Party on!

Fun central

During scientific studies one thing stands central: parties! Particularly house parties. Here some tips 'n tricks to plan a kick-ass party. Of course, remember to have fun also during the planning!

Planning and timing

A good party is planned in advance. Make sure the timing is suitable in the academic year. Avoid giving a party in exam times or during summer break for example...

We all stand together!

Planning a party is more fun with more people. So involve some friends. You can even hold pre-party parties! 

Delegate according to specialty

Having more people means you can share the 'workload' of organizing the party. Distribute 'tasks' according to what people do best. So put a Dutchman in charge of music, a German in charge of beer, an American in charge of party games, a Lebanese/Canadian in charge of playing the 'oud', an Italian in charge of wine, and an Irish guy in charge of... uhhhmmm... vegetable skewers? 

Dealing with the law

Parties can cause noise and light (lasers) nuisance to the neighbourhood. So choose your location wisely. If possible involve your neighbours in the party! Prepare a gameplan for if the police comes. Make your most representative guy talk to them. Always respect their 'authoritah', even if 'they tok ur job'!

Invite early, invite all

Parties are more fun with more people. So invite a lot of people. Bare in mind that some may not come due to last minute complications. Encourage people to bring their friends; the more the merrier! Try to involve as many nationalities, genders, orientations, and species as possible! If at work, avoid inviting only a few that you like most. This will give a bad impression. Simply invite them all! Oh yeah, invite early enough: some people schedule their weekends months in advance! Finally, be sure to send reminders leading up to the event.

Prime ingredients

Alright, let's discuss the core ingredients of an epic party. With the four basic pillars on the right, a successful party is guaranteed! Let's go through them one by one... 

The Ladies

Especially in technical universities, house parties can often boil down to sausage fests featuring only nerdy scientists. Although these have their own charm, it is always positive to have a mixed crowd! Therefore, put some effort to get extra ladies to your party! 

Alcohol

Parties tend to be more fun when people are acting spontaneously and freely. Sadly, for many scientists, this state of mind is often achieved only after consuming enough alcohol. Therefore, make sure to get enough drinks for guys (cold beers) and girls (cocktails, long drinks; don't forget the ice and limes!). Also, make sure to encourage people to bring their own supplies!  

Music

Since music is such a core ingredient of a party, a brand spanking new webpage was conceived completely dedicated to deliver the best laptop DJ performance. Check it out below:

Music: the playlist

After some waiting: find below an epic playlist to get the party started. Instead of faulty youtube links, a link to rock solid mp3 files! Ain't that a treat! Of course, only for my close friends and you will surely delete them afterwards again!

Effects

With the people, the drinks, and the music in place, one thing is left to deserve the label 'epic': Effects! With a few strategic devices placed, the party will become instantly legen-wait for it-dary. Crucial elements are discussed on the below page:

Themes

A party is usually more 'special' when there is a theme or occasion. You can even go as far to imply a dresscode (80s rock band theme on the right). Having a cool occasion makes the party more 'once-in-a-lifetime', contributing to its already-legendary status! Make one up if you have to: a good one is to celebrate the outing of a straight friend (without telling him ;) ). 

Party activities

So the party is on the way, very well done! Now some things may be useful to do during the party. Here are a few... 

Organised mayhem

As mayhem may occur at any time during the party, try to prepare: Have some cleaning stuff ready for little incidents. A smart one is to limit the amount of glassware used, as they may break. Remove precious items as you never know... Make sure to have enough place to drop garbage (empty beer cans usually). 

Kitchen Traffic

A common party hazard, especially with a low turn-up, is the build up of people in the kitchen. This can be undesired as the people block access to the drinks/foods. Moreover, the designated dance arena may become empty. Try to direct people out of the kitchen as much as possible. A useful tool is to point a stroboscope directly in the kitchen. This subtle visual stimulant will drive them out and back to dance floor in a jiffy! 

Toilet Traffic

Another very popular party destination is the toilet. Take care to streamline it's use accordingly. Ideally, when possible, dedicate one for women and one for men. Watch out for drunk people falling asleep inside! Long queues lead to creative solutions from guests....

Shots

A good party has shots provided by the hosts. Make sure to have enough types (tequila, wodka, Jägermeister) and that they are chilled before the party starts. Also, get suitable shot glasses. Ideally, a German guy should go round offering the shots... The Jerries can be extremely convincing, yawohl! 

Pictures

In every party, some pictures will be made. However, try to limit the amount of pictures in the late hours... Especially certain eastern cultures may not like to be confronted with some of the scenes eternalized on your phone/camera.

Layer effects towards an epic climax

In order to get highest 'wow effect' out of you party gimmicks, introduce them gradually leading up to a climax. For example, try to introduce the lights after 2 h, and the smoke machine after 3 h. 

Visibility vs spontaneity

With time the alcohol intake increases fairly regularly. On the other hand, the layering of the effects originates a gradual decrease of the visibility. Accordingly, since the spontaneity/dancing spirit of people depends on both the visibility and the alcohol intake, your party is going to become epic in an exponential fashion! Get ready to party down b*tches!

 Mayhem

At one point the party is underway and some epic things may start to occur. Pray that your preparations were sufficient and 'streamline' where needed/possible...

Post party clean up: guilt-trip your friends

Partly is over, it was a legendary event, damage limited, very well done. Cleaning alone is a hefty and boring chore. Try to appeal to your friends' sense of guilt to try to make them help you clean it all up. 

To the next party!

Yes, you should definitely organize another event! However, to maintain impact I would recommend one party per year. In the meantime, try to work on your status by improving the four partly pillars (see above). 

Bonus: chalk

An extra cool gimmick is to send your guests home with two extra things: Chalk and a mission! Prepare separate pieces of chalk and by means of a pre-prepared document instruct them how to finish the night creatively!