Let’s be honest, Spring Break is one big party. A giant, loud, week-long, raging party. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the beach, the mountains, or taking a staycation there’s always a good chance of booze and dancing and during this party “It Gets Real”! Spring break brings a spike in arrests, hospital visits, and even deaths.

So we put together a list to keep yourself, your stuff, and the people around you safe during the week-long rager. Here are the Top 4 things you need to know to have a safe Spring Break based on the biggest complaints of most college students.

#1 Keep Your Stuff Secure

No one wants to lose their stuff, but being far from home means there is a better chance your stuff gets lost or stolen. It might seem like a rare thing, but around 2% of American passports issued each year end up gone 🤷.

Since there is no way to guarantee you won’t lose your stuff your best bet is to follow these rules.

• Only carry what you need
• Most hotels have a safe, so lock up your value items
• Always have the numbers to cancel or pause your cards somewhere handy in case they do go missing.

It sucks to have to keep going back to your room for things, but it sucks even worse to lose your bank card or high-end tech like your DSLR camera.

#2 Use the Buddy System 👯

It turns out your elementary school teacher wasn’t dumb when they made you hold handles to go down the hall. Let’s be honest two is always better than one anyway, so why wouldn’t you want to take your friends. The buddy system saves lives!

Spring break means crowded beaches, crowded clubs, and anywhere else you go is crowded. Always take your partner-in-crime or two with you, even if it is to pick up the next round from the bar or talk to that cute guy who doesn’t need a Snapchat filter 🔥. It sounds silly, but that one girl who is always the momma hen of the group will be your saving grace by the end of the week.

#3 Think Before You Drink

It’s not an absolute, but most people consume quite a bit of alcohol during spring break, shocker we know. If you’re planning on drinking, then use your head beforehand. We’re not talking about setting out 6 bottles of water for when you get home. We mean have a plan for while you’re out. Set rules within your buddy system such as:

• No one lets their drink go out of sight
• Never accept a free drink (Stranger Danger!)
• Designate a person to get you home, they don’t always have to drive, but they should be aware enough to call an Uber or Lyft and alert enough to spot when something is off
• Always know your drinking limits

#4 Practice Safe Sex

t of everything else on the list, this could have the most lasting impact on your life. Don’t let one stupid mistake during your time off change your entire trajectory. Outside of pregnancy, the amount of STIs and other horrifying infections that are out there now does is crazy! Some last for months with constant treatment but others never entirely go away.

We all know that absence is the only way to 100% practice safe sex but if you are going to have sex make sure you are using condoms and sound judgment. Even simple tasks like washing your hands before foreplay can help protect yourself from nasty diseases. Remember that buddy system we talked about and the designated person to get you home safely, use them. Never go home with anyone if you’ve become too intoxicated.

Follow these 4 tips, and you are sure to have a much safer experience. If you’re worried you have caught an STI or STD on your spring break, don’t wait, don’t wait, visit https://tbys.org/get-tested to find a location near you to get tested.