The Safety Dance: How to Make Sure Schoolies Stays Fun For Your Friends

Just some simple tips on how to stay classy this Schoolies.

As another horde of recently-graduated high schoolers descends on Schoolies hotspots in Queensland and elsewhere, Australia prepares for the onslaught of weird, sometimes wonderful and other times downright troubling stories that usually come out of these celebrations.

While you, as the Schoolie, just want to have a great time and forget about the 12 or more years of schooling you've left behind, you don't want to end up like the clichéd Schoolies that the media loves to report on. 

So, here are some simple and easy tips to keep your celebrations fun and light, and to help make sure your friends are kept safe like the precious humans they are.

Have an idea of where you will go each night and try to stick to it.

While a spontaneous night might lead to some unexpected fun, it can also lead to a number of unpleasant surprises. Like: Expensive taxi or uber fares; staying over at a stranger's place; being very lost and calling mum or dad at an ungodly hour and admitting you've made a huge mistake by going to a last-minute bush doof in some random person's backyard.

The best way to avoid this drama is to have a game plan. Set out a few venues, Google Map the distances and make sure you have enough data to order your Uber if the locations are far from your accommodation. Plans will inevitably change as any good night progresses, but if you've got the basics (venues and transport) under wraps, it's less likely to crumble into a disaster.

Keep one eye on those drinks.

One thing that unfortunately happens too often is drink-spiking. This is when people very uncooly try to drug your drink. The best way to avoid drink-spiking is to just hold onto your drink until it's finished. Also, don't accept any drinks that have an open lid, or that weren't opened in front of you.

The most important thing to remember is to keep an eye on yours and your friends' drinks for the entire night. If you see anyone tampering with them, sacrifice the drink and speak to bartenders or security immediately so they can deal with the situation. It's not worth the few dollars you'll lose.

Make sure no one's pressuring you or your friends to do things you're not comfortable with.

When you meet a bunch of new people, you might encounter some things you've never seen or done before. As long as it's legal, there's no issue here. However, on the flip side, you shouldn't pressure people into doing things they're not comfortable with either. Want to make them balcony hop? DON'T DO IT. Forcing them to take a drag? DON'T DO IT. Want to make them nudie run through the hotel? Repeat after me: DON'T DO IT.

Having new experiences is usually a great thing, but it's always handy to remember that what you might want to do isn't necessarily what your friend wants to do. So, look out for them and make sure your neighbours aren't being too pushy either.

Keep your friends from doing dumb things.

Balcony hopping might mean a sick Snapchat story, but it could also quickly mean a speedy trip to the hospital or even worse. Maybe you and your friend are really craving a Maccas run, but you've both been drinking. SHUT. IT. DOWN. There are food delivery apps that will bring it straight to you. If not, ask a sober mate to take you where you want to go.

If you're ever thinking, "Is this super risky?" before doing something, it probably is, and the best thing to do is to find the least risky way to get it done. It's not rocket science or trying to understand how many infinite Rick and Morty universes there are. It really is that simple.

At the end of the day, Schoolies is a time to let your hair down and party into the night without your mum's (sometimes unreasonable) time restrictions. Being safe doesn't mean you can't have fun. See below for a timeless example.

Schoolies is now on in QLD and begins in NSW and VIC on November 25, running until December 9.

Photo: iStock.com/wundervisuals