Mug night. Yard night. You know the deal. Spend $5 for the bar’s special drinking apparatus and, during each respective night, one can purchase 50-cent beers until they cannot drink anymore. Seems harmless enough, that is, until the $20 you left your house with has mysteriously disappeared and you are being questioned by campus police for trying to take a nap in the grass.

So, what is my point in writing about this? Be careful. These nights may not be as friendly as they seem.

If cheap beer is what you’re after, you’re looking in the wrong place. You can typically buy a 30-rack of Genesee or Miller High Life at cheaper than 50 cents per beer. But here is the kicker, you can drink it in your house, you can drink it on the weekends as opposed to a Wednesday or Thursday night and the leftovers can stay in your fridge for the next time that you inevitably drink.

If the bar scene is what you’re after, you can still go, but limit yourself. Only bring as much money as you are willing to spend. Allot $2 each way for the bus, maybe a couple dollars for a snack and then enough money for as much as you want to drink. Trust me, if you do not want to spend $20 at mug night, then do not bring $20 to mug night. You can still socialize with all of your friends, drink a few beers and stay sober enough to avoid making a fool of yourself.

Speaking of which, if you don’t want to be the sloppy drunk person at the bar, don’t pregame. We all have those nights where getting crazy drunk is the only option, but save that for the weekend, not a Wednesday or Thursday (unless you have no classes on Thursdays or Fridays then go crazy). If you take five shots before even leaving for the bar, it’s going to be an ugly night. Your inhibitions have been immediately thrown out the window and you are setting yourself up for a drunken stupor. Instead, take one shot or drink one beer before you leave. This will loosen you up without paving the way for a rough night.

I get it, drinking is fun. I’ve been that kid many times. But it is not necessary for a weeknight. Save that kind of excitement for the weekend. If you are going to drink on a Thursday night, just do it casually. Mug night is dangerous. And while it can be great, it can also lead to you being broke, having to walk home through the city of Oswego at 2 a.m. and getting into trouble with the police, whom you won’t even remember talking to. Leave those kind of nights for Saturdays.