As the summer comes to an end and school is around the corner, we are all filled with happiness to return back to our college towns. Don’t think for a second that we are excited to go back to attend large lectures and spend hours in the library. Fall semester means it's football season and tailgating in the SEC, also known as the best time of the year.

For some, this is the time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a game of football in hopes that their team will win. However, for us gals, it’s a tradition to dress like southern belles and take pictures featuring the infamous “sorority squat.” As women we think of every trick in the book to make sure we can get through a long day and still look like a million bucks by the end of the night. Tailgating in the SEC is not a joking matter.       

· Wake up call is at 6 a.m. sharp. The early bird gets the worm right? Waking up at the crack of dawn is essential on game days (especially when they start at noon.) It will take at least two hours to do our hair, put on makeup, pick out the perfect dress that matches our cowboy boots, and to place our tattoo ever so gracefully on our cheek.  

· After spending hours of getting ready to make sure we look pristine, it is now time to eat a hefty breakfast that will last us through the day. Some eggs, bacon, and toast will do the trick or maybe even a McDonald’s sausage biscuit. After eating, packing our purses, and a little lipstick we are out the door.   

· Meeting with our sorority sisters before heading to the tailgate is a crucial part of the day. We give out our fair share of compliments on others' outfits, share some blush, take a few (35872534 million) pictures, and have a couple of drinks (those of us who are 21, of course). Let the tailgate begin.   

· As we walk to the fraternity tents to meet with the boys in collared shirts and hand-woven belts, we have our heads held high and our Ray-Bans on. We spend the next hours before kickoff taking more pictures, uploading our favorites to Instagram with a filter that makes the grass look greener and the sun much brighter. We meet new people, complain about our aching feet, and wait in line for the port-a-potties in disgust over the smell. The game quickly creeps up on us and people begin leaving to find their seats in the student section. However, we didn't take the time to buy football tickets at the beginning of the year. Actually, we don’t even know what team we are playing.

· As the game comes to an end, tailgating is not over. The guys return, and the girls say they didn’t miss a minute of the game. When in reality we took the time to rehydrate with water, food, and a cat nap. We show our school pride with smiles and chants throughout the night. 

· We go to sleep in high spirits because we our proud to attend a college where sports are placed of higher importance. We wake in the morning looking forward to many tailgates to come. We also sit and ponder if we won the game last night and what the ending score was.