When you turn 21, you’re initiated into the “bar scene.”

You learn how to order a drink (like the time I tried to order a vodka and Tuaca instead of a Tuaca and Red Bull). You learn which bars you enjoy and which spots in the bar to avoid around last call.

But when you turn 21, no one hands you a manual on how to interact with the opposite sex in a bar. So here it is. Don’t thank me, thank The Daily Aztec.

First dates in a bar – no.

Taking a girl to a bar for a first date is a first, second and third strike. Problem number one: Part of the “bar” atmosphere is loud music and louder people.

The only thing you’re going to learn about someone on a first date at a bar is what their favorite drink is and how many of those drinks they can handle.

Problem number two: If you actually like the person, a bar date sends the wrong message. Nothing signals “I want to hook up” faster than asking a girl to a bar, with the possible exception of texting that to her on your lunch break.

Hooking up in a bar – yes.

With that in mind, if you do just want to hook up, then a bar is a great place to make that happen.

“Most of the guys I’ve hooked up with, I met in a club or a bar,” 21-year-old Katy* said. “It’s sort of understood that if you go to the bar on a date, that’s where it’s headed.”

There’s dancing, low lights, and lots of alcohol. This leads to a very hook-up friendly atmosphere.

Which also makes bars a good place for those in serious hook-up relationships.

If a typical Friday night for you and your significant other is sitting on the couch watching a movie, try heading out to a bar. (Remember, you can always end up on the couch at the end of the night.)

“I love going to a bar with my boyfriend,” 21-year-old Amber* said. “The only problem is that we can never pick a DD, so we always end up paying for a cab.”

While the tab for the cab and drinks can add up, the heat that dressing up and heading out will add to your night is well worth the cost of the fuel.

The type of bar matters.

The most important aspect of choosing a bar is to know who you’re going out with. If your date seems like the T-Shirt and jeans type, a trip downtown is out of the question.

By the same token, you don’t want to bring a girl wearing Jimmy Choos to a dive bar.

Look at what she wore the last time you went out to dinner at a sit-down restaurant. Choose a place where that outfit would be the norm, or just slightly above (she’ll always appreciate being one of the better-dressed ones in the room, as long as she’s not the over-dressed).

-Devin Kunysz is the editorial adviser of The Daily Aztec and frequently wears Bruno Magli shoes to Pacific Beach.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

*Names have been changed