The Night Out Phenomena

Everyone comes around for ‘pre drinks’ as us students call them (I’m a graduate but I still count). Chairs are pulled up in the sitting room, even though everyone mostly stands and chats. The evening tends to start by everyone catching up on events of the day or the week or whenever. 

“God my dissertation is killing me!”

“Me and Jack had another fight.”

“I got an essay due in the day after tomorrow, meh it will be fine!”

 That kinda stuff. Then comes the drinking games. As a friend of mine’s brother pointed out, these games actually regulate the drinking and prevent you from consuming a lot more alcohol than you would if you weren’t distracted by such a game (depending on the game in question, if you lose the result can be quite different). I see this as a positive. It means I won’t get so pissed I don’t make it out at all that night. A usual standard is something like Ring of Fire, or never have I ever. I’m sure a lot of students have heard of these games and practically everyone has heard of never have I ever. Sometimes other games are played, some more alcoholic than others. A classic I played as a student was Centurion. 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes, 1 shot a minute. Believe me, it’s harder than it sounds.

So you’ve had a few drinks, maybe you had to down a dirty pint after losing ring of fire, or you got lucky and a mate boldly shared the free drink with you (which is essentially what a dirty pint is, a drink doesn’t have to be nice). There’s that lovely feeling of tipsiness coming around. Maybe I shouldn’t worry so much. I can drink loads tonight. Everyone’s having a laugh. Hmm, that girl who I don’t really talk to is looking quite hot tonight...and so on. I’m not saying this is a negative, believe me. If a lot of people present are at a similar stage it can be great fun, although if you’re the only one you may look a bit foolish. But so far, the night is going well.

Everyone looks at the clock. 10:45pm. Time to get moving if we want to avoid those queues, everyone be ready to leave in 15 minutes! So after everyone having done a shot after some generous person distributed a spirit around the room, we stumble out the house at 11:30pm (we’re students, we are always late), and make our way into town. Now frankly, anything can happen. This stage isn’t easy to describe, partly because I don’t remember some of them but also because anything can happen really. Sometimes you have one of the best nights of your life just dancing with your mates, other times you wake up the next morning with a stranger in your bed. Maybe some arseholes will mug you for your pizza on the way home (bastards). Or maybe everyone has a fight and there are tears. It can go pretty much anyway, and almost anything can happen.

The next day is generally post night out analysis. People gather in various sub groups and discuss the events of the night.

 “Such and such as definitely flirting with you.”

“God wasn’t he/she sooo drunk?!”

“I’m so fucking hungover.”

“I have to call the club cause i lost my wallet”

 and so on. If there was drama or tears, this is usually the main topic, unless something crazy and random happened. “How did that road sign get in my room?” that kind of thing.

Anyway after this, everyone goes back, catches up on some work or attends a late lecture, before going back to their rooms that night and, feeling slightly sorry for themselves, puts on a movie and proceeds to fall asleep very quietly. This is unless you’re a first year in which case you may well go out again, or if you’re just feeling like a challenge. But either way, this night is now truly done. Onwards to the next one!

Perhaps I sound like a grumpy old man writing this, but I’m just cynical. I do in fact enjoy most nights out I go on quite a lot. Hell yeah ;).