For many of you reading this, you will enter the world of college for the first time within the next few days. You will experience your first night miles way from your parents. Whatever that means for you — hitting up a house party, dancing your butt off in a club, or just hanging out in your newly decorate dorm with a few of the girls from the hall – you will probably encounter boys. Lots of them.

Along with boys, you will probably also find yourself being introduced to a favorite of college girls everywhere – alcohol. As fun as it can be to let loose and have a good time with your friends, odds are you aren’t going to find the man of your dreams while you are slurring your speech and/or tripping over your own feet.

Even though alcohol can help you “loosen” up, using alcohol as a crutch to establish a healthy college relationship is probably not the best idea. Plus, drinking too much has obvious effects on your judgment. That means you could end up going way too far with a guy you barely know, or saying something that you wouldn’t if you were sober. Nobody wants to wake up and wonder exactly what they said or did with that hot boy the night before.

Want to really get to know that guy from your Politics class? Forget asking him to meet you at a graffiti party – offer to help him study or grab a bite to eat instead.