I like to drink just as much as the next 21-year-old college student. There is nothing more satisfying than having a glass of wine at the end of the day, going to happy hour with your friends, or going day drinking. One variable that is missing from this equation is the fact, I am not into the college bar scene. Before you get all torn up on the inside about the fact I don't like the smell of cheap perfume and sweaty drunk boys, let me explain.
It is overly loud
It's not just the fact that there are so many people talking at once, it is also the fact that the music is competing for the attention of the bar goers. I hate not being able to hear someone who is standing next to me or feeling the need to yell over the music. Having a conversation where every other word is "What?" isn't my cup of tea. I would much rather drink and actually able to hear the conversation of the people I am with than just be able to hear overplayed music and a drunk girl yelling at her boyfriend.
The drinks are overpriced for the quality
Something I've learned from being a bartender is that drinks get made with shortcuts on busy nights. It's not the fault of the bartender, but it's faster to cut a corner or two when it's busy because you don't have the time to make a specialty cocktail. If you go into the same place during the week, chances are you are going to have a lot more time spent on your drink, but you still pay the same price on a Friday night for only half the effort.
Working in the service industry ruined me
I know how hard bartenders and servers work. Most nights I get off work and the last place I want to be is in another crowded restraint or bar. The last place I would like to spend my time is in line for a drink. A part of me feels guilty though because I am not behind the bar helping or cleaning up the empty cups, even though I don't work there. It must be server guilt.
I don't feel the vibe
The music at bars isn't really all the great, there are drunk people everywhere, it's always hot so you are sweating up a storm, and people are constantly pushing at you. It's not my cup of tea. I usually get to a college bar and about ten minutes into it, I am over it. I vibe much more at a small bar off the beaten path or a lounge with a comfortable couch. I also feel like college bars don't promote responsible drinking. The attitude is always "DRINK MORE" or "BLACK OUT." I have things to do. I don't have time to run around finding my phone or car or trying to piece together my night. I also don't have time to be hung over. It's not my style, and there is nothing worse than being hungover, so why would I want to do it every weekend?
I am not down to stand in line for 45 minutes
There are very few things I wait in line for and being shoved into a hot box for cheap alcohol is not one of them. I don't even wait that long for food, let alone a bar. Also most of the time you are freezing to death because you didn't bring a coat and so you are literally blue before you make it into the door and THEN you have to pay a five dollar cover. Not my cup of tea what so ever.
I thrive at Happy Hour
Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a nice fish bowl just as much as the next person. I love sitting at The Reef enjoying a fishbowl (or two) and talking to my friends. I LOVE Barbacoa's happy hour because hello two for one, it doesn't get any better than that. Get me to Tenth Street Station and I am happy, and even to Silly Birch on a Thursday night. I even feel the Broadway Triangle. This is my cup of tea. This is where I thrive. And nine times out of ten, there is air conditioning, a nice comfortable seat, and plenty of time to have a conversation with your besties.
I am not saying college bars aren't fun. They have their moments. I am just saying don't judge me because they aren't my vibe. I am much happier at Happy Hour so I can be home by 11.