As college students, we encounter awkward situations on a regular basis. Unless you sleep through the afternoon, it's inevitable you will be or will see someone who is venturing home on a "Walk of Shame". A traditional sexual rite of passage, it is the often-grueling and embarrassing process of dragging oneself home after a night of drinking and hooking up. Some folks have it down to a science, but if you've suffered through too many groggy, messy mornings, and you don't feel like escaping under the cover of darkness at 4 a.m., you need to get a new plan.
 

1. Water on the Face 

If you can get into a bathroom, splash some water on your face and wipe the crust and smudged make-up from your eyes. "Raccoon Eyes" are a definite give-away that you just spent the night in a bar and clumsily romping around in someone's sheets.

 
2. Disguise Yourself

Depending on what you wore the night before, you may need a disguise to get out of there. If you wore a Beyonce-esque, glittering, booty-grazing ensemble (or some sort of male-equivalent) you're going to need to borrow something.

a.    If you're small enough and the guy is big enough, you can borrow one of your mate's dress shirts and wear it as a shirtdress over your sequined nightmare. Synch the waist with a men's belt or tie so you don't look like a lumpy mess.
b.    If you wore jeans the night before you are one lucky girl. Borrow a sweatshirt – bonus points if there is a hood to help conceal identity. Sure it might not be your style, but just pretend you're walking off the runway of Marc Jacobs' "grunge" collection from the '90s.
 

        
3. Fix Your Hair  

Do something with that hair. Sure it smells like smoke and booze, but from a distance no one will know. Luckily, messy "bed-head" hair can be cute and stylish if it's done right. Depending on the amount of hair product you added to your 'do' the night before; you may be able to pull it off. Flip your head upside-down and run your fingers through it and let the volume work to your advantage. If there is absolutely no hope, borrow a hat or make it a habit of keeping a hair-tie in your purse for such emergencies. Pull it back into a loose, sexy ponytail and voila.

 
4. Get Rid of Physical Evidence  

Ditch the wristband or ink stamp on your hand from the event the night before. This is cold, hard evidence that needs to be destroyed.

 
5. Lie to People You Know 

If you run into someone you know and they ask why you are wearing the same clothes, lie and say that it's laundry day. It's all you've got to wear!
 
 

6. Purse Essentials:

Thanks to extreme airline restrictions on beauty products, many stores sell travel-sized supplies. Depending on how big your purse is, you can carry essentials like tinted lip balm and moisturizers which can brighten up even the most hung-over mugs.  Oh, and don't forget mints for the morning breath.
 

Guys, you're lucky enough not to worry about mascara running all down your cheeks (unless you're into that). However, there is a very high chance you won't be able to borrow any clothing from your late-night-mistress unless she's got some other guy's stuff lying around. And unfortunately you won't have a purse for your emergency fix up (unless you're into that as well). Guys just have to dodge your way back home hiding behind bushes every time someone is around. After all, it's only "shameful" if someone sees you.
 

If all else fails and you are completely screwed, own it! Hey, you just had a night of adventure, good or bad, and survived to tell it. Some day you'll look back and think fondly on those carefree days when you could get away with walking home in last night's stilettos or stale cologne. Besides, who decided that this act is so "shameful"? There are many more disgraceful acts like wearing denim shirts, crocs or overalls. Just remember to prepare a few comebacks for when you get home and your roommates give you a hard time.