Even though I know this doesn't sound that great, I can definitely accept and admit that there are probably a lot of things I take for granted as a college kid -- most of which probably have to do with the little things my parents do for me while I'm away, living it up in my final few semesters as an undergrad. While I am sure that there are plenty that I currently overlook, one thing I have come to realize is that while your friends will always be a fun time, the best drinking buddies you will ever have during your college years are definitely your parents, and here is why.

1. It doesn't cost you a penny. For starters, as soon as you turn 21, the days of being blissfully ignorant about the real cost of alcohol comes to an abrupt halt. Between bars, downtown six-pack shops and liquor store runs, you quickly learn that "big kid" drinking is probably the second most expensive thing you will pay for, next to books, each semester. Enter your parents visiting for the weekend: everything you usually know about bars and beer suddenly reverses, as you don't see a single check or receipt all weekend, yet somehow find your body, fridge and freezer full of all your favorite drinks while they are in town.

2. You get to experience top shelf alcohol. To take the last point a step further, not only do you get free drinks all weekend, but you get free, good drinks all weekend. Trust me, it pains nobody more than it does your parents to see you drinking Natty or Vlad just because it's inexpensive, so they will practically be begging you to order the good stuff while you are out with them -- no more cheap vodka cranberries for you -- you'll take a Goose and cran, please.

3. They are always at least one drink ahead. Of all the weekends I have gone out with my parents, I cannot think of a single time when I have picked the location or initiated the plans for the night, a.k.a. I never have to worry about getting "too drunk" around them, because by the time I meet them at the bar, they are at least one drink ahead of me. You can now let any fears of being a drunk mess in front of your parents drown in your next Goose and cran.

4. You don't have to eat the usual drunk food. As much as I love my usual drunk go-to's -- I'm looking at you, D.P. Dough and Wings Over -- it's sometimes nice to get away from the routine and eat something a bit classier! And as fun as it may be to drag your parents to Canyon for a $1 slice of pizza, I can almost promise that they will never quite trust your "amazing" drunk food choices ever again after that -- but that's totally not a bad thing! How many other nights are you gonna order fried chicken with a side of shrimp macaroni and cheese or a four-cheese Texas toast grilled cheese with tomato basil soup as your late night pick-me-up? Never. So take full advantage of it when you have the chance!
P.S. I'd like to formally apologize to D.P. Dough and Wings Over for questioning your classiness. XOXO, you know I love you guys.

5. You always know you are safe. To get really real, the bar scene can get super sketchy, and it's all too easy to get separated from your friends and end up having to walk home in the middle of the night alone, which can be really dangerous, especially if you have been drinking and your guard is down. So the biggest plus from choosing your parents as your drinking buddies is that you always know that you have someone with you all night. I mean, they are literally at the bar to see you. They would definitely notice if they went to leave and you weren't with them. Plus, at the end of the night, if they don't walk you home themselves, they will always make sure you are with someone they know and trust to get you home safely. Bonus: you will never have to worry about creepy guys bothering you at the bar, because even if they are dumb enough to initially hit on you, they will turn right around and never make themselves seen again once they realize your dad is sitting next to you.

So really, as old and uncool as they may seem sometimes, you will find that pretty much everyone else is incomparable to your parents when it comes to being your best drinking buddies, even if you may not have realized it yet.