Halloween is upon us, and for many college students, this will be the most raved about, Instagrammed and celebrated time of the year. You throw all your creativity into crafting the perfect, no-one-else-will-look-as-good-as-me costume, catch wind of the biggest parties, hope you’ll accidentally run into your future bae and prepare for a long, droning week once your 7 a.m. starts the next day.
The excitement is brewing, drinks are mixing—but let’s not let it get too spooky. Halloween in a busy college town can also bring out real-life ghouls and horror stories if you don’t keep a watchful eye. Here are some safety tips to keep your spirits high this week.
1. Plan ahead
Allow for that big questionable party that you’ll inevitably find when you’re out roaming the scene, but be sure to communicate your openness in checking out something new with your girlfriends. It’s best when your whole group knows you’re down to switch it up and no one gets separated from the pack.
2. Don’t go alone
That’s no fun anyway! Halloween can bring in hundreds of out-of-towners. When streets and apartments are literally crammed, they create an opportunity for incidents to slip through the cracks. Bring a friend and be each other’s right-hand woman, and give each other the “maybe you’ve had too much” reality check you’ll probably need at 2 a.m.
3. Bring your ID
It’s always best to have some form of identification on you at all times. You could paper clip it to your bra, tape it on your body or keep it in your shoe.
4. Eat!
Eat before you go out, during if you can and definitely after. Some friends may encourage otherwise—”You feel it so much faster if you skip dinner!”—but you will have plenty of hours in the night to get loose and enjoy yourself. Top your evening off with that greasy burrito you’ve been wanting all week.
5. Grab your own drinks
Halloweekend brings out colorful beverages and strange concoctions—basically easier ways to slip something foreign into your cup without you noticing. If someone offers you a drink, watch them pour it, and never accept something if they need to leave the room to get it. If it’s a stranger’s party with a community bowl full of jungle juice, skip it. If you’re dying to try it, wait for the freshest batch to come out before dipping your red Solo in for a taste.
6. Stay alert
Halloween at many campuses is such a huge event that law enforcement from surrounding counties come in to help monitor the situation. Medical tents are set up on major corners of the city and flood lights may line the main drag. In more recent years, large costume accessories have been confiscated for safety reasons. Be diligent, keep your eyes open and notify an officer if something is off. We promise you, he will overlook your state of mind if you’re taking responsibility for what’s around you.