Peeta Mellark, I mean, Josh Hutcherson scored some expensive whiskey at grocery store this week. Well, homeboy is nineteen so people naturally are freaking out about it. The Hunger Games hunk waltzed right into a Ralph’s grocery store, used a fake ID, and walked out with a bottle of Macallan in tow. TMZ says they got him on camera a few weeks ago saying, “I think the age to go to war is 18 … so I think the drinking age should be 18 as well.” Way to stick it to the man, Josh.

Underage drinking isn’t uncommon, hell I did it. We see it as college students, but something tells me Josh didn’t have a fake ID although sources say he did. He’s a well-known celebrity and went to a grocery store in Los Angeles. People know how old he is. This is just another instance of turning a blind eye at a celebrity. Shocker. I give him props though because he didn’t even try to hide it, and he’s obviously not going to deny it. A Ralph’s spokesperson said, “We strictly enforce all laws relating to the sale of alcohol to minors.  We will investigate these allegations and take any steps necessary.”

Apparently, Josh could get prosecuted and so could Ralph’s. I doubt this will happen. He’ll get a warning, and Ralph’s will get a slap on the wrist. Just be careful Joshie, we don’t want you turning into Haymitch or anything. You could’ve just asked Liam Hemsworth or Jennifer Lawrence to buy it for you.

What do you think about Josh Hutcherson buying alcohol? Do you think he really used a fake ID? Is he right about the drinking age?

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger, social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!

[Image via TMZ]

I was pretty annoyed that Huffington Post took this moment to discuss the “party culture” at IU. Lauren is still missing and the article dubs underage drinking as a common problem in the town, as if it isn’t anywhere else, and then proceeded to list where the university falls on a list of party schools. Because that’s totally relevant…

Yes, Lauren was drinking underage and potentially using a fake ID, but this is simply not the time to start blaming the victim or town for what happened. The risks of drinking, 21 or not, are always severe, but her choice to consume alcohol certainly did not warrant what happened to her.

This article reminded me of the tendency of some schools to blame Greek Life whenever an accident, serious or minor, occurs on campus. It’s so easy to point a finger at a larger institution when something goes wrong rather than working together to improve safety on campus or improving programming to address issues like safe alcohol consumption (because clearly alcohol EDU isn’t cutting it). Whether drinking results in a sprained knee and a bruised ego, a death, or disappearance, it’s crucial to come together to reiterate safety tips. Not to blame fraternities or alleged party schools for tragedies like this one. Like it or not, drinking is a major component of college and this won’t be changing anytime soon.

I thought this article was in poor taste. Do you think it should have been written so soon?

Another week, another round of criticism for the creators of Glee. So what’s the problemo this time around? Too many guest stars? Exploitation of the young cast? Matthew Morrison’s poor attempts at rap?

No, nope and thank god, no.
This week, it’s all about the controversial storyline. (Because, you know, drinking is way more controversial than the teen pregnancy from last season….)

This week’s episode caused quite a buzz (tee hee) before it even aired:  entitled “Blame it On The Alcohol,” this week’s installment featured its high school-aged characters participating in illegal drinking.  Which, might I add, was sorta hilarious. But that’s not the point. I understand the origin of these concerns.  Glee does have a very young fan base, and surely some of its viewers are impressionable – like, “Hey! Brittany’s drinking!  I want to drink, too!”

But Glee is nothing if not incredibly relevant and always manages to turn everything into a very well-packaged and expertly delivered lesson.  The truth is, very few people wait until they turn twenty-one to start drinking and that’s not going to change anytime soon, whether or not this issue is given media attention.

This week, Figgins was on one of his typically theatrical witch-hunts: six suspensions had occurred in the past week, on-campus intoxication being the culprit behind all of them.   Figgins asks Will to have his glee club sing a song about the dangers of alcohol (you won’t be finding any of those on the radio these days) at an alcohol awareness assembly.

Meanwhile, the glee kids were preparing for a night filled with a more tangible form of alcohol awareness.  Puck hears that Rachel’s dads are taking a trip, and he (along with her inability to write a song that isn’t dedicated to Blair Waldorf’s wardrobe) persuade Rachel to throw a house party.

Despite Rachel’s attempts to keep the party tame by wearing some kind of nightgown (inspired by The Sound of Music, I presume?) and handing out drink tickets to keep everyone’s drink count under two (wine coolers, that is), the kids break into the Berry liquor stash and turn this motha into an all-out rager.  Everyone gets silly/emotional/angry/clingy (great breakdown of drunks BTW, Finn) and a game of spin the bottle leads to a Rachel/Blaine smooch.  Rachel is so taken by Blaine’s lips that she squeals out her romantic catch phrase: “I think I just found a new duet partner!”

Elsewhere, Will is struggling with his feelings for Emma, so after housing an entire chicken at lunch, Bieste takes him out for a night on the town.  Will turns out to be a little lightweight, gets college freshman drunk, and makes a drunken booty call to Emma….or so he thinks.

Underage drinking was definitely the main theme of the episode, but it managed to touch on another controversial issue as well: bisexuality.   After kissing Blaine, Rachel works up the nerve to call him up and ask him on a real date.  First of all – MAD PROPS for having the girl ask the guy out.  To all of you out there that say that Rachel was going all “swimfan” on him – would you say the same thing if a guy simply called a girl to ask her out on a date after a great kiss?  But I digress: Kurt reacts pretty strongly to Blaine agreeing to go on the date.  Blaine says that he’s confused – he’s never had a boyfriend and is considering the possibility that maybe he’s bi.  But Kurt insists that bisexuality is just “a term gay guys use in high school when they want to masquarade as normal.”

Kurt’s comment made me kind of angry, and I think this is a good thing. I personally believe that everyone should be held to the same standards when it comes to acceptable behavior within and attitudes towards relationships.  I have to wonder if Kurt’s comment would have gone over better if it had come from a straight character.  But here’s the thing: it would have been incredibly easy for the creators of Glee to make Kurt’s character perfectly angelic.   He is, after all, the show’s most notable symbol for social equality.  But the fact that he – like everyone else – is sometimes the person who fails to understand how hurtful or oppressive certain things are shows us all that when it comes to equality, we could all learn a thing or two.    Whether Kurt believes in bisexuality or not, he should have allowed Blaine to explore his options without drawing a conclusion about something that he can’t fully understand. Then again, his reaction might have had more to do with the fact that Blaine wasn’t choosing him than the fact that Blaine might have been choosing Rachel. (And I get it; drunk Blaine was even more adorable than sober, singing in The Gap Blaine.)

The glee kids perform “Tik and Tok by the rapper Ke- $ – HA”   at the assembly, and to deal with nerves, they each swig a bit of some disgusting sounding cocktail (or what my friends used to call a “suicide”) before they go out onstage.    Halfway through the performance, Brittany spews bright blue vomit all over Rachel and Santana, which just happens to be the only thing that can scare McKinley’s students into sobriety.

And remember that drunk dial Will made earlier?  Turns out he actually called Sue instead of Emma (I was HOPING that that would happen.)  So Sue broadcasts Will’s suggestive voicemail to the entire school and humiliates him beyond belief. And even though I know this show is fake, I still hid behind my pillow, so embarrassed for poor Will Schuester.

So why was I so okay with the whole underage drinking theme this week?  Because it was realistic.   In fact, I think the entire episode was very effective.  It’s like the issue of abstinence-only sex ed.  If you tell people that abstinence is their only option, there’s a great chance that they’ll just have sex anyway….but that they’ll do without the proper resources and knowledge that could have been gained through a more straightforward approach. (Cough Bristol Palin/Teen Moms cough.)  The people at Glee really presented an accurate portrayal of teenage drinking; they focused heavily on the curiously and the pressure. Rachel’s decision to take her first drink stemmed from both of these influences, and I suspect that’s the case for most teenagers.

Glee didn’t get too preachy with the episode (until Will declared that he would stop drinking completely…that was a little much, if you ask me.)   We’ve all heard about the tragedies that underage drinking can cause: the alcohol poisoning or the drunk driving accidents.  These issues are definitely important and should be given attention – but they’re usually the last things on a teenager’s mind when he or she is deciding whether or not to drink.  By choosing to focus instead on the issues that teenagers can actually understand – the embarrassment, the bad decisions, the hangovers – Glee actually has some chance at influencing a teenager’s attitudes towards the more pervasive dangers of alcohol abuse.

Oh, and this week’s take-home lesson?  If you want an A+  on a test, all you have to do is get your teacher drunk before sending him or her home to do some grading.  Works like a charm.

Best Lines:
Rachel: “I just had a relationship with a guy who turned out to be gay. That is songwriting GOLD”

Will: “I used to drink a lot more when I was their age…mostly to deal with Terri.”

Figgins: “Just listen to any song by KEY-dollar sign- HA.”

Blaine: I’d say “bye,” but I wouldn’t wanna make you angry.

Best performance:
This one is a no-brainer: “Tik Tok.”  Oh sure, Heather Morris isn’t going to be winning a Grammy anytime soon, and yeah, the song was auto-tuned beyond belief….but it’s a Ke$ha number, what did you expect?  And to everyone that argues that Mercedes and Puck are the most underused characters on the show, I’ve got news for you:  the show’s most underused character is actually Brittany’s dancing. And her abs. Damn, girl!

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like losing our summers!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Let’s be honest – no one (at least no one who wants hot, dirty sex) waits until they’re 21 to try an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol is so ubiquitous at high school and college parties that the red plastic cup is practically the official symbol of underage consumption. And yet, even in the face of this almost universal fact, the legal drinking age in America continues to be 21 (as if we didn’t have enough problems getting our hooch!).

Now that the Amethyst Initiative - a group of over 135 US college and university presidents who want the drinking age lowered - is making the rounds, the debate has gotten even hotter – and since we’re the ones it really effects, it seems like it’s time we weighed in!

Believe it or not, there is an argument for keeping the drinking age where it is, and it’s even annoyingly legit. One of the biggest points is safety – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that setting the drinking age at 21 has saved more than 25,000 lives since 1975 (about 900 underage drivers a year). Admittedly an impressive statistic, and since no one I know of is pro-car accident, it’s hard to argue against that point. I’ll also give them the fact that in the ’70s, when some states lowered drinking ages, car accidents went up dramatically.

Proponents of the current law also say that students of campuses or states that more forcefully restrict alcohol are less prone to binge drinking, one of the serious problems with underage consumption. And studies have shown that the younger you start drinking, the more likely you are to develop long term health problems like brain damage and substance abuse issues (which explains why I can never remember where I put my keys).

The truth is, most of the arguments against lowering the drinking age are based on the principal that younger people make poorer choices – and I’m not saying we don’t make bad decisions (like my hair, circa 2005 ) – most drinkers do their heaviest, most irresponsible drinking when they’re underage.

However, this is where we come to the big crux of the problem for many: in the US, we’re considered adults at 18 – we can buy tobacco products, own guns, get married, make all our own legal decisions and even choose to die for our country if it comes down to it. We are guaranteed these rights by our country, and yet this same government tells us we aren’t good enough at making decisions to handle alcohol. It’s a back assward stance, any way you slice it. But beyond my general annoyance at being told my decisions are crappy, there are also good reasons for lowering the drinking age beyond the legal mixed-messages.

Remember how those in favor of the current 21 law were saying that binge drinking is lower because of the law? Well according to studies, “among college-age males, binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent.” And while the number of accidents went up in the ’70s when the drinking age was lowered, this was also a time before airbags and mandatory seat-belts and the after school specials that drilled “don’t drink and drive” into our brains – all things that just weren’t there almost forty years ago. And many say that real problem today is not road safety anyway: it’s binge drinking - something that can only be solved by education.

Do you think that lowering the drinking age would help? Or would it just make things worse? Are we just to debaucherously into our booze? Or should it be a question of something other than age, like alcohol education?

I learned more my first week at college than I did in my entire life. And I don’t mean academically. I mean socially, financially, emotionally and drunk-ly. Some things took longer to figure out than others (that I should visit the ATM before I get to the bar, to avoid extra fees and my tendency to tipsily make it rain) and other things took mere minutes (don’t eat dining hall hot dogs).

But there are 5 things that every freshman should figure out their very first week on campus. Consider this College Life 101: Intro To The Best 4 Years of Your Life.

The go-to hangover breakfast spot: For those mornings when a Gatorade and toast just won’t do the trick, you need to find the most happening breakfast place near campus. This is not only important for the mornings when you need to take things to-go (back to your bed where you can lie in the dark while watching Daisy of Love marathons), but also for the social aspect of morning-after breakfast. Because everyone knows, after the party it’s the after party…and after that and the hotel lobby… it’s IHOP.

So, on those mornings when your inner monologue sounds like “Hahalalala definitely still drunk and my hair and makeup still look great!” you’ll know where you and your girls can go to re-cap last night’s madness while chowing on carby goodness and watching people walk in wearing their clothes from the night before.

Where you can and can’t use your fake i.d. : I remember when I got my first fake i.d. (the same one I still have, actually, even though it expired in 2007 and I’ll be retiring it in a month). I was so excited to use it anywhere and everywhere (even when I wasn’t drinking). But that kind of enthusiasm definitely could have gotten me in big trouble if I hadn’t discovered very quickly where I could and couldn’t use it.

Ask any older friends or siblings you know who went to your school, hell ask friendly strangers! Just ask someone where your fake i.d. will get you in and where that puppy will taken.  The easiest way to figure out where to use your fake is to go out as much as possible, to as many bars as possible (which you’ll be doing anyways) and make a bartender/bouncer/shotgirl friend who can give you a heads up if the boss plans on, you know, enforcing the legal drinking age.

Your new address, where the post office is,  and protocol for paper mail and packages. Grandma needs somewhere to send those care packages! And you sure as hell can’t tell her where to send delicious cookies or money “for an ice cream sundae” if you don’t have your new dorm address memorized. Or written down. Anywhere. Also, figure out if packages should be sent to your campus p.o. box or the front desk of your dorm. Unfortunately the Fed-Ex guy won’t deliver that hot new mini dress straight to your dorm room.

The best campus hangouts: For those rare occasions you want to enjoy the company of your new friends sans Johnny, Jack and Jose…or even, you know, study, you need a place to go other than your oh-so-spacious dorm room. Read your campus newspaper, look at fliers around your dining hall or just listen to word-of-mouth. Your campus might have a famous burger joint where everyone chills, a live music hookah bar, a local coffee shop. Even if the campus hot spot is a library, it’ll be nice to hang out somewhere where you’re bound to know someone even if Starbucks starts charging for Wi-Fi (personal true story) and it gets too cold to lounge on the quad.

Fashion protocol: Even now that you’ve finally arrived on campus, it’s time to start dressing like you belong there (which, of course, you already do if admissions had anything to say about it). Take a look around to gather the general fashion climate of your school. Do you see a lot of girls wear their gym clothes to class or do they usually get more dressed up? Are PJ’s a do or don’t in the dining hall? If you needed to wear heels for an interview or event before/after class, should you bring a change of shoes?

I’m not saying you should get decked out to go to class or that you should go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe (although if you can swing it, by all means get your shop on), but you don’t want to stick out like a weird freshman sore thumb. The best way to figure out a way to college-ify your look is to check out older girls whose fashion sense you admire, or whose is similar to yours, and put your own spin on it. Then you’ll be “that girl who always dresses so cute” and not “that freshman who wears Crocs.”

What do you guys think is the most crucial stuff to learn your first week (besides all the important/boring stuff they go over at orientation)? What do you wish you’d learned right off the bat?

[I like to think of myself as a pretty easy going gal and try not to sweat the small stuff. But sometimes (ok, maybe slightly more often) the general cluelessness, carelessness and overall stupidity of some things and or/people really gets to me. I find that venting is the most efficient way to rid myself of the stress that idiots, wrong meal orders, lack of cell phone etiquette and cheese flavored products (that don’t even contain any freaking cheese!) induce.

So, in an attempt to avoid an ulcer or an unfortunate road rage incident, I vent to you, dear reader. Please feel free to join in and comment about anything–really, anything–that pissed. you. off. this week. Let it all hang out. I feel you.]

When people preface an offensive comment with “no offense”: As in “No offense, but that dress makes you look fat,” or “No offense, but I think you are an incompetent tool.” See? It’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Some discretion should still be used when offering constructive criticism or an alternative p.o.v. If you’re going to insult someone, do it the right way: screaming it at the top of your lungs while dousing them with the nearest, most stain inducing liquid you can find. Don’t hide behind backhanded disclaimers.

Evil Mastermind Partnerships: Namely, the one that secretly exists between my apartment complex and every towing company in the general Tallahassee area. I’m not sure who has been blessed with visiting the glorious capital of Florida, but to sum it up: F**king humid, hilly, drunk, and insufficient parking are decent descriptive terms. There is nowhere to park. Anywhere. You can factor parking tickets into your weekly budget if you intend on driving to class. And the madness doesn’t end when I arrive at home. If my rear left tire is one centimeter over the boundary of my parking space, I can bet I‘ll be towed. And in an effort to reduce the amount of noise/fun I have, visitor parking is limited to 5 spots…for the entire complex. I’m convinced the tow truck drivers are paying them under the table to restrict available parking and splitting the towing fee profits.

And speaking of Conspiracy Theories: I’m pretty sure my favorite bar had an alliance with the ATF squad on St. Patty’s Day. Normally extremely lenient with laughably bad fake I.D.’s, my beloved campus bar denied any identification cards, military I.D’s and expired licenses. Naturally, I borrowed a friend’s fake, as I am of the under 21 persuasion and very resourceful when it comes to drinking. Not only did I have to prove my (false) identity when I left for class and returned (costing me a crisp 20), but I have to pay a $175 citation fine for getting a written Minor in Possession of alcohol arrest (those under-cover cops are good). Five months before my actual 21^st birthday. Which is an arbitrary age to put on the ability to get wasted legally and a devious plot to earn money in fines from those of us born after 1987. Fabulous.

People who don’t accept full responsibility for their actions: Especially when those people happen to be the Secretary of Treasury, Timothy F. Geithner. Geithner, a key player in the decision to bail out AIG last fall with $170 billion, claims that he simply didn’t know about the $165 million in bonuses that AIG was planning on giving. You know, no biggie. He went on to say “I was stunned when I learned how bad this was on Tuesday [March 10]. I shouldn’t have been in that position, but it’s my responsibility and I accept that.” No offense, Timbo, but saying that you don’t think it’s fair that you accept responsibility kinda cancels out the fact that you did…and it makes you sound like a prick.

And now, a year has nearly passed, and I am about to turn the big 2-1. It is the day I can not only legally buy alcohol, but the day that all college students look forward to as their last passage into adulthood on campus (at least before senior year). It is the day that I can no longer get sent to student conduct council for underage drinking. The day I can walk up to the bar and order a mojito, legally. I no longer will have to worry about being carded when trying to order a drink somewhere. The day that I turn into a real adult – whatever that means – as decided by the world.

But really, how do I spend this occasion?

In my dream world, I would hire Girl Talk to do live mash-ups of Elton John, Britney Spears, and Guns N Roses while I dance alongside my best friends in dresses that aren’t just from H&M and Forever 21 in some sparkly New York City bar where we throw back pink cocktails in between cupcakes. But I don’t live in a dream world. In fact, I live in Roanoke, Virginia – which is as far from my dream world as I can get for my birthday, especially since there isn’t even a Forever21 of H&M for 60+ miles.

Although the reality of my 21st birthday may not sparkle in a New York City kinda way (however, my nails probably will in a cheap-nailpolish-glittery-concoction type of way), I am not going to let that stop me from having one of the best nights of my college experience. The question of how to do it, though – and not just do it, but do it well – plagues me.

Where do I have my party? In the sketchy upstairs backstage area of my university’s recital hall where I got caught with not one, but two bottles of champagne enwrapped in my arms last year as my friends and I stomped around to Miley Cyrus? What about in my boyfriend’s cheerless off campus house with his awful roommates skipping around the scene? At the bar in a town where college hangs-outs don’t really exist? Or maybe I should just have my party on my computer, testing out Skype for the first time with my friend who went abroad to Argentina? Does location even matter anymore, or is the night just about getting drunk?

Who should come? My close friends or anyone who somehow decides my birthday is important enough via the joke of a Facebook event they received? Do I invite my 18 year old sister and her boyfriend up for the weekend to witness the madness and hope that I keep my dress down (or up) for the night? What if I just invite myself and call it a day? Spending a 21st birthday alone – now that would be interesting.

Should there be a theme? Perhaps College Trainwreck would be appropriate? Afterall, images of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears circa 2007 make great inspiration! Or should the theme simply be me making an ass out of myself, as if my last birthday wasn’t enough when I decided wearing hot pink tights with a black tunic that wasn’t long enough to stay down was a good idea?

But seriously, when it comes to the sport of turning 21, what is a girl supposed to do?

Should I run into the closest liquor store and declare that it is my birthday? Should I wear my driver’s license on my sleeve and shout out my birthdate: “02/24/1988″ over and over again? Do I wear a plastic tiara and carry in balloons with me just to pick up a bottle of rum or two (or three)?

Do I attempt taking 21 shots? Do I stick to one type of alcohol or jump around until the room spins and I call it a night? Do I invest in a blender to make cocktails, or should I just slap down the money on the bar and tell the bartender to pour me another?

Maybe I should keep it innocent and kick it old-school style. I’m sure I can find some clowns to come make balloon animals and paint butterflies and kittens on my friends’ faces for the same price I may spend on alcohol. Or maybe I could do an assortment of games, including pin the tail on the donkey and balloon races – bubbles and whoopee cushions can replace Jello shots as prizes! I’m sure that would make my mom proud!

I am the first of my friends to turn 21, and I feel that it is my contractual obligation as their friend to start the year off right, birthday-wise. 21 gives the impression of a college milestone, and another passage into adulthood. With so many options and so many high expectations, really … what am I supposed to do?

Now it’s your turn; tell me what you did to celebrate your 21st or how you plan to ring in your own birthday this year. I need ideas, people. Help!

Over the weekend, MTV hosted “BUSTED Live: Countdown to Lockdown,” at their studios in Manhattan, bringing in some of the most infamous “Busted” victims, the officers that busted them, and showing the audience some never-before-seen clips of the show.

Two of the Bustedees were Brittany Bartley and Joshua McLay, both 21, who were caught skinny dipping by Corporal James Davis at a nearby lake in Newton Falls, OH. Corp. Davis added insult to injury on the show after citing that Joshua had been “fishing with a small worm.” This was after co-host Skylar Stone commented on the skinny dipper’s fug teeth and before his partner in crime, Brittany, repeatdedly denied any rumor that they had been hooking-up in the lake (even though Joshy-poo had a slightly noticable hickey on his neck) saying that they are “best friends.”

Yeeaaa she pulled the friend card. Poor guy couldn’t catch a break.

MTV also crowned Mr. and Miss Busted who proudly re-capped their 15-minutes o’ shame. Mr. Busted, Richard Sirak of Oxnard, CA, is better known for being chased, tackled, tasered, arrested for a DUI, crying in the backseat of the cop car, and making a pit stop in the hospital before heading to jail.

Miss Busted was Lindsey Staymates of Salisbury, MD who was stopped by an officer for –get this — drinking and walking. The 19-year-old had just recieved a DUI two days before. This time, though on foot, Lindsey was cited for underage drinking. Even though she explained to the officer she wasn’t doing anything wrong; she was just going to “the hungry store” and “walkin’ on her feets!” When the officer didn’t budge, she said HE was the one who was busted. Haha…smart girl.

Two very deserving candidates.

Audience members were also asked to share their deep, dark, law-breaking secrets in MTV’s confessional where they admitted to crimes from stealing stop signs and sneakers to killing someone. Most were true…some not so much.

The moral of the story is, kids: you never know when you’ll get caught, especially on camera. So don’t be stupid(er) and run from the cops – it might get you tasered…and on MTV.

You may have made it through Welcome Week without any run-ins with the campus police (congrats!), but you still have plenty of opportunities to meet them up close and personal.

There are going to be many times this year and well into your college career that you will find yourself surrounded by alcohol. And, naturally, you are going to want to partake. Just beware–while you are navigating the university party scene, your RA’s, Campus Police, and Public Safety units are gearing up to bust underage revelers.

Here are some tips on how you can avoid getting written up before your first semester is over.

1. Don’t act like ‘The Freshman.’

Just because you suddenly have access to alcohol, it doesn’t mean you need to consume ALL of the alcohol at once. Even if the cops are out and about, they don’t have the manpower to hunt down every single underage boozer. So, they’ll zero in on the kid stumbling around with a trash can on his head before thinking twice about the passive mingler. The same goes with your RA, who really doesn’t want to walk in on you peeing in the corner of elevator.

2. Beware of PDA.

True story: I was once stumbling across campus with a guy I liked, and was pretty much all over him. I was stopped by a Public Safety brigade, who proceeded to quiz me: Did I know this guy? Where were we going? While I insisted that he was a friend, one of the officers interrupted with “You’re obviously intoxicated and we want to make sure you’re not going to make a bad decision tonight.” Ouch. (Editor’s Note: Where were those guys when I was making out with the guy with the tats?)

Luckily, they let us continue on our way, but the situation could have easily ended badly. This anecdote should be a lesson to guys, too. I’m sure my friend was mortified when the Public Safety peeps pegged him as a date rapist. But, just like the crazy, drunken antics mentioned above will red flag a drunk college student, a pair of horny kids who can’t make it back to the dorm room will also raise the suspicions of the University 5-0.

3. Be careful with your Fake.

If you have someone who is of age that can make a beer run for you, don’t even try to buy your own booze. At my school, all of the campus liquor stores had walls covered with confiscated fake ID’s. It’s a lot easier to get served at a bar or restaurant than it is to purchase booze from the store. FYI.

Still, you need to research the bars you attempt to get in to. Everyone at my school knew which bars would let in the worst fakes, which states made for the worst fakes, etc. I once had a fake ripped up by the manager of a new campus bar, because they were on the lookout for New York ID’s after being watched closely by the Po.

One more little tale: I knew a girl who got fined because she left her wallet at a gas station, and somehow, the cops found her fake ID in it. If a cop sees you with a fake for any reason, it can constitute fraud. Just food for thought.

4. Keep it inconspicous.

If you are walking to a party, don’t crack open a Natty Ice on the street. Don’t fill a Coca-Cola bottle with vodka. And don’t help a friend carry a case of beer if you are a minor. In many states, you can’t even handle alcohol if you are a minor. So if the cops are scouting out the liquor store, and card you and your of-age friend as you drag a shopping cart full of Patron to your car, you might get in trouble, even if you’re stone-cold sober and the bottles are unopened.

Even if you are trying to hide the libations you are hauling to the party, be careful. Ironically, backpacks scream “hidden alcohol,” especially when you are en route to a quad party on a warm Saturday evening. The cops may ask you open your bag, and having 30 beers fall out might put a damper on your weekend.

5. Stay current on campus news.

If there are four bars on campus, and three of them have been raided in the past month, you might want to lay low in order to avoid a sting operation on the fourth bar. Try to catch wind of any rumors that Tequila Tom’s might get raided.

Of course, if you are friendly with the bar staff, they might look out for you as well, because they want to save their own ass as much as you want to save yours. I’ve been flat out told by bouncers that they couldn’t let me in because they anticipated a raid; a year later, those same bouncers planned an “escape route” through the kitchen for the only girl in our group who had yet to hit the big 2-1.

6. Don’t advertise.

This goes along with watching your behavior and being mindful of your fake ID, but it’s the number one reason a minor will get busted. If you’re drinking in your room, don’t leave bottles and cans strewn about for your RA to see. Don’t display your shot glasses and your funnel. Many schools today even have rules that no alcohol-related decorations (posters, etc) may be displayed in “dry” dorms.

Just being alert to the fact that many people on campus are looking out for underage drinking can help you make smart decisions. It’s really not difficult to evade the disciplinarians at your school, and before you know it, you’ll be passing down your fake ID to your younger siblings and telling them to use it wisely. Take your time to get to know your campus and it’s policies. You have four years of partying awaiting you, so there’s plenty of time to tune up your beer pong skills.