Ten things to remember for spring break

The Advance-Titan|March 15, 2018

1. Beware of tainted alcohol: Keep an eye on your drink and don't leave it unattended. Undercover Colors is coming out with a nail polish that can detect date-rape drugs by changing colors — find at undercovercolors.com. Otherwise, there are easy-to-use drink test strips that can be found at www.cydcyd.com for less than $7. 2. Pack warmer since it's not going to be all that warm: It's only March, so it's not that warm yet; even Tennessee is barely going to reach to 70s. So unless you're going all the way to Alabama, Cancún or farther south, it's barely going to be in the 60s. In Gulf Shores, Alabama, the highest it'll be next week is 75, and South Padre is going to get up to 81. 3. Volunteering is fun, but don't forget to have fun: Giving back to the community and helping those in need is a great way to spend time off from school; however, don't forget to have fun during the break as well. Students can go to New York to volunteer with GMHC in preventing HIV/AIDS, but leave time to tour the city and see the sights. 4. Don't let family drive you insane: Family is important and we love them, but sometimes they can be overbearing and find ways to get on your nerves. Take a breather from them and spend some more time with friends or simply binge some TV alone. Or, if you are on vacation with them, get a tall Malibu and Coke instead of a short because you know you're going to need it. 5. Take advantage of new opportunities: Break is a great time to get out there and try new things! Get out of your comfort zone, go bungee jumping, ask out that human that's ""out of your league,"" go on a road trip, etc. 6. Watch out for strangers and stay with friends at night: A night out is just what the doctor call for after a long, stressful few months; however, it's still important to be safe about it. Don't go out alone, make sure someone knows where you are and always have a designated driver. Plan ahead and connect locations with phone-tracking apps before heading out in case you get separated. 7. It's only illegal if you get caught: But seriously, don't do anything crazy to get arrested. It would be tragic if one mistake ruined your record for life. 8. Don't drink so much you get alcohol poisoning or black out: Alcohol poisoning is a serious problem, and having your stomach pumped is not a great way to spend your Friday night. So have fun in moderation. Make sure you and your friends are on the lookout for each other. And make sure you eat before you go out! Don't let the desire of wanting that beach body stop you from carbing up before a long night of drinking. 9. Find time to sleep and relax: Having time off can allow you to jam-pack your schedule with fun activities and going out with friends, but don't forget to save time to sleep and do nothing. Otherwise, you may end up needing a break from your break. After seven weeks of getting five hours a night, your body deserves to get double digits of sleep every night during break — even if that means napping next to the pool. 10. Don't post anything you'll regret in the morning or later in life: Many young people do crazy things on nights out when having fun, just don't post pictures online that you'll immediately regret or that could cause problems for you in the future — whether with work, friends or family. Because that internship you applied for and got right before spring break might be taken back if you post a picture with your beer on your Facebook.