You have always wanted to go to that convention, but there are so many things that stop you from taking the leap and making the commitment. Fear not, because here are some tips and tricks that will allow even the newest convention goer to make the most of their experience!

1. Pick Your Con

Picking a convention can be a daunting task if you don't know where to start. First, answer this general question: "What do I really like?". With conventions catering to interests in anime, comics, gaming, science fiction, TV, American Pop Culture and more, there is something for everyone! Once you have decided what sort of convention you would like to attend, do a little research to find one that piques your interest and find out what you can about it, before you decide to stick with that one. Conventions also tend to overlap in what they feature, so there will be opportunities to cover multiple interests depending on the convention you attend.

2. Preregister

I have never seen or heard of a convention that does not engage in preregistration. Preregistering means you buy, and therefore reserve, your ticket ahead of time, oftentimes months before the event. This is not only a great time saver when you arrive, but you will also save a chunk of money when you buy your ticket well in advance! Tickets go up in increments leading up to the event, until it stops at whatever the price will be at the door. Preregistering also guarantees you a spot at the convention. Some large conventions have a cap, or a limit to how many attendees they can have and sell out quickly! The San Diego Comic Con is horribly infamous for this, so if this is the one you pick, good luck! Other conventions like Otakon in Baltimore, Maryland (and soon Washington, D.C.) have a cap, but sell out a little more slowly due to Northeasterly location. Most conventions span a few days, but if you are not able to attend all days of a convention, there is also usually an option for a single day pass. The downside is that if you decide to only go one day and really like it, it will be more expensive to pay each day than it would have been to buy the full pass most of the time. If you can attend the full convention, I would highly recommend that option! If there are separate tickets for events, then I would recommend buying them as soon as they go up and you have the money. Popular events can be once in a lifetime opportunity and sell out quickly! Don't wait until you get to the convention to buy them-you could be too late!

3. Plan Your Budget And SAVE

This is probably a no-brainer, but conventions can be very expensive. From travel costs, to cosplay and merchandise purchases, the costs just seem to keep adding up. Making a budget, especially if you're a little lose with the coin purse can be a lifesaver. Divide your money up into the following categories: food, convention ticket, travel, boarding, merchandise, event tickets (when it's applicable like at Anime Expo), miscellaneous (optional) and emergency. With your money divided up this way, it will keep you from being caught in an unsavory situation, particularly if you're in an unfamiliar city. A good amount of money to plan on saving up would be about $1,000 if you are looking at needing a hotel and travel costs. There are ways that you could save some money that will be listed further down.

4. To Cosplay Or Not To Cosplay?

I'm sure you've seen those people who dress up as video game characters, anime characters, or characters from movies and TV shows. That, is the art form known as cosplay! As someone who was wary about cosplaying at first, but is now whole-heartedly entranced by it, I can assured you that it does not matter if you don't match the character's physical aspects. I encourage accuracy if you're going to cosplay a character, but only when it comes to what you're actually wearing! Cosplay is definitely not mandatory, but if you decide you want to delve into that world, be prepared to spend time and money, because it can be expensive. Cosplay takes time. If you decide to cosplay, make sure you know who you're cosplaying and what you need plenty of time in advance so you aren't like the rest of us who procrastinate and end up finishing props and such the night before the con...or worse at the con!

5. Bring A Friend!

Remember how I said there are ways to save money? Well, this is one of them! If you can get at least one trustworthy, good friend to go with you, you literally cut a lot of your logistical expenses in half. The hotel now costs half as much, and so does gas money and parking. Unfortunately, air fare stays the same, but cutting costs in this way can be very helpful and you can end up paying hardly anything if you bring a group of around four. I paid $35 for a weekend hotel room in Las Vegas once because I was sharing with three other people. Bringing a friend is also great because not only are these kinds of things more fun with friends who share your interest, but if you've been standing in line for three hours and are about to have an accident, having your friend there to hold your spot is extremely helpful. Having another set of hands that you know you can count on to help you and enjoy the experience with is just something that you can't find a replacement for! However, beware of bringing a significant other! While it may sound like a good idea, it can often lead to mishaps and unless you have been in a stable relationship for a long time and have traveled together before, I would not recommend bringing a significant other. Cons have been known to break some relationships. Bring them at your own risk.

6. Make A List

The convention is a mere few days away now! Make sure you have a list of everything you will need and set it all together. Bring a backpack that you can put flyers and the various papers you will undoubtedly find yourself holding onto as well as any small merchandise you purchase that could get lost. If you're cosplaying all of the con days, make sure you bring an extra set of normal clothes for after the convention ends to go home in. I have made the mistake (several times I may add) of not bringing normal clothes for the day I'm going home, so I end up coming home in the same clothes I left in, much to my friends' and my chagrin. Toiletries are a necessity! The convention will most likely get hot and sweaty at times, and deodorant will be your best friend. However, do not wear any over powering perfumes (also read: Axe Body Spray), because when you're cozily packed into a room with 3,000 other people (like at Anime Expo), if someone is allergic to your perfume/cologne, people will be miserable. The person who is allergic will be dying and you'll have to listen to the paramedics trying to recussitate the poor sap while you're trying to hear about the director's vision for next season. No wins there, so just leave the strong perfumes and colognes at home for another day and stick to your trustworthy deodorant! Also be sure you have all of your money, both physical and virtual, packed safely together, along with the snacks you should bring, and your tickets and ticket confirmations! Taking your insurance and roadside assistance cards, particularly when you're traveling long distance is also a good precaution to take.

7. Traveling

If you're traveling by airplane, bus or train, make sure you know where you're going, how you'll get there and how much time you need to have before your preferred method of transportation leaves. Make sure you know where to stop for gas if you're driving, and be sure you have a way to contact someone and/or your insurance company in the event of an emergency. I recommend bringing some music or some other form of aural entertainment to get you excited and ready for the convention you're about to conquer! Plus, who doesn't love singing to music you love loudly and horribly with great friends on a road trip? If you have a long way to go, like from California to the East Coast, I would recommend that you travel the day before Day 0 and leave the day after the convention ends. Travel is exhausting and it can get stressful when there are factors like not knowing where you are, jet lag, and copious amounts of public transportation. Which brings me to the next point. When you are going somewhere you have never been, make sure you know the addresses of the places you are going, and know how you are planning to get there. Rest up, be sure to eat enough before you leave, and make the most of the traveling!

8. Day 0

Day 0 is the day before the actual convention starts. Attendance is not required and you don't pay for it in the price of your ticket. There may be some small events or a gathering going on this day, but generally, it is just to get attendees who have preregistered their badges to pick them up. Most conventions have these so that people who have preregistered can get the most out of the money they paid to be there, and they don't have to wait in line on Day 1, when the convention has already started, and waste time picking up badges. Traveling on Day 0 can work, but it depends how far from the convention you are and how long and when their preregistration hours begin and end. When picking up badges on Day 0, make sure you have your conformation email ready as well as some form of identification, and get there as early as you can. A lot of conventions have very long lines that you will need to wait in on Day 0, but that is all the more reason to pick up your badge then, because the lines will only get longer! Be patient and hang in there, it will be worth the wait when you walk right in the next day and not miss a thing!

9. Snacks And Meals

Convention food is terribly costly and sometimes not even worth the arm, the leg and the piece of your soul that you paid for it. Bringing snacks, portable meals and water into the convention with you will not only ensure that you won't deplete your food money prematurely, starve or get dehydrated during the long days, but you can maximize your con time if you don't need to leave the convention center for affordable victuals and refreshments every time you need something. Nothing says efficient like attending a panel for an industry guest while eating a free sandwich you snuck passed security!

10. Plan Your Attack

On Day 0, you will more than likely receive a goody bag provided by the con's sponsors that has valuable information enclosed! There should be a map of the convention center and some sort of schedule that tells you what is happening when and where. After you get back to wherever you're staying, taking a look at the schedule and map together and planning your days will help immensely with time management and getting any tough decisions that need to be made out of the way. This will also help give you an idea about when you need to get up in the morning to get into cosplay, prepare for the day ahead, and be at the convention. If you couldn't find your way out of a wet paper bag with a GPS, make sure you have plenty of time to find your destinations in between each event. At large conventions, make sure you get in line for popular panels and premieres plenty of time (read at least one hour maybe two) in advance because panels will be capped at a certain point and if you don't get there in time, you'll be part of those left out in the cold.

11. Dealer's Hall and Artist Alley

The Dealer's Hall is full of wonderful vendors and merchandise you would have never thought you'd find, but those vendors know that you're all fairly desperate, adrenaline fueled fans in a frenzy right now, and they have marked their prices up considerably. Keep a cool head in the Dealer's Hall and do your research on items you are looking for so that you can make sure you're buying something not only at a fair price, but also authentic. Figure collectors should especially be wary of what they find in the Dealer's Hall, because bootleg and unofficial figures run rampant all over the Dealer's Hall at conventions, despite the convention staff trying their best to keep unofficial and knock off merchandise out of the convention. The Dealer's Hall is also a good place to use your virtual money because a lot of them will take cards, but some won't and some also have an extra charge for using a credit or debit card. Artist Alley is another wonderful place to find interesting things based on the series you like, but the difference is that Artist Alley is based on all fan made items. Nothing official is sold here, but the items you can find are one of a kind and make for great additions to your collection or for a gift for someone back home. Artist Alley vendors are amateur artists trying to become professional most of the time, so there are usually a lot of vendors who only accept cash here. There has been an increase in the ability to take cards recently, but they usually require an extra charge because they are using Square or something similar. Either way, looking around the Dealer's Hall or Artist Alley can be overwhelming, so start at one end and make your way through the aisles so you can be sure you won't miss a thing!

12. Be Patient And Vigilant!

As I mentioned early, waiting will be something you are doing frequently, especially for larger conventions. While you wait, feel free to sit down, play some video games, chat with friends, or anything else that catches your fancy. But, when the staff wants you to be in a certain place, please be respectful and do as they ask. Their job is hard enough without you not listening to what they are asking you to do. If you notice the line starting to move, be in a position where it won't take you five minutes to get all of your belongings together and keep the line moving. A lot of people are trying to move to the same place all at once and are tired of waiting at this point. Don't be the person who doesn't notice the line is moving and is still sprawled on the floor playing Fire Emblem when your turn to move finally comes around.

13. HAVE FUN!

Now that you have prepared for everything and gotten a run down of what to expect and how to deal with various situations, go conquer that convention and have the time of your life!