No doubt that Halloween in college is going to be very different from Halloween back home. Rather than walking onto the streets to find parents in minivans following herds of little kids running around in dinky costumes, you can expect instead to find scantily-clad college students, the sound of parties (and police sirens) in the distance, and the smell of alcohol in the air. Whether you’re looking to join a party, or wanting to throw your own, here are some fun ideas and tips to keep in mind that will help you make this Halloween memorable.

How to Prepare a Pumpkin

Halloween just wouldn’t be complete without a pumpkin carved with demonic eyes and a toothy smile. When you shop for a pumpkin, make sure you look for the following:

– Firm and smooth skin

– No bruises or soft spots on the skin – these are clues that the pumpkin is beginning to rot

– A green stem – avoid brown, if possible

– Feels heavy

– An even face to make carving easier

Before carving, make sure you have a spoon, Sharpie or washable marker, carving saws, and newspaper handy. Cut off the lid by plunging a large knife at an angle near the top, directed towards the center. Make several incisions, each time turning the pumpkin; you want to avoid trying to cut off the lid in one go. To finish, place a triangular notch to make sure the lid is easy to realign later on. Take off the lid and pull the seeds and stringy flesh off of it, and then scoop out the rest of the pulp from the pumpkin body (probably the most unappealing part!). Once the bulk of the seeds are gone, scrape down the walls with a spoon to get the remaining chunks out. It’s recommended you keep scraping until the walls are about 1-inch thick. Empty the scrapings, and you’re ready to start carving!

How to Make Candy Corn Jello Shots

What’s a Halloween college party without Halloween-themed booze? To make these shots, all you will need is 3 ounces of both yellow and orange jello, and 2 cups of vodka.

Prepare the yellow jello according to the package directions, stopping before you have to pour the liquid into a large container. Place the jello liquid into a bowl and add 1 cup of vodka, and stir. Pour the liquid into shot glasses, filling them halfway, and place the shots into the fridge to chill. Once they have firmed, repeat the process for the orange jello. Fill the remaining half of the shot glasses with the prepared orange jello and put back into the fridge to chill again. Once they’ve completely chilled, remove and serve. This recipe makes about 12 jello shots.

How to Make a Pumpkin Keg

If you’re not too keen about carving a pumpkin, you can always turn it into a keg – this will surely please guests all the same.

The steps are very similar to preparing a pumpkin to be carved. Again, you first need to remove the lid. If you need, you can draw a ring around the top to trace around. Then, use a knife to work your way around the ring. Pop it off and clean out the pumpkin – you are totally welcome to leave some pulp behind, as this can even add some flavor to the beer.

Next, you’re going to need to attach a plastic spigot. You can pick one up at a local hardware or beverage store for a few bucks. Find a spot near the bottom of the pumpkin to place the spigot. Use a marker to trace around the rim, and then start cutting a hole. It’s recommended you use a small knife or something from a carving kit, as it’s important that the hole be as clean cut as possible. Once you’ve made your hole, put the spigot in and push. Fill the pumpkin with some chilled beer, and you’re good to go!

How to Ward Off Annoying Trick-or-Treaters

If you live off-campus in an apartment, chances are, you might get visited by the neighborhood brats kids at least once during the night, especially if the evening has just started and you’re still scrambling to finish the last-minute accommodations for your party.

The best method to ensure that those kids won’t ring your doorbell is by leaving some candy on the porch. Even if your light is on, if there are goods out, they probably won’t even bother coming up to the door; they’ll just take some candy and leave. However, you may still have to face the problem of those bullies who’ll take all the candy early on and leave an empty bowl, which may just prompt later visitors to knock on your door regardless, especially if you leave the porch light on.

And speaking of, if you really don’t want to put the effort into getting candy for the kids, you could always just leave an empty bowl out with a sign that says something like “we’re gone for the night, please take some”. And as long as you leave the lights off for now, you won’t be bothered.

Some of the engineering students around here might even want to get creative and invent some kind of automatic light switch that’ll turn off your porch lights when it senses people approaching. Hopefully any one of these methods will help keep those kids away and leave you time to prepare for the adults.

How to Pair Halloween Candy with Drinks

Who knew that sweets could go so well with certain flavors of alcohol? Here’s a quick suggestion guide:

Hershey’s Chocolate Bar? Try rum. The spicy flavor of rum will blend well with the creamy chocolate flavors of the bar.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? Try rye whiskey. The tangy flavor will complement the sweet’s creamy and nutty filling nicely.

Snickers? Try Scotch. Snickers are composed of nougat, peanuts, chocolate, and caramel, a combination that goes fairly well with just about any dark liquor. The fiery ginger flavor will mix well with both the sweet and crunchy parts of the bar.

Hot Tamales? Try vodka. With their heated cinnamon flavor, Hot Tamales have been a Halloween favorite of many for years. The warm, tongue-tickling taste of these candies will blend well with the pure and biting taste of this clean drink.

Roasted pumpkin seeds? Try wine. I know pumpkin seeds aren’t technically candy, but they’re good snack additions to any Halloween party. The slightly tangy/sweet taste of wine will pair well with the saltiness.

And on that last note, Happy Halloween everyone! Remember to stay safe, be careful, and have a great time. Hopefully you won’t be that one guy who leaves the apartment in the morning, completely naked save for a purple top hat and some tights, hungover and blinded by the autumn sun.

If that’s the case, I suggest running over to McDonald’s as soon as possible.

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