It’s no secret that alcohol changes people. After a night of drinking, we’re often surprised by what we may or may not have done during a night of debauchery. Oftentimes we end up with great stories, but there are also those nights that leave us wondering how the hell we ended up on a stranger’s couch with only one shoe, a purse full of ping pong balls, and 17 new phone numbers in our phone (all listed under names like, “bathroom dude,” “cigarette guy,” and “hgjb52″) .

The truth is, alcohol lowers our inhibitions…and standards…for everything.  We do things when we’re drinking that we’d never, ever, in a million years consider when we’re sober (like mixing ranch dressing and brownies).

Here are five of the most common things that are oddly tolerable – and even preferred – when the booze is flowing through our systems:

The beer pong ball – Has anyone actually realized how unsanitary this thing is? Although no one EVER thinks about it when they’re playing, it’s pretty nasty. It’s falling on the floor (oftentimes a disgusting floor that hasn’t seen a mop since the between-tenants-landlord-cleaning) and god knows where else, but because you’re too drunk to notice how vile this is, you don’t care. Somehow it’s all okay because it’s been dipped into a cup of water. The same cup of water that was put there 2 hours before and  has been dipped into hundreds of times by people you may not even know (but may make out with later…)

Frat house bathrooms – As far as sh*tholes (literally) go, these may be the worst. I have been in ones that not only don’t have toilet paper (forcing me to use a crumpled up piece of notebook paper… I don’t wanna talk about it), but also contain a bathtub filled with things one would rather not think about, a sink that doesn’t work, and a door that doesn’t even fully close.  But because your drunk self needs to pee something awful, you will brave the bathroom anyway. And you might even sit, being that squatting takes concentration that your drunk ass can’t muster up. When nature calls, you answer. Even if the response is possibly hazardous to your health.

Creepy people hitting on you – Who hasn’t had this happen? Inevitably, everyone is much more confident when they’re drunk, and they throw caution to the wind. Sadly, this not only applies to attractive and normal individuals but also unfortunate looking and strange people, too. Yet, somehow, you don’t mind. In fact, due to your desire to swindle a free drink or those thick-ass beer goggles you’re wearing, you kinda like it. And may even leave with it…er…him.

Nudity - As a rule, most of us do not feel comfortable when sober to take off our clothes in front of complete strangers. Yet for some odd reason when we’re drunk, it seems acceptable. No, mandatory. Like, everyone just HAS to see my nipples. Need I go on?

Talking about taboo and inappropriate subjects – This is yet another side effect of increased confidence due to alcohol consumption. One begins to think that because they are drunk now would be an excellent time to talk about everything (“Wait, you poop twice a day? I poop twice a week!”) and everyone (“How do you not want to see your dad naked? He’s hot!”). Your sex life? Everyone should know! That time you vomited in your roommate’s closet and played dumb the next morning? Confession time! Your opinions about certain people that may or may not be in the vicinity? Who cares?!

BONUS: Becoming BFFs with that chick you’ve hated for years - Nothing brings out the love like a bottle of booze. She may have stabbed you in the back and made your life hell (or puked in your closet and played dumb the next morning), but now you’re drunk and hugging and you love her so much you just HAVE to do brunch next Sunday.  WTF?

Got any others?

[This story was originally posted by Amanda - Reed.]

Likey? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

[Everyone's got a morning after story and we wanna hear yours! Send it over to us and we'll post it - anonymously, of course - right here!]

It was one of the first warm nights in a long time and everyone on campus was throwing impromptu house parties. I knew I’d be walking all over campus, so I ditched my plans for a dress and heels and opted for jeans and flip flops instead. I met up with some of the girls in my sorority and we headed out to one of the many parties of the night.

A few hours and about 8 games of beer pong later, we ended up at some friend of a friend of a friend’s house. Not one of the 4 girls I was with knew anyone who actually lived in the house, and after doing a few laps around the backyard realized that we didn’t really recognize anyone at the party either.

“Let’s just go inside, pee, and then we’ll move on to the next party.” Cindy suggested, and having already broken the seal long ago, we all agreed.

So we went inside. Most of the party-goers were outside watching girls in skirts do keg stands, but there was a small group of guys standing around the kitchen taking shots. We walked past them looking for the bathroom and that is when Cindy stopped and pointed towards the living room wall.

“Oh my god. LOOK WHAT THEY HAVE!” I followed her pointing finger (which was stained orange from all the festive Jello shots we’d taken at party numero dos). Up on the mantle in the living room was an “Elm St.” street sign. The same street Cindy and a few of the other girls currently lived on. “We need to steal that!”

The rest of the group drunkenly and excitedly agreed. We quickly filed into the bathroom to come up with a plan of action. The sign was perched pretty high up on the wall so whoever grabbed it had to be tall. Everyone looked at me and my 5’11 frame. I agreed to pull off the heist, but only if the other girls caused a diversion with the guys in the kitchen. And the plan was set.

We all peed (I mean, how often do you find a boy’s bathroom with both toilet paper and soap in college?!), held hands for some silent prayer, and moved out to perform Operation: Elm. St. The plan seemed totally foolproof…until we got back out into the living room and noticed it had filled up with people. We huddled together and discuss a new game plan. Feeling totally drunk invincible, I came up with a new idea. I sent one girl to the door, the others outside and then I just jumped up, tore the sign down and ran.

“RUN!” I screamed to my friends. We all started sprinting down the street, 3 dudes chasing pretty closely behind. Rebecca, up front, was a Cross Country runner in high school and led the pack. Me, my flip flops and the sign were in the back. I tossed my purse to one of the other girls to give me a bit more grip on the sign. I kept running.

“THEY’RE CATCHING UP! WE NEED TO LOSE THEM!” I screamed. And by “screamed” I mean “tried to scream through my heavy breathing.” Damn that whole “smoke when I’m drunk” thing.

Rebecca cut left and ran through some random backyards. We all followed. And then we were at a fence.  I looked back and it looked like the boys weren’t behind us.

“WTF, Becca? You want us to climb a f**king fence?” But she didn’t have time to answer, because we could hear the boys coming. The girls hoisted me and the sign up. I swung one leg over the top, then the other, then I jumped. I heard a loud ripping sound as I fell to the ground. It was my jeans. My favorite jeans. My jeans that were now missing the right butt pocket. But I didn’t care; I needed to get moving with this sign, and fast.

So I ran. And somewhere along the way, I lost a flip flop. I honestly don’t know where or how, but one minute I had it on my left foot and the next minute my freshly pedicured foot was hitting the pavement. But I kept running, one shoe and one pocket missing, until I got to Cindy’s house. I busted open the door and ran in. One by one the other girls followed. Laughing.

I was sweating. My left foot was dirty and bleeding. My favorite jeans were ruined. I had branches in my hair. And Cindy’s other roommates were looking at me like was a lunatic. But I got the sign. And the boys were nowhere to be found.

Are the red ones Smirnoff?

One life lesson I have learned all too well in my time as a college student is that everything is more enjoyable with a buzz-on. Not just parties and movie nights in the dorm, but class lectures, dates, exams, family reunions…you get the picture. It’s much easier to tolerate old Aunt Ida when she’s spinning a little bit.

But sadly, living buzzed cannot be a constant in my lifestyle, as it leaves me struggling to keep off the freshman 15 (which is really inexcusable since I am a senior). That was until some geniuses invented the best thing to ever happen to humanity: alcohol pills.

Can I get a What What!?

That’s right. Russian scientists have developed a process of changing alcohol into powder, which then gives you the ability to eat it, snort it, or put it in pill form. Now, while you wont find me huffing vodka anytime soon, I do think this pill idea has a nice ring to it.

Not only will I be able to stop fasting all week in preparation of my Friday night binge drinking fest, but I can also spare myself the pain of chugging watered down beer and shots that taste like rubbing alcohol. I’ll also add an extra 2 hours worth of beer pong, table dancing and ridiculous photo shoots to my night with not having to visit the bathroom every 20 minutes or stand in line at the bar every time I need a refill. And I can set up my pre-party playlist without fear of ruining my laptop when drunkenly I spill my pills all over it!

It’s like a dream come true!

The only thing that would make this better is if those same Russians could figure out a way to get a Jimmy John’s Beach Club into pill form so I didn’t have to wait in that line at 2 a.m. on my way home. But until that happens, I’ll totally take a 12 pack of Bacardi pills. Just wash one down (or make it a double) and I’ll have the smoothest Rum and Diet ever.

That’s where College Candy comes in. We’re not going to debate whether or not the Theory of Relativity actually exists (a disappointment, I know, but I’m a communications major and stopped taking science classes after Baby Bio fresh year). However, we are here to thoroughly investigate the most widespread college knowledge (no, not rhyming)—the myth.

One of the most well known and deeply feared college myths are three little words: breaking the seal. As defined by the most elite source of definitions, Urban Dictionary, breaking the seal is “The point at which you first piss after you have been drinking your favorite alcoholic beverage and at this point you will be pissing every ten minutes.”

We’ve all been there. Enjoying a lively round (or 6) of flip cup when all of a sudden, your bladder reminds you that it has a maximum capacity. You try to discreetly excuse yourself to visit the ladies room, but your concerned besties remind you—very loudly—that you can’t break the seal!

So this seal we all desperately protect, does it actually exist? Or is it possible that it’s simply an alcohol-fueled figment of our imagination? I’ve enlisted a panel of urological experts (read: my boyfriend in med school and Google) to figure out if this phenomenon is real.

Apparently, the more jello shots, Natty Lite or vodka tonics you consume, the higher your Blood Alcohol Level (I know, who’d have thunk?) Anywho, all that warm and fuzzy ethanol flooding your system affects certain hormones that your brain produces, like the must “dance now” and “sexy-time” hormones, as well as a hormone called ADH (an anti-diuretic hormone), which helps your body retain water by controlling the amount of urine you make.

Alcohol inhibits ADH, so the more you drink, the more you’ll have to pee. Also, in case you never caught on, alcohol is usually a liquid, and the more liquid you intake, the more you will expel. Breaking the seal has nothing to do with the amount that you’re gonna pee afterward, nor how often nature will call. And if you don’t “break the seal” you will still feel a need to pee anyway, so it’s all sorta the same thing, right?

I know it’s heartbreaking to realize that there is no magical seal built by your first 5 beers, but on the bright side, you won’t feel a twinge of guilt if you decide not to risk a UTI by holding out.

So, the moral of the story is that if you gotta go, you gotta go! Don’t bother holding it, because the more you drink, the more urine your body will produce, and the more frequent your bathroom excursions will be. The best advice I can give you is to re-fill your cup before waiting in line for the bathroom. You won’t waste precious binge-drinking minutes and once you reach the bathroom you’ll kill two birds with one stone. Cheers!

It’s no secret that alcohol changes people. After a night of drinking, we’re often surprised by what we may or may not have done during a night of debauchery. Oftentimes we end up with great stories, but there are also those nights that leave us wondering how the hell we ended up on a stranger’s couch with only one shoe, a purse full of ping pong balls, and 17 new phone numbers in our phone (all listed under names like, “bathroom dude,” “cigarette guy,” and “hgjb52″) .

The truth is, alcohol lowers our inhibitions…and standards…for everything.  We do things when we’re drinking that we’d never, ever, in a million years consider when we’re sober (like mixing ranch dressing and brownies).

Here are five of the most common things that are oddly tolerable – and even preferred – when the booze is flowing through our systems:

The beer pong ball – Has anyone actually realized how unsanitary this thing is? Although no one EVER thinks about it when they’re playing, it’s pretty nasty. It’s falling on the floor (oftentimes a disgusting floor that hasn’t seen a mop since the between-tenants-landlord-cleaning) and god knows where else, but because you’re too drunk to notice how vile this is, you don’t care. Somehow it’s all okay because it’s been dipped into a cup of water. The same cup of water that was put there 2 hours before and  has been dipped into hundreds of times by people you may not even know (but may make out with later…)

Frat house bathrooms – As far as sh*tholes (literally) go, these may be the worst. I have been in ones that not only don’t have toilet paper (forcing me to use a crumpled up piece of notebook paper… I don’t wanna talk about it), but also contain a bathtub filled with things one would rather not think about, a sink that doesn’t work, and a door that doesn’t even fully close.  But because your drunk self needs to pee something awful, you will brave the bathroom anyway. And you might even sit, being that squatting takes concentration that your drunk ass can’t muster up. When nature calls, you answer. Even if the response is possibly hazardous to your health.

Creepy people hitting on you – Who hasn’t had this happen? Inevitably, everyone is much more confident when they’re drunk, and they throw caution to the wind. Sadly, this not only applies to attractive and normal individuals but also unfortunate looking and strange people too. Yet, somehow, you don’t mind. In fact, due to your desire to swindle a free drink or those thick-ass beer goggles you’re wearing, you kinda like it. And may even leave with it…er…him.

Nudity - As a rule, most of us do not feel comfortable when sober to take off our clothes in front of complete strangers. Yet for some odd reason when we’re drunk, it seems acceptable. No, mandatory. Is there any more explanation needed?

Talking about taboo and inappropriate subjects – This is yet another side effect of increased confidence due to alcohol consumption. One begins to think that because they are drunk now would be an excellent time to talk about everything and everyone. Your sex life? Everyone should know! That time you vomited in your roommate’s closet and played dumb the next morning? Confession time! Your opinions about certain people that may or may not be in the vicinity? Who cares?!

BONUS: Becoming BFFs with that chick you’ve hated for years - Nothing brings out the love like a bottle of booze. She may have stabbed you in the back and made your life hell, but now you’re drunk and hugging and you love her so much you just HAVE to do brunch next Sunday.  WTF?

Got any others?

I’m not good at much – just ask my IM volleyball team – but if there is one thing I’ve mastered in my lifetime, it’s the art of drinking. It’s not like it came naturally; I’ve devoted much of my adult life to hitting the bottle. It’s been a lot of hard work, dry heaves and hairs of the dogs that bit me, but I am finally a boozing master.

And being that I am a self-proclaimed expert in the subject, I think it is imperative that I share some of my hard earned knowledge with the world. You see, drinking is a difficult task and there are many things to know in order to truly be good at it. Namely: the things that don’t mix well with alcohol.

You may feel the need to go out and try these combos for yourself, but just trust me on this one and stay far, far away from the following mixers:

1. Cereal: Lucky Charms and Baileys sounds like a delicious combo, but it is not. Especially before a long day of classes.

2. Automobiles: Obviously, everyone (well, everyone besides those morons in Hollywood) knows that driving drunk is dumb. But so is riding in the back of a cab. With a window that doesn’t work. You never know how far vomit can splash until you are in that situation.

3. Going commando: There is something about the combination of alcohol and the desire to constantly lift one’s skirt that just doesn’t quite work.

4. Serious talks: If you need to have it out with someone you know, doing it while drunk is not a good idea. Unless, of course, you like screaming/crying/punching/hugging in the middle of a busy street.

5. Cameras: Dropping it and watching the screen shatter while doing the worm in the middle of a dance floor is the least of your problems. In fact, after realizing the sh*tshow that is documented on that memory card, it may just be the solution.

6. Bunk Beds: Top or bottom, you will get injured.

7. Fine Dining: You may think a fine meal isn’t complete without a (few) bottle(s) of wine, but I’m sure the bus boy who has to wipe up your vomit from under the table would disagree.

8. Tights: They look totally hot with that mini, but aren’t so wonderful after you break the seal and have to pee every 10-12 minutes for the rest of the night.

9. Fire: No explanation needed.

10. Slides: “OMGEEE IT WOULD BE SO FUN TO SLIDE DOWN THAT RIGHT NOW…FACE FIRST,” says the girl who now is missing the skin from the right side of her face.

True story. All of them. Just heed my advice and be careful out there.