[dropcap size=small]C[/dropcap]ollege parties can be crazy, and whether you are an incoming freshman or new to the party scene, you most likely have no idea what to expect upon attending your first night out. Whether it is an open, or a mixer, each of the items on this list will benefit you when learning the ins and outs of navigating college partying.
An absolute necessity for any college party is a cool cup to hold whatever beverage you may be carrying. This is a fun way to not only customize a cup that is personal to you, but also a beneficial way to safeguard your drink wherever the night takes you. In college, you will find that pre-partying there are often hangouts in dorms on campus and you will want to find a cute cup that you can easily travel with. This means the ideal cup has a lid and straw to ensure little to no spillage of your drink. The lid on your cup will also act as a drink protector and is an easy way to ensure that no one can add any unsafe substances to your cup. Some fun cups that I have seen in my time in college have been either covered in stickers that show off TV shows, brands, and activities that the individual likes, or a cup that lights up from the bottom. With just a few clicks on your computer, you can easily order a cheap and fun cup off of Amazon, or you can head over to an in-person stop and shop to find a cute cup to customize.
When heading to a party, there are very few things you want to bring with you and have to haul around the dance floor, however, in college, there is one item you can NEVER leave your dorm room without – your key. Since no one wants to lug around a side bag at a party and have to keep track of all of their items, many girls will use a hair tie to keep their key secured on their wrist. However, I would personally advise against this because not only can the key easily fall off, but it doesn’t look the best when you are all fancied up for a party only to have a key strung around your wrist. A fun, cheap, and convenient way to spice up keeping your key on you is to purchase a fun carabiner. Carabiners come in all different shapes and colors and can be easily clipped onto the belt loops of your jeans or shorts.
You will quickly learn that whether a party is indoors or outdoors in college, the ground is DIRTY. This means you do not want to be wearing any shoe of importance. I promise that by the time you enter the party scene with your new fresh, white kicks, you will be walking out with filth covered shoes that you would rather throw in the garbage than spend the time to clean. The best way to avoid this issue is by designating a pair of your old, used sneakers for college parties. Nearly everyone does this who has experience in attending college parties, so don’t be worried about being the only one pulling up in dirty shoes that most likely don’t match your outfit.
While I do not suggest bringing a bag to a party as it can be easily lost if you are going to take on this challenge, make it easy on yourself and bring a fanny pack. Not only is it small and easy to keep track of, but fanny packs can act as a cute addition to nearly any party fit. The vintage bags recently made a comeback, and are a trendy, yet convenient way to hold anything you might need at a party in college.
Over the past year, film cameras have been all the rage. Photographers have become obsessed with the idea of candid, limited shots, forcing you to snap a photo at only the best opportunities. While not everyone is a professional photographer, everyone can easily make their own film photos by purchasing a disposable camera. Most disposables come with about 32 photos and are a fun way to capture party moments and avoid staying on your phone the whole time. Many people turn to apps like Snapchat to capture memories throughout the night, however, disposable cameras give off a specific aesthetic that will make your images look more authentic.
Sunglasses are a staple item to add to any outfit…ESPECIALLY if you are going to a dayger. A dayger, also known as a darty or dage, is a day party, and if you start college in early August or attend school on the west coast, there will most likely be many daygers. Sunglasses are a need when it comes to a darty, and can be an essential piece to your party fit. Along with this, sunglasses are the perfect way to make yourself stand out amongst others at a party. Fun and unique sunglasses spice up your outfit, and scream “hot girl summer.”
Another necessity for any college party is gum. At most parties, you will find yourself constantly being shoved into others around you, and will most likely come face to face with strangers. This means that by having gum, you ensure your breath will smell minty and fresh the whole night long. Gum is also convenient if you are looking to meet a possible significant other at a party, or are looking to hook up with someone.
The first time you walk into a college party, you might be confused as to why everyone is dressed in different costumes that make them all look straight out of Teen Beach Movie. The reason behind this is actually fun and an exciting difference between high school and college parties – college parties are often themed. This means that to attend the party every individual must be dressed in attire to match whatever theme the hosts have chosen for the night. Themes can be as broad as Rock and Roll to as specific as Space Cowboys. This means that you will need various costumes for your college party life. An inexpensive way to obtain multiple different costumes is by going shopping at your local thrift store or ordering online. Thrift stores typically have unique pieces that can pass as a specific theme, and the cheap products make you feel better about buying something for one time use.
An essential to not only partying, but everyday college life is having a charged phone. This concept only becomes more important when you are going out for the weekend. For safety purposes, you want to ensure that you can contact your roommates, and friends in case anything happens throughout the night. A good safety tip to consider is sharing your location with your closest friends so you know you can always find your way back to them if you get lost amidst the party crowd. Along with this, phones allow you to document the night whether that be in photos or a social media platform such as Snapchat.
If you are ever going to attempt going to the bathroom at a college party (especially a frat house), you should think about bringing the bathroom bundle to a party. This is a group of items that can all fit into a small bag (such as a fanny pack) and are essential to bathroom trips in a frat house. Some items you should consider putting into your bathroom bundle include hair ties (just in case you or a friend has to “pull the trigger), sanitary pads, chapstick, and hand sanitizer. Considering most frats do not provide soap to wash your hands (and some do not even provide toilet paper), hand sanitizer is key in this scenario. I can guarantee you will feel much cleaner upon leaving the premises and will regret not bringing these items if you forget to use the restroom before leaving your dorm at the beginning of the night.
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