More than a million people a year make the trek to New York City to watch the famous ball drop in Times Square, while millions more watch from the comfort of their living rooms with a glass of champagne in hand, ready to ring in the new year in comfort. This year, a group of friends and myself jumped on the bandwagon and headed to the Big Apple to partake in the festivities leading up to the turn of the year. As more people asked what I was doing for New Year's Eve and found out my plans, the more I found myself hearing the same concerns from those around me - "what if you have to go to the bathroom?", "isn't it going to be cold?" and my personal favorite, "how are you going to afford that?" As someone who survived through the night alive and not completely bankrupt, I decided to share how best to party it up in the Crossroads of the Universe on the shiniest night of the year. I also used my novice filming skills and a four-year-old video camera to put together a compilation of our trip. Here goes!

Where do you go?

Security this past year was extremely tight, so you couldn't just run to Times Square and stand wherever you wanted. Whenever you get to Times Square, ask officers where to go. We had to go to 7th and 49th Street to line up so we could go through security checkpoints in order to get into the sections that had been blocked off for partygoers in the Square. Pro-tip: be nice to the officers doing security checks and scans. They do so much to make sure you're safe there and some of them were hysterical.

What do you bring?

At the security checkpoint, people who had brought large bags had to empty out the contents they wanted to take with them into a plastic bag and throw their actual bag away. This was so the security officers could see the contents of your bag to make sure there was nothing suspicious. With that being said, so that you can keep your precious Vera Bradley tote bags, just take a small purse!

The purse pictured above (modeled by my friend Leslie in the biggest Forever 21 mirror I've ever seen) was the perfect size for the night.

Let me run you through a little packing checklist:

-A drink. Water, Gatorade, etc. Something bottled, but I wouldn't recommend a soda because you'll want something that can replenish throughout the night.

-Snacks. Granola bars, a sandwich, something non-perishable that would still taste good after being chilled by a New York winter for a while.

-Entertainment. Phone games don't really work because you don't want to drain your battery and not be able to take pictures of the ball drop you wait so long for. Bring a pack of cards or Phase 10 so you can sit for a few hours and hang out with friends.

-A portable phone charger. I have a Mophie phone case and there's no way I could have gotten through the night without it.

-Weather variables. If there's a chance of rain, take a small umbrella. Or you could always just wear a rain jacket underneath a coat so that even if it doesn't rain, you'll have an extra layer to protect you from the cold. Also, don't forget gloves. I recommend the ones that still let you use your phone.

Other than this list, you really don't need anything else. Pack light because you'll be holding onto it for awhile.

When do you get there?

We arrived in Times Square around 1:15 P.M. and that's probably the latest I would get there. A few hundred people arrived minutes after us, and within half an hour there were a few thousand people behind us in line. We had a pretty good view of everything and were close to the stages (until Planet Fitness handed out the most obnoxious hats and balloons that no one could see over. But I'm not bitter.)

What is it like?

It's cold. Dress thick but comfortably. No one is going to care what you look like, I promise. You only need a cute coat and beanie in order to look good in pictures if that's what you're concerned about, but underneath, it doesn't matter at all.

As you guessed, there is no bathroom. Here's the trick: stay very hydrated the day before so that your body doesn't feel drained on the actual day of. Drink a small to moderate amount of liquid when you wake up around 9 or 10 so that it can go through your body and you can get rid of it before you actually get to the Square. Take a drink with you to the event, but don't even open it until 6 P.M. or later so that you can still hold it while you're there. A lot of people think you just have to wait until midnight but you also need to take into account the trip back to your hotel or wherever you're staying. Most stores are closed, and restaurants that are near Times Square also close to the general public and you have to buy a ticket (which is outrageously expensive. $400 to eat at Olive Garden and *hope* to have a view of the ball? That's a hard pass.), so you can't just run in somewhere and use the facilities. Trust me, we tried twice to no avail. Throngs of people everywhere will be trying to get to their next destination, so leaving will be no easy feat. Take that into consideration before you buy a venti Passion Tea Lemonade early that morning (@me).

11 hours is a long time. Your feet will hurt. Wear the comfiest shoes you own, but know that this is pretty much unavoidable. You might hate pretty much everyone around you, but it can also be a cool opportunity to meet new friends. I bonded with a group of Italians and three people from Indiana, and we played Charades, a trilingual game of Telephone and ripped up a spare newspaper to make our own confetti to pass the time. My friend Nathan bonded with two New York natives who gave us suggestions on where to eat pizza and also just kept us laughing throughout the night. Try to think more about how cool it is that you are where you are, getting ready to experience the best New Years Eve party in the world, instead of focusing on how uncomfortable you are while standing. Not many people will get to do what you're doing. Not to mention, you get a free concert of some pretty great artists (shoutout to Demi Lovato and Jessie J.)

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! Take pictures, dance like crazy to the songs the performers sing despite how weird you look, and just enjoy yourself.

The event is a long one, but it's one that everyone should experience once in their life. It was crazy, it was long, it was cold, but in the end, I'm beyond satisfied that I did it while I'm still a carefree college student.