Balancing responsibility and still managing to go out is one of the biggest problems facing college students. Between classes and bills, it sometimes seems as though fun takes a backseat.
But there is still hope for the college student juggling numerous obligations, and that hope is called happy hour.
Most places, especially in Gainesville, offer some kind of happy hour specials that usually run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It might seem strange drinking in the middle of the day at first, but sometimes there is no better way to go. Drinks are almost always ridiculously cheap, typically starting in the $1 to $2 range. Some places even offer free or half-priced food.
If you've just gotten out of a particularly difficult test but still have homework to do for class the next day, stop by a bar and have a couple of happy-hour drinks. You won't break your bank, and you'll still manage to get home in time to do something productive.
The price and convenience of happy hour should be enough of a draw for the average college student, but they still aren't my favorite part. The best part about happy hour is that for some reason it has remained a relatively well-kept secret.
You might not have the stereotypical nightlife experience if you choose to do your drinking during the day, but let's look at this as a glass-half-full situation. Happy hour allows you to meet up with a group of friends after class and actually sit and talk without having other drunken idiots spill their beer all over you.
Happy hour is usually pretty low-key, but I've witnessed and been a part of happy hour outings that carry on through the night. This is especially true on Friday nights or what has come to be known as "Sunday Fun-day."
Since bars have to close at 11 p.m. on Sundays, many of them offer happy hour all day, which allows those that might be a little wary about drinking in daylight to get a taste of happy hour.
At some point this semester, make the hike across University Avenue after your 4:05 class. You'll immediately see what you've been missing.
Gabrielle Falconeiri is a senior majoring in journalism. She is also a bartender at a Gainesville bar.
