By choosing a school in the middle of the nation's capital, I understood that my social life wouldn’t measure up to those of students at big state schools or other notorious party schools. However, swapping party stories with my friends who attend other colleges has made me realize that GW’s party scene is truly one-of-a-kind.
My experiences in my first year of school have left me with an enormous amount of embarrassing Facebook pictures and random numbers in my phone. However, they have also left me with some insight on how not to be a member of the herd of girls on Street walking around aimlessly the first week of school. So, if you’re an incoming freshman, continue reading about the ways that you can start taking charge of your nights a lot faster than I was able to.
1. Don't get e-merged
I get it. It’s exciting living on your own for the first time, absent of the intense parental surveillance that has been cramping your party plans ever since freshman year of high school. However, looser supervision doesn’t mean a tighter grasp on the Svedka. This rings especially true at the beginning of school, when you know very little about the people you are going out with.
These people know very little about you as well, giving them a lot less moral justification to leave the party with you when that last shot of tequila isn’t sitting quite right. Fast forward through the drunken stumble back to the dorm, and the next thing you know, the security guards are ignoring your insistence of sobriety as they smugly call e-merge. I can’t recall what I learned in Geology that first semester, but the faces of the first e-merge victims of the year have stuck with me to this day. Handle yo drank.
2. Don't throw the dorm parties
Dorm parties are going to be especially common in the beginning of the year before frats have started rushing. In the first weeks of school, they will consist of enough people thrown together into a tiny room who, in the slight chance ( orif you’re in Fulbright, major chance) of a fire, are all goners.
Despite the overwhelming claustrophobia, these parties are great for meeting random people who you’d never get the chance to know otherwise. However, my one word of advice is to not to be the sucker that throws the parties. A quick pre-game consisting of 4 people and a handle of Smirnoff will almost never make enough of a ruckus to attract police, however; when more and more people start showing up and "Panda" starts vibrating off the walls,UPD will be at your door quicker than you can say ‘Natty Light’.
If UPD does end up crashing the show, don’t let their uniforms scare you. Stop internally brainstorming how you’re going to tell your parents that your scholarship is being revoked for drinking. If it’s not your room, the worst you’ll receive is a condescending look. I’m not sure what happens if it is indeed your room that has gone all Project X, but I’d just be safe and not take the risk.
3. Expect the unexpected
This means understanding that you’ll almost never know what you’re getting into when you leave your room at the beginning of the night. My first night at GW consisted of some friends and me wandering around Washington Circle in unnecessarily high heels, in pursuit of a frat party that your roommate’s lab partner’s friend told them about.
We nervously stood outside the door of the frat house for 10 minutes, unsure of whether we should go in. Right when we gathered the courage, it was shut down. My first night of college was abruptly ended, and I spent the rest of the night rubbing my feet and telling myself that I should have gone to UW-Madison. Many of my following nights echoed in the same rhythm, and I continued to loathe GW’s nightlife until I stopped wearing those horrible heels as well as accepted that shit’s gonna get busted when you’re in the middle of the nation's capital. After my mentality changed, I stopped chasing the pursuit of the perfect college-y night and instead began enjoying the little things that makes GW so awesome.
4. Be creative
Sometimes (it will become very frequent, trust me), you won’t have the energy to spend your time in a humid, dark basement with 60 drunk frat brothers, shouting over the relentless bass as you attempt to make small talk with a brother. Other days, the thought of competing with 30 other girls to get a bartender’s attention at a club will make you cringe. Either way, sometimes you’re not in the mood to drink and party.
At many schools, that would result in spending the night hanging out in your dorm. The great thing about GW, however, is that we are surrounded by a plethora of local music venues, hookah bars, restaurants, and 18+ events. Some of my favorite memories are when my friends and I decided to explore places like U Street instead of going to the frats. Take advantage of the opportunities around you, and the silver linings of going to a city school. FYI: fun venues like the 9:30 Club get sold out fast. Make sure to buy your ticket in advance so you don’t get suckered into spending half your allowance on your ticket from some guy named Rodrigo on Craigslist.
5. Master the art of layers
The winters in DC are very cold. Come October, your extra-small sleeveless romper may still seem like a good idea, but your Uber driver is 3 minutes late and you’re starting to lose all feeling in your shoulders. However, carrying around a North Face in the club can feel like not only a major buzzkill but also an outfit ruiner. That’s why it’s important to find a perfect balance in layering- enough to prevent hypothermia as you walk home from U Street, but not to the point where it looks like you’re about to go sledding. Invest in cute long sleeved shirts, and a jacket that doesn’t still have ski tags on it from your last trip to Vail. If you’re lucky, the frat will have coat hooks or the club will have coat check. But this is college, and we aren’t lucky. So find the perfect balance, and your night will be a little less ratchet.
