My top five parties

The semester is winding down and reflection time of the last three months is kicking in. As I sit and remember the good and bad moments of the semester, parties always seem to come to mind.

So I decided to list my personal top five different forms of parties while in college. To keep this organized, I left out all types of holiday, family and themed parties. Also decided against less plausible parties such as pool and beach parties. Large celebrations like weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, baby showers, etc. will also not be considered.

These are only the types of parties that can be held within a house at college, excluding anything at a bar. Here is my list of my five favorite parties at college houses in reverse order.

5. Wine and Cheese Night
I love a fine glass of wine with a distinct cheese and a nice piece of cured meat like prosciutto or soppressata. Wine and cheese nights are great, with anywhere from eight to 20 people. They are by far the most elegant parties to make this list and easiest to clean up. These are also great when all attendees contribute wine or food to have a diverse variety of options to taste.

4. Barbecue
Nothing like a big outdoor barbecue right before the end of the semester. Find a large backyard or quad at Oakwood and get a group of people together to grill up burgers, dogs, brats, steaks, wings, sausage or ribs. Backyard games like Beersbee, Cornhole, Kan Jam and Washer Toss are all fun, competitive and simple games.

3. Boys/Girls Only Night
Every now and then, you may just want to get the guys or girls together and have a big sleep over. This means not having to worry about dressing up to go out so pajamas are totally acceptable. It’s so fun just to relax and play video games, watch movies, cook or bake and vent about everything going on in your life without having to worry about socializing with random people.

2. Birthday Parties
And when I say birthday parties, I specifically mean MY birthday party. Clearly, celebrating someone else’s birthday is always a treat and it’s great to make someone else’s special day amazing. I personally don’t care at all for presents. What I do love is having everyone close to me in one room celebrating my special day. I love being the center of attention as well as friends showing their appreciation for our friendship and celebrating with me.

1. Loud, Packed, House Partie 
Every room in the entire house is filled with people, and you have to scream to hear over the music. My favorite playlists are ones that mix in 1980s hits, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Ludacris, Kanye West and the late 2000s pop hits to name a few.  Running around a house, screaming songs, bumping into friends at every turn, dancing with random people and playing a variety of games in a packed, loud and sweaty house is exactly what my favorite type of college party is.