With all of the free food and drinks, you’re going to be tempted to indulge. But knocking back a few too many often means liquid confidence—not the best kind when you’re trying to impress. According to James, if you’ve had more than your share of drinks, “ensure that you go home before the toilet looks like a good place for a nap.” And if there are cameras around, steer clear! “You have to work with these people and photos tend to always come back and haunt you.”

DO think of easy escape routes.
Fiasco or not, sometimes chatting with strangers can lead to some painfully uncomfortable moments. So for those times when the conversation runs dry, be sure to have a small amount of food on your plate. “You always will have an excuse to leave an awkward conversation by saying that you’re starving and desperately need a mini-quiche,” explains Sarah. Once you’re done hitting the buffet table, you have an excuse to move on to someone more interesting. But really, don’t spend your time worrying too much about what could happen. Catharine, 28, puts it like this: “You have to be there. Why not have fun?”

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