When it comes to nightlife at the University of South Carolina, we’re lucky to have a great downtown filled with a variety of different bars. However, with bars that stay open well into the night, Columbia after dark becomes a much different place than it is it during the day. 

We’ve all had our parents tell us countless times to be safe and self-aware when we go out at night, and it turns out that they actually may be right. That isn’t to say that we should constantly be paranoid while enjoying the great night time activities that Five Points has to offer, but it doesn’t hurt to take precaution when you’re out with friends, either.    

In the past three years, there are some downtown tips my friends and I have heard and stuck to in order to make the best out of our “going out” experience at USC. Here they are:

No matter where you are downtown, you should always have someone with you. A student walking alone at night, especially a girl, usually leads to no good, so using the buddy system is very beneficial. The more people you have walking with you the better, regardless of where you live. If you’re going to a different place at the end of the night than your friends, it never hurts for them to walk you there or to all pitch in for a cab together- it can't be said enough, big groups are key.      

2) Take Cabs Together
This leads to my next suggestion—never take a cab alone. Although the majority of cab drivers in Columbia are reliable people, trusted through their cab company, when you don’t know the person behind the wheel firsthand, you never know what their intentions might be. It never hurts to take a cab with a friend or two in the name of safety. Cabs are never ridiculously expensive, so spending a few extra bucks outweighs the cost of getting into a dangerous situation.   

3) Stay in Well Lit Areas:
This is a pretty self-explanatory tip that never hurts to be reiterated. Most the main streets in Five Points have street lights lining them, or can be seen from the glow of a restaurant or bar. Unfortunately, many of the short cut areas between buildings don’t always have the best lighting—that being said—take the well lit roads. When it comes to Five Points after dark, sometimes taking the long way is the safer way.   

4) Monitor Your Drinks:
Most people go downtown to have a good time and drink with friends. Some nights are more fun than others, and it’s those nights that are important to learn composure. A person who is stumbling around Five Points automatically makes for an easy target in most people’s eyes and could unknowingly be putting themselves in a bad situation. When it comes to these types of nights, it never hurts to look out for your friends and make sure they get home safe—odds are, somewhere throughout college, they’ll return the favor.   

These four tips are just a few of the things that you can do to ensure your safety in Five Points. South Carolina is a University that has one of the best bar scenes for students, but with a bar scene comes a mixture of people that aren’t always students of the University, and that is when dangerous situations can arise.

It’s important to remember that these are simple things we can do as college students to look out for ourselves and each other while still having the best possible time at USC!