In high school, it was still possible to trick-or-treat within your neighborhood and come home with a bucket full to the brim with chocolates and candies. However, in college, it often seems that you are simply ‘too old’ to do so again. However, societal myths shouldn’t stop you from having fun during this scary season. No matter how old you are, Halloween can still be an interesting annual event and can provide a refreshing change from the jam-packed college routine. By marathoning holiday favorites, seasonally appropriating snacks and drinks, dressing up at college events, and considering the following five activities, you can make this Halloween season the most memorable yet, even when in college.
1. Watch horror movies.
Other than looking forward to Season 2 of Netflix’s thrilling Stranger Things (premiered October 27), you can also binge on a myriad of other horror movies, including Carrie, The Addams Family, or for those more animation-inclined, Corpse Bride, all within the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re watching movies at the theater while indulging in candy corn (in place of popcorn) or streaming them inside your dorm room while drinking a ubiquitous pumpkin-spice flavored beverage, these hours of entertainment will help you relax and use your Netflix or Hulu subscription to a good use after a long season of midterms. If you go to the cinemas, make sure to use your college student discount while you’re at it, and if you stay on-campus, decorate your dorm room with creepy decor to create the perfect atmosphere for your movie marathon.
2. Attend local attractions.
Going to a local Pumpkin Patch event or exploring a famous Haunted House in your area to become spooked by witches and ghouls, is an annual treat no college student should ever have to miss. Perhaps a walk or two in the Bay Area’s popular Winchester Mystery House would release the screams you’ve been missing to let out ever since last year’s Halloween. However, most college student associations organize several Halloween celebrations right within the residence halls on-campus. You might even come away having learned a few haunting campus stories. Take care of your own safety while going out, though!
3. Hang out with friends.
When you share your every experience with friends, you’re more likely to remember it, which is why spending Halloween with other peers in your school would make the occasion all the more merrier. Perhaps you could read up on some spooky classics together, not only to impress your English professor but also to get in the scintillating spirit of Halloween. You could also carpool and travel the city, listen to Halloween-themed playlists, or try the Halloween specials at a new restaurant or cafe. You could also be creative and throw a spooky costume party in your own dorm room or apartment. Alternatively, you could also retreat from university life and arrange a bonfire gathering, to simply meditate in the wilderness of Mother Nature while snacking on s’mores.
4. Spend time with family.
In the midst of assignments, projects, and papers, you may have forgotten about how your parents must feel about having a Halloween without you. They may reminisce the old days, when you walked down the streets as a cowboy or donned a fake ghost costume, all while confidently demanding candy from strangers in the neighborhood. If you’re able to, try to commute and visit your loved ones the weekend before Halloween, and spend some quality time with them. Carve pumpkins together, go trick-or-treating with your younger cousin and siblings, or prepare for trick-or-treaters coming to your house. At the very least, call your parents to let them know how you would have loved spending Halloween with them.
5. Dress up in group costumes.
Wearing group costumes, especially to imitate a popular television show or pop culture, can make the experience of dressing up for Halloween so much more exciting. Together, you can make innovative jack-o’-lantern designs, bake some fresh pumpkin pie and other new festive recipes or try out novel Halloween makeup tutorials online, making your Halloween all the more worthwhile to remember.