George's blog: How to survive Halloween at university

Halloween is one of the wildest nights in the student calendar - and a personal favourite.

You get to dress up, carve pumpkins and even enjoy a scary movie, or three!

It is important to stay safe during this time of year though. Halloween can get a little out of hand. Remember to drink sensibly and enjoy the festive fun responsibly! October nights tend to be dark (and miserable) so just stay safe and not too far from your friends when you're out and about. 

So, how do you get yourself prepared for Halloween, student-style?

1. Get your costume ready early

Costume and party shops are rammed during the Halloween season. It's a good idea to plan out your costume in advance if you can. Whether this means devil horns, a catsuit or coloured contact lenses - make sure to stay organised. Besides, this way you can bag the good costume in advance meaning you've claimed the good outfit and no one can copy you! 

2. Keep it cheap and simple

Most likely, you will lose parts of your costume throughout the night. So when shopping for your outfit, think Poundland, Ebay or Amazon for your fancy dress essentials. You can always provide a back-up costume to anyone who has forgotten theirs this way too. In first year, it's best to keep your costume simple. It saves money, time and effort and you can improve year on year.

3. Get your event tickets now

Club events often use a ticketing system for Halloween to minimise overcrowding. Have a chat with your flatmates to decide where you are going and whether you need to get tickets in advance to avoid any last-minute panics. You don't want to be caught out with no where to go!

4. Decorate your flat

Why not decorate your student flat for Halloween? This can be a great bonding exercise between you and your flatmates! Grab some bargain Halloween decorations from your local budget shop. Halloween fairy lights, spider webs and scary wall hangings are guaranteed to make a spooktacular flat. 

You could even pick up a few pumpkins and carve them out together. This is a great way to get to know your flatmates while adding some personality to your kitchen. Just remember to clear up the mess when it's all over! 

5. Remember your friends' costumes

Picture this; you are dancing in a crowd and you have lost your flatmates. You don't know what they are wearing and everyone in the club has facepaint on. Now what? Before heading out on Halloween night, remember what your friends are wearing on Halloween at pre-drinks. This way you can find them in the crowds and enjoy your whole Halloween night together. 

Get your freak on!