Probably everyone has seen a movie that is about the “crazy college parties.”

This movie more than likely includes people stuffed in an apartment with red Solo cups, doing beer bongs and keg stands.

We laugh as people start to get sick or act like idiots and it’s easy to perceive the whole movie as what would be the party of your life.

Well, in some ways this is true but in a lot of ways it isn’t true.

Being able to find a medium in drinking responsibly and getting too intoxicated is something that can be very difficult, but there are a few things you can do to help yourself have a good time, but still not drink too much.

No. 1: Test your limits

Nobody just picks up a case of beer and starts drinking it knowing where there tolerance lies. Every person has a different tolerance level and a different amount of alcohol they can handle before getting sick.

Try having a few drinks at a slow rate. Don’t think you’re the man and start chugging a fifth of whiskey because you saw Belushi do it in Animal House.

No. 2: Have a friend with you

Whether you drink too much, it is always important to have a friend with you during drinking activities. A friend can watch out for you if you have had too much to drink, and vice versa.

Also, walking around on campus at night, especially when you’ve been drinking, can be dangerous and it is good to have someone with you.

No. 3: Consider the next morning

Somewhere along the line you may think “Whatever. I’m having a good time. I can handle more.”

First off, this is a byproduct of not thinking straight and the perception of invincibility alcohol will give you.

Be sure to consider what the repercussions of your actions will be.

First, you will most likely not feel well that night or the next morning. Trust me, this is not the most pleasant time in the world.

Next, drinking too much on certain nights can really affect your school performance, from missing class to not being prepared for a test. Studying notes and chapters in a book is not easy while hung-over.

Finally, though you have been warned about it many times I’m sure, alcohol poisoning is a condition that can sneak up on you and hit you easily. It is life threatening and can be merely a few drinks from a state when you could walk and talk normally.

While it may seem like a fun idea to “throw a few more back,” the repercussions from this can be very damaging to your work and yourself.

Be sure to consider carefully what you are doing before jumping into another round of drinks and know that you can handle what you are about to put yourself through.

While it seems like it could be a great time, it can turn into something miserable with just that one extra drink.