Planning your night out

This Alcohol Awareness Week (16-20 Nov), we are encouraging students to think about their drinking habits and the impact it has on their wellbeing.

Today’s advice looks at how to prepare for a night out.

Before a night out there’s lots to think about – what to wear, how to style your hair, what shoes go with that dress ect.

Plan ahead so that you and your friends have a night to remember for all the right reasons.

Plan your food

Many of us forget to think about what to eat before a night out.

Drinking on an empty stomach is a bad idea. Alcohol defuses through the walls of the stomach very quickly. The less food in your body, the faster alcohol will enter your blood stream. The faster it is absorbed into your body, the bigger impact it has upon your liver, digestive system, kidneys, and cardiovascular system. Eat before you drink and the alcohol will drip into your body’s system.

Now the question is what to eat? Some people think that you have to spend ages over the cooker preparing a meal but there are plenty of tasty dinners that can be prepared and cooked in just 20 minutes!

Here is a selection of mouth-watering meals in minutes:

Plan your transport

Before any night out, it’s always worth planning how you are getting there and back.

Some of you are lucky enough to be in walking distance of night time hotspots but if you do decide to walk, never do it alone. Walking in a group is not only safer but having a chat with friends is far more enjoyable. If you’re on the Canterbury campus, call Campus Security and be walked by a member of security to anywhere on campus.

Those who face a longer walk home, why not get a taxi to be on the safe side? When it is 3am, pouring down with rain and freezing cold, it can prove tricky getting a taxi because everyone else is after one too.

Plan your night before you leave your house and book your taxi home. Likewise when you are thinking about how you will get there, give yourself plenty of time when booking a taxi to avoid disappointment.

For more safety contacts, advice and services visit our safety webpages.

Look after your friends

On a night out it is important that you stay safe and stay with your friends. This isn’t just for your safety but also your friends. We’ve all been in a situation when you are in a nightclub and one minute you are dancing with your group, and the next minute they are nowhere to be seen.

That’s why it is important to have a plan with your friends beforehand about where you are going and what to do if you get split up. Use our checklist to plan sensibly:

  • always try to stay with someone so nobody gets left alone
  • if somebody does get left alone, plan a place beforehand to meet up
  • never leave the nightclub alone and wait for your friends
  • make sure your mobile phone is charged before the big night out
  • never leave your drink unattended
  • if your drink tastes strange, do not drink any more of it
  • if walking home, stick to well-lit streets and busier areas

It’s also worth noting down the numbers for emergency services. Now most people know that in an emergency, you call 999 but for those occasions when you or your friend need assistance but it isn’t an emergency, call 111. You can also call Campus Security when on-campus.

111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It’s fast, easy and free. Call 111 and speak to an adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For more safety contacts, advice and services visit our safety webpages.

Pace yourself

If you drink too much, too early, you’re more likely to have to leave early and miss out. There’s nothing wrong in waiting until you’re out to have your first alcoholic drink – and mocktails are a great way to start the evening.

Think about the morning after

It’s a good idea to think about the morning after a night out. Give yourself a drink limit before a night out, especially if you have early lectures!