You wake up, it’s past noon, and your first thought is, “What happened last night?” The room is a mess, your make-up is still on and oh no, McDonalds wrappers are in the trashcan. Bad nights happen to the best of us; and generally what you remember (or can’t remember) is embarrassing. First thing to do is get cleaned up, go take a hot shower, pick up the Solo cups, and take the trash out. Once you are all cleaned up, begin the rehydration process and try to figure out your night. Yes, it totally sucks and you feel totally humiliated, but read your text messages and let that shame wash over you. Now that you have a better idea of how your night progressed, it’s time to text your friends and see what they say. It’s never easy hearing all the things you did last night, but you have to keep moving forward. Take this as a learning experience (i.e. no more tequila for me). Now you know your limits. Sometimes you wake up with more drama than you expected, so here is a list of possible situations and how to handle them.
Got into a fight with a friend
If you have been holding in anger towards someone, sometimes a few drinks will loosen your tongue. This is never the answer. It is always better to confront people as soon as possible, but too late now. The best thing to do is apologize sincerely. Let the person you hurt know that you have been meaning to talk to them and that last night was not how you wanted things to go. Take responsibility for your actions and don’t just blame it on the alcohol. You should let them know what was really bothering you. Honesty is the best policy.
Hooked up with someone you shouldn’t have
This is never fun to wake up to, but dwelling on it will only make it worse. You made a mistake, and we are human. Make sure you figure out exactly what happened and if protection was used. If you are not sure, even though it’s humiliating, ask the person you were with. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. You feel bad about yourself now, but again we all make mistakes and talking it out with a good friend will really help. You cannot change what happened, but you can accept it and try to move on. No matter what, time heals all wounds. Sitting around moping about a bad night won’t change anything, so keep your friends close and distract yourself. Keep drinking water, eat some comfort food, and keep your chin up!
Lost something important (wallet/keys/phone)
Somewhere between Towers and frat row you lost something crucial. Don’t panic. Try calling the places you were at last night and see if someone turned it in. No word? Hope remains. Call Panther Central, Pitt Police, or even check the Pitt pages to see if anyone found it. Good people exist! Still no luck? Try walking around where you were and see if you dropped it. Nothing? It’s time to call the parents. They will yell and scream, but in the end they will help you out. If you typically hold your things or put them in your pocket, then try a cross body bag. It’s hands free and all your things will be strapped around your body.
It seems dramatic now, but it will all blow over. You are not the only one to ever get carried away. Don’t let one bad night define you. Remember your limits, talk to your friends, and maybe sit a weekend or two out and recover. You can still go out and have fun while being responsible and safe!