There’s a party every week on college campuses across the country, no doubt. Hell, there’s a party every night at some. But there’s no argument that the biggest and baddest of all college parties happens at Halloween. It’s just the best party of the year, plain and simple.

If there’s one college party you’ve just got to hit, it’s the one at Halloween. It only comes around once a year so here are some simple tips to help you make the most out of it.

Dress Up Yeah, sure, you can go to that party without wearing a costume, but what a complete waste that would be. This is your moment, possibly your 15 minutes of college fame. So show off your creative side and do something really unique. It’s much better than coming up with some lame excuse about why you aren’t in costume or pretending to be too cool for a costume.

Plan Ahead Don’t be that loser guy who stands at the door of the local costume shop the night of the party, just as the doors have closed, banging on the door and crying out, “Please, let me in, I don’t have a costume yet!” The best stuff goes quickly at costume shops so hit the stores in September. Tons of people come up with a great idea the day before the party (uh-oh), and end up having to settle for wrapping a sheet around themselves to make a quick a toga at the last second, because they didn’t have enough time to find all the pieces for their “killer costume.” Freshman are notorious for waiting until the last minute. Learn from those who have been around awhile – think ahead and shop early.

Dress Accordingly What is your partying style? If you want to drink, carry on fascinating discussions about current events and the upcoming elections, or keep everyone laughing their asses off with your amazing wit and humor, don’t wear a mask. You’re going to need your mouth, so don’t have it all hidden away. If you want to hit the dance floor and get that body gyrating and moving, your costume shouldn’t be skin tight, restricting your breathing or your blood flow. Go with something comfortable that really lets you move. Looking for a love connection or just a hot and horny Halloween hookup? Go with a sexy and flirty costume. Skip on anything that involves wearing a cardboard box or pointy edges if you want someone to cuddle with you. If you are planning on getting totally hammered then choose a costume that works well with passing out – something that doesn’t clash with the green of the lawn you’ll find yourself sprawled out on in the morning. If you’re the type that can’t hold your booze, keep that fact in mind as you plan your costume – hmmm, what does go well with barf? Finally if you are one of those folks who get all stooopid drunk, causing a scene, staggering and stumbling down the street, you just might want to choose a costume that photographs well, since your arrest is quite probable with all of the extra police that will be out and about.

Be Original It just plain sucks to show up and find that your great costume creation was the genius idea 50 other people as well. Don’t settle for being one of a gazillion other Batmans or Bumble Bees. Put in that little bit of extra effort and tweak your costume a bit to make it unique. Sometimes that means doing some costume fusion (combining two great ideas into one), or accessorizing in creative ways.

Enjoy the Show Good news, boys! At Halloween parties, girls tend to dress all sexified with little or no shame, if not downright skanky, so take time to enjoy the show. There will be plenty of long sexy legs, bare tummies, and everyone’s favorite – cleavage galore. So soak it up, take it all in, but only look – don’t touch, unless, of course, you are invited to.

Not a Boozefester? You don’t have to miss the year’s best party just because you don’t want to drink, throw down jello shots or play beer pong. You can totally to enjoy the party brewski-free. In fact, you may even find you have more fun sober. If you want to avoid all the hassle of explaining why you’re not drinking, try these ideas. Fill a beer can with your nonalcoholic drink of choice, or just grab a soda and nurse it all night long. Just don’t put it down, or you may end up with someone else’s can. Let the drunken-fools around you be the ultimate entertainment. People who are sloshed out of their minds say the weirdest things so talk it up with them. Or just dance the night away. Spend all of your time on the dance floor, or table tops, or whatever other furniture presents itself, and you won’t have time to be hassled by others about your lack of alcohol-consumption.

Which Drunk Are You ? If you are a drinker, it’s best to know what variety of drunk you are. What happens when you throw down a few shots? Are you the happy drunk who’s just friendly and fun after a couple of beers? If so, you are going to have a great time. Or are you that sloppy-horny drunk who comes on to every creature that walks on two legs? Then there’s the violent drunk, the emotional drunk – both of which will show up at every party on campus and tend to really raise the drama-meter for Halloween parties. Walking around like a drunken fool isn’t nearly as cool as some like to make it sound. And passing out in a pool of your own vomit on a stranger’s lawn is even less cool – but it could be a good way to miss class a few weeks after Halloween – you’ll be in the court room with about 150 other fools.

Halloween parties are indeed the wildest, rowdiest, and most famous of parties on college campuses nationwide. The costumes are sexy, wild and weird. The crowds are bigger – everyone wants a piece of this craziness. There will be plenty of new faces, most of whom will be happy to volunteer to make complete idiots of themselves for the weekend. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss or screw up.