When most people think of St. Patrick’s Day they think of leprechauns, shamrocks, and parades, but at Colby, the real celebration begins the Friday before St. Patricks Day with Doghead. If you want to stay up all night and make it to the legendary post-sunrise Dana breakfast, follow this Doghead survival guide and I can guarantee you’ll last until then.

SpoonTip: Start looking for the craziest outfit you can possibly find for Doghead. Think green, orange, leprechauns, shamrocks, dogs, goldfish, or basically anything you want. Trust me, the crazier the better.

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Photo by Catherine Walker-Jacks

1. Buy Redbull

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Photo courtesy of hang_glider_pilot

Keep in mind that you need to stay up all night and stay energized. It doesn’t have to be Redbull, but you should stock up on some type of energy drink if you want to even make it to 3 AM. Get creative, there are so many fun and easy RedBull drinks. Have a few Jägerbombs or stick with the classic Redbull Vodka.

2. Drink the Green Beer

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Photo courtesy of leyla.a

Don’t shy away from the Irish drinks. Green beer isn’t as scary as it may seem and it is Doghead.

3. Eat a Midnight Snack

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Photo courtesy of thetravelingpraters.com

As you may imagine, being up all night means that you need to have a snack or two to keep you going. As many Colby students know, tonight is the night for your favorite Goldfish snack crackers, or if you are looking for something a bit more sweet, think about having some Swedish Fish. Either work!

4. Caffeinate and Stay Warm

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GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Once 3 or 4 AM hits, you may feel yourself hitting a wall. Your body is going to start begging for sleep, but you NEED to stand outside for the sunrise and fireworks at 6 AM. This is the time for some good old coffee. If you want to stay with the festive theme you can even spice it up with some Irish Coffee or add some Bailey’s to stay warm and stay awake.

5. Layers, Layers, Layers

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Photo by Madeleine Cohen

You’ve finally made it! You’ve stayed up all night long, and now it’s time for the fireworks on Miller steps. But, before you run outside, grab a green jacket or as many green layers as you possibly can because you’re about to be very chilly. Don’t waste time searching for clothes, though, you don’t want to miss all the commotion!

5. Dana Breakfast

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Photo courtesy of Jue Wang

You made it to sunrise (if you diligently followed the past four steps) and now it’s time for the best part of all of Doghead… FOOD. Dana turns into a drunk eater’s paradise. It is FULL of french toast sticks, pancakes, eggs, and the crown jewel of the Doghead food: deep-fried homefries.

Doghead can be pretty daunting and making it to the steps may seem impossible at times, but if you follow this guide, it will be that much easier to stay awake until sunrise.