Just a few months stand between you and Senior Week. After the caps have been thrown, the yearbooks have been signed and the parents have been convinced – it’ll be time to celebrate. But there are a few things you should consider.

For two weeks each year in June, popular destinations for graduates, such as Ocean City, Maryland, become inundated with 18-year-olds – many who make poor, unsafe choices.

Whether you’ll be drinking or choosing a safer alternative to spend your well-deserved vacation, there are several tips to think about before heading to the beach.

Here’s our guide to surviving Senior Week:

Be smart when you’re packing – especially your food and drinks

Be sure to pack plenty of nutritious snacks, meals and beverages in addition to celebratory drinks and cheap breakfast pastries.

Love your mom’s lasagna? Ask her to donate a pan, then all you have to do is heat it up. If everyone brings a covered dish, you won’t have to eat out as much, and you will save a lot of money.

Some healthy snack ideas:

• Protein or granola bars
• Fresh fruits
• Crackers and cheese
• Veggies and dip
• Pretzels

Call your parents before they call you

Then they’ll leave you alone.

Trust us. Your parents are going to call you. It will happen, and it is because they love you. So set aside some time each day to reassure mom and dad that you are OK and staying safe.

If you’re under 21, don’t drink

Senior Week is a time to celebrate your accomplishments over four years of high school – don’t ruin it by doing something stupid.

>Remember, if you are under 21 years of age, you are not legally allowed to drink alcohol.

Getting in trouble at Senior Week could affect getting a job later, or could potentially put your college plans in jeopardy. Some students have had scholarships revoked because of a citation they received during Senior Week. Don’t let that happen to you.

Never go off by yourself

Always stay with someone you know. In a town flooded with thousands of visitors – many of which may be making poor choices – it is important to be someone you trust.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, youth who drink are more likely to carry out, or be the victim of physical or sexual assault.

Stay hydrated

With average temperatures reaching scorching levels in June, dehydration is a force to be reckoned with. Adding alcohol – a diuretic that causes more frequent urination – to the mix can lead to a dangerous problem.

Drink plenty of water to stay healthy and happy.

Have fun

Senior Week can, and should, be the time of your life. Act responsibly, take care of yourself and look out for your friends. You all deserve to come home with awesome memories, not regrets.

This is the time of the year when we are flooded by numerous phone calls and emails by anxious soon-to-be graduates and their apprehensive parents looking for advice, reassurance of legitimacy of the rental units, safe accommodations, and the best deals available.  Many seniors and parents have heard the stories of past graduates about the landlords that collect their monies and then look for any minuscule reason to evict them soon after the arrival or even private owners who collect the money, and then are nowhere to be found on the day of the check in. So to make sure your Senior Week Trip goes smooth, here’ s how to Play it safe while planning your trip to Ocean City, MD.

1. Choose a legitimate Rental company or Hotel/Motel
2. Make sure they rent to graduates to avoid the refusal of the rental or eviction upon arrival because “they don’t rent to groups”
3. View the photos of the place that you’re interested in or better yet – come and see it in person – anyone can post pictures of a place online and pretend it exists in Ocean City, MD
4. Read the Rental Policies before you put any money down; this will ensure you know what will be expected of you and what you should expect in return
5. Make sure you’re clear on when the payments are due and follow the payment plan so your reservation is not cancelled for non payment
6. Collect the down payment from all your friends and reserve the Beach House!

Beach Getaways Management rents to High School Seniors  for over 14 years now, making sure every sensible senior week-er has a safe and pleasant time in Ocean City, so they can cherish the memories of this week for the rest of their lifetime. In fact, many of our seniors have returned for another week of “sun and sand” even when they’re in college, and now many younger brothers and sisters are coming to experience what their older brothers and sisters where raving about. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about Senior Week Rentals 

You may also find a lot of useful information about Senior Week in Ocean City on Play it Safe official website www.playitsafeoceancity.com. The mission of PLAY IT SAFE is to encourage high school graduates to make informed, healthy choices while having responsible fun without the use of alcohol and other drugs.