I don’t think that it is any secret that you won’t be needing your pillowcase to go door to door trick-or-treating this year on campus. Halloween is not what it used to be once you are in college. But, I can promise you that it is just as festive and exciting! Get ready, folks. Because Halloween becomes Halloweek, meaning that the holiday festivities last an entire week as opposed to just one night. You no longer have a curfew or parental supervision throughout the night. It is important to go have fun this Halloween, but it is even more important that you stay safe this Halloween. Here is my Halloween Survival Guide for all college students.

Tips on costumes:

Everybody else will be wearing a costume, so don’t be that person who is too cool to dress up. It is the only time of the year that you are allowed to dress up as anybody but yourself. With that in mind, be respectful. You don’t know who is going to be at the same party as you. If you think your costume might be a bit disrespectful, it probably is.

Get your friends together and create a group costume! Not only is this fun to do, but these are also a hit on campus. Group costumes make for a great Insta picture too.. just sayin’.

Everybody gets very creative with their Halloween costumes. People take their costumes in all sorts of directions. You are allowed to be as funny, or risky, as you choose. I want each and every one of you to find a costume that makes you feel great in. But, this is not a contest to see who can get the closest to a wardrobe malfunction. Make sure you are comfortable in whatever you wear!

Tips on Hallo-week:

Have multiple costumes planned, as well! There is a great chance that there will be multiple nights of dressing up on campus. I know my bank account can’t support me buying a costume for each night of the week, so get creative. Take advantage of the supplies you already have laying around in your room. Get creative, (I’m looking at you, basic cat costume)!

Thursday through Saturday night are usually the nights for going out. Make sure you get your homework done prior to going out. I promise by Sunday you aren’t going to have much energy, or motivation, to do school work. And don’t make the same mistake I did by going to your Friday 7:30 am biology exam running on .5 seconds of sleep… :-)

Tips on staying safe:

You already saw this one coming. Maybe this is because I am the “Mom” of the friend group, but I can’t stress staying safe this Halloween season enough. It’s the perfect night for creeps to creep...

Don’t set your drinks down anywhere, and don’t hand them off to anybody to hold. “Don’t take candy from strangers,” holds true even as a college student.

Never travel alone. You should always use the buddy system in college! This accounts for your own safety and your best friends’ safety. My friends and I share each other’s location at all times, and it works perfectly.

And lastly, do not drink and drive. I know that most campuses are walking distance, but I understand this is not the case for everyone. There are so so so many alternatives than getting into a car after somebody has been drinking, do NOT even risk making it across campus. Download Uber or Lyft before you even go out that night. Plan in advance how you are going to get home!!

Make sure you and all of your friends get home safe and sound. ❤️