Having parents visit at college is a great thing, even if they’re not yours. They’ll likely bring stuff for you and your roommates, and who doesn’t like stuff. You’re also going to get some free meals out of it, and usually from real restaurants, not just the usual Jimmy Johns or whatever it is you eat. As a bonus, you also get to see your parents, which is nice because you probably miss them. As a senior in college, I have come to realization that there is one aspect where parent visits differ, going out with them.

The first type of parents are the ones who seem to be naïve to the habits of college students, or at least theirs. These parents are not going to go out and “tear it up” with you, but prefer to retire to their hotel room at a reasonable hour of the night. There is nothing wrong with these types of parents, and a calm weekend is always welcome.

The next type of parents are those who will go out with you guys and aren’t oblivious to the habits of their kid and their friends, but they behave as responsible adults do. They drink their drinks slowly, and prefer bars that have tables to sit at and cocktail waiters or waitresses. They’re also not going to close the bars out with you, as they usually head back to the hotel around 11:00 or so.

The final type of parents are the ones who come to college and behave as a wild college student. They usually come bearing a brand of vodka that doesn’t taste like jet fuel, and will order a drink, or drinks, at every meal. They are all about pregaming, and “raging” at the bars. They’re going to stay out until bar close so that they can scream-sing Whitney Houston at 2:00am. They like to reminisce on their college days, and you hear stories about their time at school that are new to you. You’ll be getting free drinks all night because as they will usually rack up a hefty tab wherever they go.

I don’t believe that there are any other types of parents when it comes to going out, and everyone’s can easily be pigeonholed as one of these three options. All parents are great no matter their classification, and no one type is better than the others. At the end of the day, it is just nice to see your parents regardless of how they behave.