Dorms can either make or break your college experience. Here, you will meet some of your best friends and some people that you don’t like so much. You’ll go to dining halls and probably gain a few pounds. And, more than once you might want to have a few people over for a few (non-alcoholic) drinks. But how do you throw a dorm party? How do you do that in a tiny dorm room? How do you do that without being caught by your all-seeing RA? Don’t worry, I have spent my fair share of time in the dorms and I can answer these questions and more.
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Before Your Dorm Party
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The first thing you need to do for a successful dorm party is make sure your dorm is clean. One reason is because who will want to sit in someone else’s dirty room? But another less obvious reason is that if your things are put away, they are less likely to get ruined or lost. If someone spills a drink on your desk, it’s a lot easier to clean up if your desk is clear than if you have your laptop, textbooks, backpack, clothes, and everything else on it. Plus, a dirty room can make your tiny dorm room seem even smaller.
Get Close to Your RA
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Your RA will either shut down the party immediately, or let it go on as long as you keep things under control. Although many RA’s may have a zero tolerance policy toward parties and alcohol, it may save you from being written up if you’re on their good side. It definitely won’t help you if you’re rude or uncooperative to them.
Talk to Your Neighbors
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If you want to avoid noise complaints from the people next door, it’s wise to be friendly to them and even give them a heads up that you’re going have people over. Ask them to talk to you if it’s too noisy instead of going to your RA first. Even better, invite them over because there’s no way they’re going to be mad and complain if they are there partying with you. Above all however, be respectful. Don’t keep your neighbors up all night if they don’t want to be up.
Make a Playlist
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You’re going to want to play music (just not too loud), so it’s a good idea to make a playlist beforehand so you aren’t fumbling around on your phone the whole night looking for songs. Make sure to throw in a few songs that everyone will know and don’t play anything too sad or slow.
During the Party
Don’t Party Too Hard
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It’s okay if you want to have fun, but as a host you definitely need to remain responsible and aware. You don’t want to be too drunk or incapacitated to be able to clean up a mess, kick people out, or answer the door when someone like an RA knocks.
Be Mindful of the Noise Level
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Even if you are friends with your RA and your neighbors, if your dorm party is way too loud, someone will want to shut it down. If an RA from a different floor happens to pass by and hear it or can hear it out the window, they are bound to come in and ask questions.
Put Paraphernalia Away
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Not that I am encouraging drinking or smoking, but if you do decide to partake, put it away when you aren’t using it. Not only does this prevent spills and accidents, but if someone like an RA comes around, it keeps it hidden from their sight.
After the Party
Clean Up! (Again)
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People are bound to spill drinks or leave cups behind, so you don’t want that to make your room sticky or leave a stain. It’s best to clean things up right away so it doesn’t get on your other belongings.
Wait to Throw Another
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It can get pretty annoying when your neighbors are constantly throwing parties, especially when you have things to do in the morning. Be courteous of others and don’t make dorm parties a regular occurrence.