Frosh has begun...well, kinda-sorta. Technically frosh has been going since Monday, but the real events (by which I mean the drinking/partying events) don't get going 'til today. Many of you Froshees are new students, who no next to nothing about Montreal and what it means to go on a 4 day bender. Good thing we're here to make sure you make it through. Our credentials? Well, for one, this author was a Froshee and Frosh leader twice, then there's the fact that we're all basically functional alcoholics, which is so true it's almost not funny. Needless to say, we know what you need to know about Frosh, so listen up. You shouldn't just survive Frosh, you should be having the best time ever. Hopefully these tips 'n tricks will make that a guarantee.
Know Where to Pre-Drink
Little known fact: Frosh involves a lot of drinking. That was sarcasm in case you're already too drunk to notice. Anyway, if you're new to how we do things in Montreal, before you go out to any bar/club/event, you pre-drink. Why? Because we ain't rich enough to buy all our drinks at the bar, and everyone needs to be wearing a light drunk coat before interacting with new people. Your rez's common room or the apartments of your frosh leaders are the typical spots. You can also head to some Montreal establishments that you can actually get drunk on the cheap. We recommend McLean's Pub for their giant 10L beer tower which is perfect for groups, or yourself.
Know Your Destinations
School hasn't started yet but a little bit of Frosh-homework will seriously pay off. Nothing is worse than a drunken froshee who has no clue where the hell they are or where they're going. Before you head on out, just pin the locations of your day/nights event into your phone, that way even if you do get lost/drunkenly forget where you're going, you have a reference guide. If you don't trust yourself with a cellphone while out, write it down on paper to put in your wallet, on your arm, or even on your frosh shirt.
Know Your Way Home
This goes hand in hand with the previous tip. Make sure to write down the address of your rez/apartment (in case you don't already know it) so you can put it into a map and head on out after the party is over. Or, just take the way easier route and hail a cab with Uber. The smartphone app will use your location and bring a cab right to where you are, wherever you are in the city, and all ya need to do is just tell the cabbie the address and you're good to go. No cash necessary either, as the cab-tab is sent right to your Uber account, so you can no-stress spend all your cash at the bar.
Know About Road Beers
You may love Frosh, but most of the city hates the public displays of drunkenness that you can't help but perform. No worries, have fun, we deal with it every year. Still, the po are just looking for an excuse to book you, so don't get all drunk and brave and go parading in the streets with alcohol, because they WILL ticket you for having road beers or open bottles of drank. This is especially true in student ghettos, because cops know you think you're safe in streets lined with students. Be smart and drink indoors where it's safe.
Know Where To Fuel Up
A liquid diet won't keep you going for long, trust. Beer may fill you up and you may be on the verge of vomiting (thus making food very far from your mind) but know that to maximize you're partying, you NEED to eat. A body needs more fuel than drank, it's a fact of life. We're not saying eat a three course meal, just have enough light meals to keep you in party mode. Save money for your bar tab and check out these 10 Montreal meals for under 10 dollars and 5 meals for under 5 dollars.
Know To Look Good
This should be a given, but you have no idea how many froshees I've seen year after year who don't jazz up their over-sized frosh shirts. It's gonna be hot out, you're gonna wanna impress peeps with your muscles, and you want to stand out from the crowd, so feel free to cut up your shirts however you like. A simple taking off of the sleeves will go along way, or get more creative with anything else flashy that may come to mind. You don't need to look all slutty, just a bit more interesting than the sea of froshees that didn't clue into the fact that their shirts are made to be ruined.
Know You Should Go To Beach Day
Nearly all Frosh's have a designated Beach Day sometime in their itinerary, almost always a daytime event. Now, most of you cool-cats have probably skipped over all of the daytime events, thinking they're lame and boring, plus you're too hungover. I did the same, and totally regretted it, at least for Beach Day. Maybe the best event out of all of Frosh, Beach Day is like stepping into a Spring Break movie, with beautiful people drinking and dancing in the sun. I only experiened the awesome that is Beach Day as a Frosh leader. Don't repeat my mistakes and haul ass to Beach Day, even if you're mega-hungover. Worst to worst, you chill in the sand sipping sangria all day while you enjoy the view of beautiful people.
Know The SAQ-Dep Sitch
Those of you who aren't from Quebec, here's a crash course on where to get your drinkage: The SAQ: the province-run liquor store where you'll get all your hard stuff and specialty beers. Certain locations have different closing times and inventory. SAQ Expresses are open 'til 10pm every single day of the week, a solid go-to. Head here to find the location closest to you. The Dépanneur: more affectionately known as just "dep," these are convenience/corner stores, and all sell beer and wine. That'll be awesome for all Canadians, and a let down for some Americans. Either way, know that all deps sell beer and wine until 11pm at night, every night. You may be tempted to go to the dep closest to you, but certain deps are much cheaper and have a much wider selection. Super Dep on Parc and Prince Arthur is a great choice, as are any of these.
Know That You Need Sleep, Actually Though
It's gonna be an intense weekend, and its not like you haven't been going out and drinking every day since you got to Montreal anyway, which only adds to the lack of sleep your body is getting. To fully experience Frosh, you're going to be running on something like 5 hours of alcohol-ruined sleep, which will amount to you not lasting the full run of fun. So, pick your days and events strategically. Throw FOMO to the wind, 'cuz you can't be everywhere all the time, that's your leaders' job. Day events can mostly be skipped over (save Beach Day) so you can sleep in, and never forget the power of a midday disco nap to recharge before a night out. Pace your day drinking accordingly though, because an afternoon snooze when legit drunk will turn into an evening hangover and ruin a night out.
