With the Panda Game having come and gone, many students are probably kicking themselves for drinking too much. It is hard not to do so with the early start, pre-game parties, and a culture of binge drinking in the air.
Day drinking is a lot different from night drinking, in that you don’t get to crash at the end of it. Instead, you have a whole night left filled with tiredness, headaches, and the overall post-drinking buzz. These tips should help you survive the next Panda Game more successfully (or whatever your day-drinking event may be).
Personally, I know my goal for Panda was to be able to enjoy the game and make it out that night. To do that, I had to make a plan to not get too drunk. I started off by eating a heavy meal the night before. Carbohydrates are best, including pasta, bread, lasagna, etc. As well, drinking water throughout the night before will help you stay hydrated and prepare for the festivities the next day.
I also made sure to get a good sleep. I knew I had to be up early, and I refrained from drinking any alcohol the night before. I wanted to make sure that my system was clean and ready to go. This is important, because according to Men’s Health, if you’re short on sleep your mental processes slow down. This causes you to act more sluggish than normal and feel drunker than you actually are.
When the morning of the Panda Game arrived, the first thing I did was make a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast. The toast is the most important because it soaks up the alcohol that is about to enter your system. It is equally as important to eat just about anything because food slows down the rate of absorption. It is always a bad idea to drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
Following this, I made my first drink. Mixed drinks are the best way to start off if you want to drink hard liquor such as vodka or whiskey. According to “Know Your Limits,” a website based around safe alcohol consumption, mixing alcohol with water or fruit juice causes it to absorb more slowly. Fizzy drinks such as Coke are your enemy, as they speed up the absorption process.
When it comes to mixed drinks, it is crucial to pace yourself. Depending on how much alcohol is in them, having one to two per hour is a decent limit to keep yourself feeling good. When you go to the pre-party, you should continue pacing yourself, despite what everyone else is doing. It is hard not to get caught up in the shots and beer-chugging of your friends, but just remember that when their heads are over the toilet in a few hours, you will still be feeling as good as new.
When going somewhere that serves alcohol, like TD Place, it is important to continue pacing yourself. Drinks are typically overpriced at venues, as they know people can’t bring in their own. Only having one or two so you are able to enjoy the event, as well as afford to buy some food to wash it down is a good idea.
Finally, when the event is over, a nice long nap will keep you feeling refreshed and (hopefully) able to go out that night. Napping rejuvenates your body and mind and allows the alcohol to run its course through your system. Throw in a piece of bread and a few glasses of water before you hit your pillow and you’ll be ready to party all night long!
