a chance to breathe again. You might have gone a little crazy and had some stories to share over headaches and coffee the next morning. As it is with every rowdy weekend, there were some fun times and some things you did that you look back on and regret. Maybe Halloween was the former of the two and maybe it was the latter, but either way this is a good turning point in the school year to sit back and ponder the repercussions of going out. It is certainly a time to keep in mind a couple tips for making sure you and your friends stay safe on your weekend adventures until the end of the quarter and throughout the rest of your lives.

Bring layers

I know you all want to look hot at your parties, but going out always involves more walking than you think it’s going to. At the end of the night, you will not want to be walking a mile home in your tank top and skirt or t-shirt and jeans. Bring a jacket and find a corner to tuck it in, or find the host of the party you’re attending and ask them if there is a closet or a room you can put it in. Just don’t forget it at the end of the night.

Keep Campus Safety’s number handy

If you need help, call 303-871-3000 for Campus Safety. However, if you are suffering from a life-threatening emergency, call 911 first. If you feel uncomfortable walking home and would like an escort from Campus Safety, or if you need to report a crime, call 303-871-2334 and an officer will be sent to your location. If you are near one of the blue campus phones, the number is 1-3000. Something a lot of students say after letting someone at a party go too far is that they didn’t call anyone because they didn’t want their friend to get in trouble. Looking back on it, the consequences of calling Campus Safety or even 911 are much better than not calling.

Watch out for your friends

Seriously. Places can get cramped and crazy, and this can mean that drinks can get spiked, people can get out of control and things can happen to you or your friends. You can’t always watch out for yourself, so watch out for each other. This also includes going out with people you trust and feel comfortable enough to tell when you’re uncomfortable in a certain situation. It’s okay to abort mission when a night goes south and being with the right people is a huge part of this.

Stick to the “one drink per hour rule”

Okay, we all know that this one is going to be more of a guideline. The point of it is, when you get to a party or a bar and everyone wants to get you a drink and do a sequence of shots is fun at the moment. It is also a sure-fire way to end the night on a couch or bathroom floor that you really don’t want to be on. A night out is not a sprint, people. It’s an endurance race, or not even a race in the first place. This also means avoiding crazy drinking games that make you consume way too much way too fast.

Going out is a fun way to meet a lot of new people, an inevitable part of college and where you will make some of your best memories. Keep yourself  and your friends in check and you will be the life of the party, not the one making apologies tomorrow.