Entering college is an exciting journey in life. A lot of young people are excited about becoming independent as they take a new path away from home. This means they can socialize with their peers and explore all the enjoyable things that life could offer.
One on the list of enjoyable college-life experiences is a dorm party. Many college students have the urge to throw a party like this to pamper themselves and make fun while they are together in one place. This is a way for some students to destress themselves from academic pressures. For some, it has become a habit.
If one day, you are going to try throwing a dorm party, these are your guides to make it the great experience ever:
Organizing a Dorm Party
Dorm parties can be wild, but the place where itâs held must be presentable to the guests. You have to make sure that your room is neat and arranged according to the purpose of the event. This would require some preparation, especially if you have chosen a particular theme and you are expecting a number of friends to come over. But the preparation is all worth it when everyone gets to enjoy the party.
For great accommodation, you need to ensure that thereâs more space inside your room. Guests are expected to move around when the dance party begins. You also need to have space for tables where drinks could be served, and some chairs and decors, too, if needed.
These are some key tips when organizing a dorm party:
- Lock your valuables in a drawer or closet. These things might get lost at the party, so you have to secure them in a safe place.
- Keep all non-party-related items out of sight. This will ensure that there will be more space inside the room where you hold the party.
- Remove dust from surfaces. You wouldnât want to cause allergies to your guests, right? So doing some cleaning would be essential.
- Vacuum the floor. The party might go even wild that some of your friends would dance with their heads on the floor. You would also expect that food and drinks would be served during the party, so ensuring that the entire room is clean is necessary.
- Keep pillows and blankets in the closet if you want to keep them clean. These are your personal things and these may not serve any purpose during the party. Hence, you have to separate them from other necessities for good.
The Theme of Your Dorm Party
The theme is the soul of the party. You have to decide on the most ideal theme considering personal preference and what your guests would wish to have. It can be anything under the sun. For example, you can organize a sports-themed dorm party. Having this theme would require complementary decorations, outfits, games, and other things that would reflect sports.
Your friends would love to wear sports attire. The party has to be fun and exciting because itâs a social gathering. For some ideas on the theme, these are some common choices:
- End-of-Term Dorm Party
- End-of-Semester Dorm Party
- Birthday-themed Dorm Party
- Farewell-themed Dorm Party
- Homecoming Dorm Party
- Graduation Dorm Party
- Girlsâ Night Dorm Party
- Pajamas Dorm Party
- Jazz Night Dorm Party
- Ghosts and Monsters Dorm Party
Making Invitations for Your Dorm Party
Social gatherings like dorm parties are expected to have a number of guests. These people are invited by the host. Hence, to make your dorm party possible, you need to send out invitations to your friends or neighbors. Before that, though, you have to decide how many people you can accommodate in the venue. Perhaps 10 to 30 people are the most that you can invite for a limited space.
Your college classmates, roommates, and dorm neighbors are among the people you can count on to come. Inviting them can be made through word of mouth or text messaging. You may also consider creating an event on Facebook for the purpose of inviting interested people. There are available online templates for your invitation cards. The process may require some work, but you wouldnât feel it if you enjoy organizing the event.
Dorm Party Games and Activities
Dorm parties are not without games and activities for everyone to enjoy. These will keep the interest of guests and avoid sleepiness and boredom. You can have spin-the-bottle games, beer pong, or juice pong, among many other possible party games. However, you have to make sure that the games you play wonât result in any kind of accident. Safety first before wild enjoyment.
Dorm Party Food and Drinks
You can have any food and drinks you like, but itâs also essential to consider what your guests want. The theme of the dorm party is also an important consideration. Friends and classmates would be glad if the food and drinks served are great for their appetite. You can prepare food and drinks in your room, but if you donât like additional work, then going for a purchase at nearby stores would be a great option.
The most common foods served during the dorm party are the following:
- Fries
- Chicken Fingers
- Nacho Chips
- Popcorn
- Nuggets
- Pizza Nuts
Meanwhile, the drinks are also very important. These include some liquors and juices. This is the spirit of the party. Everyone looks forward to the drinking session as they share conversations with one another. The most common choices for party-goers are the following:
- Lemonade
- Soda
- Cardinal Punch Mocktail
- Non-alcoholic Party Drinks
Also, you have to make sure that you have available cups for the beverages that you serve. You cannot always expect all guests to drink out of the bottle. You may consider having mugs for this purpose.
Dorm Party Music
Music is what brings life to the party. That is why part of your preparation is deciding on the kinds of music to play during the party. You might need loudspeakers for this purpose. Having a playlist would ensure that you donât have to do manual switching when the party gets going. You can play the playlist as background music while chatting and drinking or when dancing. However, when there are rules or people to consider, you may have to turn down the volume of your speakers. Youtube and Spotify are two great options for having a good music playlist and reliable player. Rock, jazz, and pop songs can be played depending on your choice.
Being a Dorm Party Host
If you will be hosting a dorm party, remember that you have some responsibilities to ensure that the event would run smoothly. Some of your duties include:
- Maintaining cleanliness in the venue
- Buying necessities such as food and drink
- Ensuring the safety of friends and guests
Can You Throw a Dorm Party?
Having the urge and the budget does not automatically mean you can throw a dorm party any time. There may be rules that you have to follow, or permission to get from the resident advisor before you can organize one. Keep in mind that some dormitories allow dorm parties, while others donât. To avoid breaking the rules, you have to know these things beforehand.
Things to Keep in Mind when Throwing a Dorm Party
A dorm party is a great way to relax and enjoy for some students. But this has to be organized with some limitations. The host and guests should make sure that they are not causing disturbance to their neighbors as this would break some rules. Partying too much may not always be good especially if the academic performance is affected.
To make sure that youâre having a healthy dorm party, these are some things you have to keep in mind:
- Talk to the Resident Advisor â if you hold a dorm party without having to talk to the Resident Advisor first, you might get into trouble. Your dormitory management may have some rules when it comes to social gatherings to protect the safety of everyone. You have to be certain on whether or not your dormitory allows such kind of party. Remember that the Resident Advisor is simply doing their job when you get a warning about the event.
- Keep Your Room Organized â suppose you are allowed to have a dorm party. The essential thing to focus on is keeping your room organized â putting valuables where they should be. This will make sure that your venue has enough space for guests and you would not encounter any case of property loss whatsoever.
- Decide on Accommodation â although you might wish to invite more people to come for the college dorm party, you still need to be realistic. You have to decide on the size of the party that you can accommodate. Friends and neighbors may be considered first, but of course, itâs up to you who to invite. It would be nice if these people can help you organize the party and contribute something for the necessities.
- Prepare Everything You Need â if you are the one hosting the party, then you have some responsibilities on your shoulders. You need to organize the venue, buy food and drinks, prepare invitations, and do other things. For some party materials, you can shop at amazon.com. You can get your orders right away and prepare your room for a chosen theme.
- Avoid Partying Too Hard â although everyone can enjoy as much as they want, moderation in partying and drinking is still advised. Itâs not always healthy to go to the extreme. Reminding your friends and guests about this can make sure that your party does not lead to unwanted consequences.
Common Mistakes when Throwing a Dorm Party
If you are a college freshman, then having a dorm party may not be favorable to you. You might have poor academic performance as a result. Although some students have a nice life balancing school requirements and outside activities, for most itâs a challenging part. To avoid risking your future for temporary gratification, these are some common mistakes that you have to avoid:
- Dorm Party Might Mean Bad Influence â although you are inviting close friends and some dorm neighbors for the dorm party, it is not far from possible that you might follow their vices. Drinking and smoking are common among many college students now. Some of them have addictions, and when they graduate from college, they are having a hard time doing away with it.
- Poor Academic Performance â some students struggle with their academic requirements, and instead of giving more time and effort to studies, they resort to past-time habits like dorm partying. As a result, they donât graduate on time, or they will have a tough time finding good jobs because of poor grades. It is always important for young people to realize that college life is not all about freedom. Having limitations to ensure a good future should be observed under all circumstances.
- Dorm Party Can Affect School Allowance â instead of buying books and other learning materials, some allowance might go for alcoholic beverages. Obviously, this is not a good thing for students who struggle with their finances. If you donât want to experience the same thing, always consider your budget when you have the urge of going to a party.
- Dorm Party Can Be Counter-Productive â dorm parties can be a casual social gathering, but for others, it has become a habit. This can be counter-productive especially when there are more important things, like studies, that are being compromised. Hence, college students must always know how to prioritize things and think of what is best for them.
Having a dorm party is a memorable experience for many college students. This is not always fun and enjoyment alone. Some people are able to share their life with peers and get comfort from the company of others.
It has positive and negative sides. Young people have to weigh the consequences of joining a party especially when their academic performance is at stake. Striking a balance between academic and social life is possible when certain limitations are observed.
If you are one of the many young people who want to experience college life to the fullest, then remember that there are ways that you can enjoy yourself without going far from what is healthy.
