I know a lot of colleges have already had spring break, but my college has one more week left before ours, and in college, having an epic spring break is a much bigger deal than it is in high school. When we got back from high school, everyone would ask each other what they did, and most people said they watched Netflix and hung out with friends. A few people would go on cruises or maybe a road trip, but most people didn't have the money to do anything.
But I realized as soon as I got to college that spring break is a major event that students will spend months and months saving up for. Come the start of the spring semester, everyone is hitting the gym and starting diets to get that perfect "spring break body." People plan trips to Florida and Mexico and get whole new wardrobes in honor of this one week where they party nonstop and become seemingly invincible.
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But they are not invincible. They spend all day and all night drinking and many do drugs and that can lead to some very poor choices and can ruin lives. So I decided to just put out a list of reminders of ways that spring breakers, particularly young women, can keep themselves safe while still having fun.
1. Always stay with a group.
If you go somewhere with your friends, why would you get there and leave them? You all paid a lot of money to party and have fun together, so have each other's backs and stay together
2. Be aware of the people you're partying with.
If some creepy people invite you back to their hotel room to party, and it's in some remote part of the city, don't go. Instead, insist you all go to a bar together or just politely decline. Going off alone with strangers is never a good idea no matter what they say they have at their place. Just stay with the crowds. It's safer and still a ton of fun.
3. Carry some kind of protection in case you end up in a threatening situation.
I personally like to have pepper spray on my keychain anywhere I go alone, but there are other things you can do like carrying car keys between your fingers or just knowing basic self-defense techniques. You never know when you might need them.
4. Bring your own bottles to the parties.
If you are going to a party where you might not know a lot of people, buy your own booze ahead of time and bring it in a flask or water bottle that closes completely. Drinking your own liquor is just a simple way to ensure you don't drink something that's been spiked. This also brings me to...
5. Never leave your drink unattended.
Don't put it on a table while you go to the bathroom. Don't leave it with a friend to watch while you do something. Don't take open drinks from people even if you watched them make it. If you have to go to the bathroom, finish your drink then go, or throw it away and get a new one when you get back from the bathroom. Even if you have your friend watch it, it takes two seconds for someone to distract them while someone else puts something in it. But if this does happen...
5. Speak up if you see someone put something in someone else's drink!
I cannot emphasize how important this is! If you see it happen and you don't say something, you are allowing the person who is given the contaminated drink to be put in harm's way. Even if it seems like the two people know each other, say something to the person who is about to drink the drink. You can save someone's life by speaking up. The person isn't accepting the drink because they want to be drugged; they are accepting it because they don't know they are about to be drugged. If you don't want to confront anyone about it, pretend you tripped and knock it out of their hand. They may be mad, but they would be so grateful if they knew what you didn't let happen.
6. If someone is being creepy and staring at you in your bathing suit, put on a t-shirt or a pair of shorts.
I'm not saying it's your fault if someone else cannot control themselves around you in a bathing suit, but by putting on something to block their view, you show them you are very uninterested, and you take away what they were enjoying. Believe me, I am all for girls wearing whatever they want, but sadly, that's not the society we live in. So instead of continuing to let the pervert stare at you in the sexy bikini you look super cute in, put on a t-shirt or shorts so he can't keep staring. If he does, draw attention to his inappropriate behavior, and make him stop. If he harasses you, leave the area. I know it's not fair because you were doing nothing wrong, but it's just safer to move a little bit down the beach and get away. If he continues to follow you, find a police officer and report it to him.
I know these are things everyone was raised hearing, but sometimes we hear them so much we take them for granted. If you come from a town that has little to no crime, you may not even think about the fact that these spring break party destinations are dangerous if you don't protect yourself. Don't allow yourself to be a victim.
Have a great spring break and keep safe!
