College parties are a necessary escape from the stress of everyday college life. Whether you are throwing your own party, or attending someone else's, there are certain party tips you should follow to guarantee a fun night for you and your friends. Afterall, there is nothing worse than getting kicked out of an awesome college party, or having your own house wrecked, or even worse you end up in jail.

Tips for Attending a College Party

1. Depending on how well you know the host of the party you should always come prepared to chip in for alcohol. If this is a close friend you might consider bringing a handle of booze to contribute to the party. In this situation, the optimal strategy is to let your friend know that this booze is for you guys and recommend stashing it somewhere for your own personal use. This way you ensure maximum consumption while still "contributing" to the party. If you couldn't pick the party host out of a line up, your safest best is to drop them some cash immediately when you arrive. Don't wait for the host to hit you up for money. Normally at a larger party there will be a friend of the host charging at the door for a keg up. Don't bitch about paying $5, or even $10 for that matter. (When you start going to bars you will understand what a bargain this is.)

2. Unless you are a girl dressed to impress, you should dress appropriate for a college party. This means that you shouldn't wear sandals unless you are going to a beach/pool party. There are several reasons why sandals are a bad idea: People will step all over your feet, people will spill all sorts of shit on your feet, and if the cops come you will be the easiest one to arrest. Secondly, Don't wear a jacket unless it's absolutely necessary. You will not be cold in a party, and goodluck preventing your jacket from getting lost or becoming a bar towel. FInally, if there is a college party theme, dress up! Nobody likes the guy who doesn't.

3. Don't get out of control! Yes this is often much easier said than done, but unlike at your own party, you can't simply slip into your room and pass out. Puking and/or passing out in a strangers house is a very effective way of ruining the night of anyone responsible for bringing "that guy", and can often lead to uncomfortable confrontations with the host and his friends. Save yourself for the after party at your place.

Tips for Throwing Your Own Party

1. If you are going to throw a party, be prepared to have a party. This begins by inviting ALL of your neighbors, or at the very least letting them know you will be having people over, and if they have any complaints that they should call you BEFORE the cops. A sincere invite will often be enough to earn a "get of a jail" free card with your neighbors. Next you should turn your attention to prepping your house for the mayhem that will ensue. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Put away any valuable items, or anything you don't want broken/stolen. Make sure to have easily accessible garbage cans, and even consider going as far as laying down scrap carpeting in high traffic areas. A cheaper substitute would be towels, but beware that more often than not a towel will be bunched up and kicked to the side, or ineffectively stop a spill from reaching your carpet.

2. Once you have prepared your house and it's surroundings for a party, you are going to be a much more enjoyable host to be around. To ensure a good time you should make sure you have enough booze, and enough friends that have read the first tip to attending a college party. During the infancy of any party it is crucial to have some fun drinking games for people to play at least until the party is large enough to sustain itself. Many parties have ended before they ever got going because the first people to show up are so unimpressed that they leave before the party has a chance. There are plenty of card drinking games that are great for pre-partying, and beer pong is always a popular option! You should also consider some drinking accessories such as a beer bong, or beirstick, to facilitate the party.

These are the most basic tips for college partying. As long as you adhere to these tips you should do just fine! To take your partying to the next level, we strongly recommend checking out some of our other useful pages.