A time to let loose, to have fun and to get wild without any inhibition is what college students look forward to when spring rolls around.

The months of March and April represent the phenomenon known as spring break. Students are free; free from school and free to party like there is no tomorrow.

Places like Rosarito Beach in Mexico, Key West in Florida and Havasu Lake in Arizona are some of the most common attractions to visit during these weeks.

It’s easy to get sucked into the rage that is spring break. However, getting carried away with drinking, hooking up, causing havoc and releasing one’s inhibitions can lead to negative consequences a lot of the time.

Unfortunately, partying often gets out of hand and that is where the other side of spring break comes in. A mixture of alcohol, drugs, stupid behavior and poor judgment all result in dangerous situations.

Students who are traveling to a hotspot in Mexico should keep some rules of thumb in mind before going on their trip.

Get insurance; it doesn’t cost much and is worth protecting your car. Carry extra identification; chances are you will lose one, so having a backup will be smart.

Avoid carrying illegal drugs or weapons because the police are extremely; strict (especially toward tourists) and it’s better to stay out of their way altogether.

Stay away from the “federales,” because they won’t think twice about taking tourists to jail and no one wants to spend a night in a Mexican jail.

Paul Reinhardt, a University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) crime prevention officer, stated that, although it is easy to get caught up in the partying in Mexico, people must keep in mind that the Mexican government doesn’t tolerate much.

Drinking is probably among the top reasons tragedy occurs. People need to know their tolerance level and once they do, they should be fine.

When a person finds his or her balance and he or her knows it, they should learn it and stick with it because once he or she goes over it, they’re in for a hazy night.

Women should take even more precautions than men because they are easier to take advantage of and are more susceptible to being harmed. Women need to watch their drinks at all times or someone might put something in them, like a date rape drug.

When leaving a nightclub, women should have another person with them to avoid being harassed or worse.

A key to remember while enjoying the break is to use common sense. Most adults know the difference between right and wrong and are able to distinguish which choices will get them in trouble and which will not.

Therefore, we should be able to stop our selves from participating in any lewd act that will have bad results. Spring break isn’t all about danger and risk. The purpose of spring break is to enjoy the time you have.

Knowing how to behave should eliminate any risk of getting into trouble. If one has to think twice about it, don’t do it. If a person’s judgment is temporarily impaired due to alcohol, that is no excuse. It is better to wake up on the sidewalk then in jail.

Spring break is a luxury, so treat it wisely because it only comes around once a year. Party hard, meet people and do stuff you wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to do, like scuba diving or swimming with dolphins.

Just remember to be safe and to follow the law and your spring break should run smoothly.