It’s Friday night, you just finished classes and you’re getting ready to kick off another eventful weekend. You’ve got tickets to an amazing party with all of your friends, and you can’t wait to get it started. However, the party – in true Spanish fashion – won’t start getting good until at least 2 in the morning. You have two options: rot in bar street for three hours, or organise the most epic pre-game at your apartment. Although bar street will be nice for some time, as the weather starts getting chillier – and after reading this guide – I think an apartment is the way to go.
After much thought, and getting over the fear of inviting a bunch of people over, you’re now a host. Let’s look at what will make it unforgettable for everyone, and easy for you.
Invite list: Who should come?
A well-chosen circle is crucial to have a pre-game that sets the right tone for the rest of the night. Your group of people should be not too big, to make sure everyone fits comfortably and gets along, but also not too small, you don’t want it to get yawning. A great tip for some of your first hosting sessions is for each of your roommates to invite a few of their friends. This way, everyone has someone to refer to, and you get to expand your friendships meeting new people. After a few events however, you will become a pro, and you will know who to re-invite and who’s worth letting go. Eventually, your pre-game group will be almost perfect, making sure all of your roommates are on the same page as you and equally enjoy hosting.
Creating the flow: music choices
What’s a pre without music? In order to get your guests in the mood for the forthcoming party, we need a great playlist. Cultivate a perfect list with a bunch of styles and artists, from house to reggaeton, that will energise the group right as they enter through your door. A very cool addition can be to create a collaborative list or jam, where we can encourage guests to add a few songs of their liking, this way, everyones satisfied. However, avoid having someone constantly skipping the songs or guarding the Spotify, let the music flow in the background!! Oh! And definitely try to stay away from noise complaints from your neighbours.
Snacks and Drinks: Fuel for the Night
Up for our last essential basic of the night, we will need food and drinks. If you’re a generous host, you might want to set up a mini bar with different drink options, chasers, and even sometimes some snacks and tapas. Nonetheless, the uni student budget is tight, and hosting every weekend might exhaust your credit card (and I’m almost certain daddy’s not going to put up with this one). For this, encourage your friends to add to the cause. They might want to bring their own particular drink choice or they might prefer to bring something to share, either way, organise the group to arrange a variety of options and split the cost!
What now? Is that it?
You’ve got all of the basics: people, music and drinks. What can you do now to spice up the party? There’s definitely an extensive list. One of them, ambiance. Get rid of those big lights!! Your guests are not expecting a surgeon to be able to see in that room, get smaller and cosier lights instead! Have a few lights spread around to create a more night-like environment and that’s much more suitable. If you have colourful LED lights or projectors, you might want to get those on for an even more party-like feeling. You can also make your way to “el chino” if you want to set the scene for a themed party and get some cheap, funny and outstanding house-decor. This can be especially fun if you also ask guests to dress up accordingly, who doesn’t love a theme party?
Games are unquestionably worth the mention. Sometimes you might encounter the pre-game is fine as it is and the conversation dynamic is completely fulfilling to everyone, but having some back up games is super wise. A simple deck of cards (Spanish or poker) ensures at least one of the guests will know an interesting game they can share. If you have doubts, UNO is a simple classic. Other ones like twister or trivia are also some of my personal favourites, and you will find they become even more fun when the beverages start kicking in. You can also go with the conversational games like the essential never have I ever, where you will get a great laugh. Drinking games are some of the fans best-loved, and I’m sure IE students know best. Finally, a detail that everyone loves: a digital camera. It’s the perfect way to capture memories throughout the night with an added spice, and they’re also quite trendy. You will have so much fun looking at the reckless frames the next morning when plugging them onto your computer (after waking up to a thousand texts asking you to send them).
As a last disclaimer, and something I personally believe is the most important, make sure everyone will be respectful. What sounds like a great idea might become a nightmare if you don’t consider your neighbours and adhere to local laws. No one wants to get the police called on them and no one wants to get in trouble, even less while studying and having fun abroad. Being a host means being responsible for any misconduct, so beware. Collaboration from all of your guests must ensure a controlled environment where everyone is pleased, not only you and your companions, but also your roommates, neighbours and infrastructure… As a tip,
Time to head out!
Success! You’ve hosted your very first pre-game at your newly rented apartment. If everything went well, neighbours were not bothered, your flat is intact and the most you have to do is throw out empty bottles the next day. You guys had a blast, and it’s time to continue at the club. Now get ready for the rest of the night: it is only starting.
Featured Image Courtesy of Pinterest
