A lot of people say that our college years will be the best 4 years of our lives, and while I can’t tell if they’re right or wrong, since I’m just a sophomore, I’ll just say that college is an amazing experience. You’re not an adult with a lot of responsibilities yet, but you’re more independent than a high school kid. There’re so many things you will experience in college. I always say college is like riding a roller coaster, there’re happy and fun moments, but there’s also sad and stressful moments. Either way, one thing you’ll surely experience are college parties. So, if you were curious about college parties, here’s basically everything you need to know about them.
But first, let’s talk about college movies. We all have seen them, and one thing all of those movies have in common are the way college parties are shown. One thing we can take from college movies is that parties in college are supposed to be really wild. And while every college is different, most stuff you see in the movies is true, but there’re also a bunch of exaggerations and things that are made up.
This post is about everything you need to know when partying in college, however there’s nothing regarding what to wear to college parties. But don’t worry, I’m working on it, so stay tuned, leave your email below to get a notification when the post is up.
General Info
- Every school can be a party school – Back in high school some people talk about party schools and how they want to go to one. But every school can be a party school. Don’t decide which school to attend based on how good and big the parties are.
- Going to parties is a great way to meet people – Not only will you have a lot of fun with your friends, but you’ll make more friends. This will be your opportunity to talk to that guy who’s in your class, or that girl who you see at the elevator every morning before going to class.
- You won’t be outcasted if you don’t drink – Some people are scared of peer pressure and of being outcasted if they don’t drink. But college is different from high school, not everyone drinks and those who drink don’t judge those who don’t. So don’t be scared and don’t feel like you have to drink to fit in. Also, if you experience peer pressure, don’t give in, don’t do something you don’t want to.
- You don’t have to be in greek life to have fun – I’m in a sorority and I go to a lot of parties and have a lot of fun with my sisters and friends. And I also have friends that aren’t in greek life, but have a lot of fun and maybe even party harder than me. So, you definitely don’t have to be in greek life to have lots of fun!
Type of parties
First things first, these are some parties you’ll experience during your time in college. This are parties where people get together dance and have fun!
Frat parties
Frat parties are probably the most common parties in college. And they’re so much fun. they’re very similar to those parties shown in movies. There’re people dancing, and groups of people just talking and drinking. Frat parties normally have a theme, like Hawaiian, neon and so many other possible themes. Frats normally let girls into their parties easily, but sometimes there’s a list. And in order to let a guy (who’s not a brother) he has to have friends in the frat.
If you want to know more about frat parties, this post: A freshman girl’s guide to frat parties has some super useful tips!
A misconception I had before going to college was that all frat brothers were assholes and all they cared was partying, drinking and sex. And while that is true for some frat guys, obviously not every guy is like that. Frat guys (some) do care about school and they might even miss their own parties to study for an exam. Shocker, right? So don’t go to college with the wrong mindset that frat boys are just party animals and fuckboys, cause that isn’t completely true – keep an open mind. BUT, be cautious at the same time so that you don’t get your heart broken.
House parties
Well, they’re pretty much like any other house party. There’re drinks inside, people dancing, talking, flirting, doing what people do at parties: having fun!
Tailgates
I’ve personally never been to a tailgate party because I’m not a huge sports fan. But tailgates are basically day parties before a football game. There’s sometimes food, there’s a lot LOT of beer, there’s good music and friends.
Bars
I know, I know, you need to be 21 to get into a bar, but some bars have 18+ some nights. You won’t be allowed to buy any drinks, but at least you can get in, right? And we all know you’ll figure it out anyways. Well, there’s not a lot to say about bars, except that they’re fun. Unlike frat parties or house parties, bars are a place where people get together, sit down and hangout while having some drinks. Depending on the bar, there’re areas where you can dance, or just sit down and drink with friends. And unlike (some) frat parties, you can go to bar during the week, not just on the weekends. For example there’s this bar that’s 18+ on Thursdays, so literally everybody goes out that day.
But before you go to a bar for the first time, here’re 10 things you should know.
Clubs
Okay, this is probably the least common way to party, at least during your first year of college. Clubs are a lot of fun, they’re way bigger than college parties, they’re often more crowded and people mainly dance. I personally love clubbing, it’s a lot of fun and it’s something different you can do on the weekends instead of going to frat party. Besides you get to dress up, put on a cute dress, cute high heels and take cute pictures.
Stay safe while partying
This was taken at my sorority’s halloween party and no i don’t even know what this costume is…
I’ve previously written a more general guide to staying safe in college, you should totally read it. The tips below are about staying safe on a night out and I feel like every girl should read this! Keep in mind that underage drinking is illegal and you shouldn’t do it or at least don’t get caught. I know it’s college and no matter what I say or anyone says there’s lots of drinking & drugs involved, so follow these tips to stay safe.
Have a group
Always go with a group of friends you trust to the party. Take care of each other and have lots of fun together.
Discuss the plan with your friends
You should always discuss the plan with your fiends. Here are some things that should be discussed before heading out.
- How are you getting there? How are you coming back? Are you walking, driving or calling an Uber?
- Are you pregaming or drinking there? If you’re going to drink.
- What to do if someone in your group has too much to drink?
- Tell your friends if you want to hook up with someone – Tell them so that they know you’ll probably won’t be going home with them.
- Make sure that you and your friends are on the same page – for example, what if you go to a party with just one friend and then your friend tells you she is going to spend the night with someone. What should you do? Make sure to be on the same page, so that you or your friend stay together. You want to avoid getting ditched. So that you don’t find yourself in a situation where you’ll be heading home alone, which can be a dangerous.
Always watch your drink or make your own drink
To be on the safe side, you can always pregame or bring your own drinks. Because getting roofied is a real thing! I’ve heard so many stories of girls getting drugged and being taken advantage of, so, be careful. And always watch your drink. Watch when it is being poured and then keep an eye on it, never leave it unattended or with someone you just met.
Also, be careful with the jungle juice. Because you never know if someone slipped something sketchy onto it. And the thing about jungle juice is that it has a lot of alcohol but you can barely taste it. Which sounds like a good thing except that you don’t notice how much you’re drinking until suddenly you black out.
Know your alcohol limit
I’ve talked about this in a lot of other posts. If you don’t know your alcohol limit don’t try to find out at the first party you go to. That is just plain stupid and dangerous. Do it in a small get-together with friends you trust.
Other than that, just pace yourself at parties. You don’t want to drink too much and then end up throwing up, because that’ll suck for you and also for the person that’ll take care of you. Or if you’re planning to get very drunk just make a plan and ask a friend to take care of you and keep you from doing stupid things.
Guys Guys Guys
Something you should know before going to college parties, is that guys can be gross sometimes. There’re some guys that just randomly start to grind behind you. Also, there’re guys that’s just looking to hook up. And a lot of guys get horny when drunk and might get handy. So, if you find yourself in one of these situations, just walk away.
Always bring a condom or condoms in your bag
If you’re going out and want to hook up with someone just bring a condom with you just in case. Guys don’t always have condoms on them or maybe they ran out of condoms and forgot to buy more. Just keep one in your wallet or in your bag, maybe even in your pocket? You’ll save the night and also won’t get pregnant or get any STD’s.
Don’t walk alone
There’re times where you just won’t feel like partying and you’re going to want to go back to your dorm and that’s totally okay. Some nights all you want to do is watch Netflix and go to sleep early. Just never ever walk back alone to your dorm, whether it’s just 10P.M or 3A.M. in the morning. That can be really dangerous. Get an Uber instead and always let your friends know where you’re going. Share your location and text them once you get there. That way if something happens to you, someone knows where you went and at what time.
Also, if your school offers transportation services take them. Mine had shuttles that would pick you up and take you home until 5am. That’s definitely safer than getting an Uber or Lyft.
Help others
And the last tip, that isn’t actually a tip: help others. If you see a girl all alone throwing up or laying on the floor, help her. If she doesn’t have any friends with her, be her friend. Call her roommate or figure out a way to take her home. If you ever find yourself in one of those situations where you’re just unconscious, way too drunk or where you passed out, you’ll want someone to help you. Besides, girls have to stick together.
Well, I hope this tips help you or inform you! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! It doesn’t matter if they aren’t party-related, they can be about anything!
