It’s coming up to that hectic time of year again, no not more exams but extrav week. Days of partying are fast approaching and I personally cannot wait to celebrate the end of revision and sadly for me my final few days as a Lancaster University student.
As a final year student I have partied my way through two years of extravs and survived to tell the tale. You may be thinking bring on Freshers’ Week round two, how hard can it be? However, there a few survival tips that you may need to be aware of before you embark on this week of celebratory chaos.
Fancy dress is a major part of the extrav experience. With each college having a different theme you need to dress yourself accordingly; for the reluctant people out there the majority do dress up so you’re going to have to head to the charity shop on campus or pop into town and get in the spirit. Alternatively, why not get creative? Face paint and a spontaneous sewing session often works wonders and with the student budget dying at the end of term a bit of DIY will save on big spending. With themes this year ranging from circus to space and sci-fi there is something that will surely appeal to everyone.
One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is pace yourself. It’s very likely you may want to go all out on the first night and consume numerous amounts of your chosen tipple but believe me from past experience if you do this then the chances are you can no longer enjoy yourself for the remainder of the week. Headaches aren’t something that you want lingering throughout the week and if the mention of wine gets you heading for the nearest bathroom it’s a sure sign you’ve fallen at the first extrav hurdle.
The best option is to go along and drink less alcohol than you normally would. If you carry on at your maximum levels I can guarantee you will burn out before the week has come to an end. Believe me, past experience and hindsight can be a wonderful thing.
Also, to avoid overdoing it and gaining that too much of a good thing feeling, why not have a night off? As boring as this may sound it is one option that will see you through the week. With a potential of five nights out in a row beginning with Grad Ball on Monday, extravs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and to top it off one final trip to Sugarhouse before the summer break; this is definitely a lot for your body to cope with. So, consider having a break one night along the way. Have some quality time with your flat, a gossip or a movie night. For us about to graduate these are times not to be taken for granted as time at university flies by all too quickly.
Aside from all the advice the most important thing to tell you is to enjoy yourself. Have a fun filled week with your fellow college members; you have completed a year at university and so now is definitely the time to celebrate it.
