Throwing a great house party takes more than a trolley load of alcohol and a CD full of downloads. Remember students: to fail to plan, is to plan to fail.

Party Option #1:
Party number one involves inviting everyone you know, and everyone they know and so on. Clear away all the furniture and breakables to create maximum room for guests. Have a strict BYOB (bring your own beer) policy – you’re not running a charity here. Invite the neighbours, in order to minimise potential for complaint. If you know anyone who is a DJ, this would be a great time to befriend them and invite them to your party along with their decks ( they will love the chance to show off). Once people hear you have a DJ you won’t be able to keep them away. Throw up a few fairy lights and there you have it – the best party of the year.
Party Option #2:
The more low-key option. All you need are some close friends, refreshments and a Nintendo Wii. So-called ‘Wii parties’ are apparently the rage. Why not up the stakes by having prizes for the winners and amusing forfeits for the losers. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to get a party going.
Party Option #3:
Throw a ‘Who am I?’ party. This is the perfect way to break the ice at the start of a new college term. Write the names of each half of famous couples on index cards or stickers and tape one to the back of each guest. Instruct guests not to mention the name on each person’s back, but to talk to everyone as if they are the person on their card. The object of the game is to find your significant other. As people begin to correctly guess their identity, they have to continue to treat the people who still haven’t figured it out according to their sticker. Sit back and watch the frustration rise.
Party Option #4
Have an ABC party. There are two variations to this. For the first, the host decides on a particular letter of the alphabet and guests have to dress up as something beginning with that letter. From apples to xylophones, this can be quite good fun if everyone takes part, but inspiring your friends to dress up for no reason on a wet Wednesday in November is not going to be easy. Best keep this one for a birthday party when attendee’s have to do what you say! The second and definitely more adventurous take on the ABC party, is to take it as meaning ‘Anything But Clothes.’ This does not mean guests are meant to turn up aú natural, but are simply meant to select their outfit from alternative materials – ie anything but clothes. Another chance for the creative among us to shine and for the rest of us to turn up in a bin bag.