Grab your best Florida Gator costume and a case of cheap beer.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party kicks off this weekend, which for many University students means one thing – road trip.

So as a personal favor, I have decided to give you a list of my “rules of the road trip,” carefully and meticulously compiled over five years of traveling to football games, Oktoberfests and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The rules of the road trip are simple and few. When followed correctly they will result in a safe and enjoyable journey, while maintaining that element of adventure that is essential to any car ride that lasts more than four hours.

Rule No. 1 “Spontaneity” – The first and perhaps most important maxim in road tripping is making sure there is never a concrete plan. Hotel reservations should be made at places where they can be broken 24 hours in advance. A vague idea of the route to be taken is permissible, but everyone in the car should be open to last-minute changes.

I know this might be tough for you ladies, but just loosen up and let it happen. Your travels will be much more exciting this way.

Rule No. 2 “Time” – It is imperative that you leave at least three hours earlier than any rational person ever would. It takes six hours to get to Jacksonville, so you should be pulling out of the driveway nine hours before you expect to get there. This will give you time for side trips in case you see anything interesting on the way, or in case your improvised route gets you lost.

Rule No. 3 “The Driver” – For safety’s sake, the driver should have only one responsibility – driving. He or she has power over what plays on the radio, but the navigator shall do the actual physical controlling of the tunes. (For more on navigator, see rule No. 4)

Rule No. 4 “The Navigator” – In return for the joys of riding shotgun, the person in the front passenger seat takes on great responsibilities. Most importantly, he or she holds the map and has the final say on all navigational matters. He or she also is responsible for controlling the radio and ensuring that the driver has everything needed for driving.

The Navigator may only be referred to as “The Navigator,” “Oh Captain, My Captain,” “Il Duce,” or if you are lost as a result of his or her poor map reading, “Magellan.”

Rule No. 5 “Gas” – Gas purchases shall be split by everyone in the car. Anyone who shirks their gassing responsibilities can have his Navigator privileges revoked. Also if gas prices are above $2 a gallon you may bend Rule No. 1 and fill up at stations where the price is the lowest. Search www.gaspricewatch.com for the cheapest gas prices by zip code and plan your stops accordingly.

Rule No. 6 “Lodging” – Always take a sleeping bag. You never know when you might have to camp by the side of the road. If you end up at your destination without any place to stay, try the Salvation Army or the local YMCA. They often rent rooms for very cheap.

Rule No. 7 “Making Good Time” – Before departure you are allowed to stop at one gas station and one fast food restaurant. At the gas station everyone should go to the bathroom, buy six cold drinks per road-tripper, four bags of sunflower seeds, and five scratch-off lottery tickets. After these two stops, there will be no frivolous stops for the rest of the trip. Yes, bathroom breaks are frivolous. You can go when you stop for gas. No, stopping to see the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, or to have your picture taken with a giant cow is not frivolous. These kinds of stops actually are mandatory.

Rule No. 8 “Enjoy yourself” – At the heart of the road trip is the enjoyment of the journey as well as the destination. No road-tripper shall ever ask “How much longer?” Everyone shall relax and enjoy the wind, the music, the roadside scenery, honking at other Bulldog fans and gawking at crazy truckers.

A road trip is an adventure and being responsible and safe can go hand-in-hand with being exciting and carefree.

- Justin Nichols is a senior majoring in magazines and history