Want to throw an unforgettable college dorm party? This post goes over everything you need for the best dorm party in 2022!
Parties are a huge part of the college experience, and dorms, although small, are a great spot to host your party.
Before we go into the party planning, best dormy party theme ideas, and fun stuff, a few critical notes.
Things to do before throwing a dorm party
1. Know the rules
Not every college dorm has the same rules. Some are more relaxed; others are very strict. Before throwing a party, make sure youâre well-liked by your RA! RAâs (Resident Assistants) are responsible for keeping dorms safe and organized, so keep that in mind. Donât go too crazy with noise or anything else that is the RAâs responsibility to manage.
2. Invite your neighbors
Your dormy part will get noisy at some point (donât overdo it!), so keep your neighbors in the loop and invite them. When you include people in your party fun, theyâre much less likely to complain and kill your party vibes.
3. Remove all your valuables
Before throwing a party, make sure to store your valuables like laptops or iPads elsewhere, for example, in a friendsâ dorm or locker. You donât want to keep valuables lying around when throwing a dorm party. It, unfortunately, happens all too often after a fun night that stuff is missing. Almost everyone has a story like that!
4. Be nice to people
Thereâs nothing that kills a good party quicker than bad vibes. As a host, youâre responsible that people are cool, have good energy, and donât do/say things that are offensive or annoying. Hereâs some advice: confront it immediately when you spot bad behavior. Often when you let these things go, they turn into a big problem an hour later.
5. Move furniture out of the way
College dorms arenât very spacious! Thatâs why the first thing you need to do to make your dorm party-ready is to move furniture out of the way. The last thing you want is people stumbling all over your stuff and furniture.
Best college party themes
OK, now we get to the fun stuff! Letâs talk college party themes. Honestly, most college parties are laidback, and everyone just comes dressed how they want. But sometimes, it can be fun to throw a dorm party with a theme, so letâs check out the ideas below.
- Y2k night
- Pajama party
- Hip hop night
- Fake wedding
- Ugly sweaters
- Highlighter party
- Decades party (20s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s)
- Bad & Boujee party
- Rock ân Roll
- Ski party
- White lie party
- Hawaiian
Most of these dorm party themes are self-explanatory, but letâs highlight a few. Some new-ish TikTok party themes are insanely popular and fun.
White Lie party
The white lie party theme has been trending on TikTok, and itâs easy to understand why! Everyone wears a t-shirt where they write a white lie about themselves. âIâm taking it easy tonight,â ânot looking for birthday sex,â or âonly one drinkâ are a few of the fun things people can write about themselves. Also, this is such a fun 19th birthday idea! (or 20th or 21st).
Funny white lie t-shirt:
Highlighter party
Dress in a cheap white t-shirt, and let everyone get creative with highlighters on each otherâs clothing. You need to throw this party in a place thatâs as dark as possible! This theme has the ultimate rave vibe and is so fun. Highlighter parties are also called glow parties, blacklight parties, or glow in the dark parties.
UV face paint sticks:
Y2K Party
At a Y2K party, everyone gets their best early 2000s vibes on. A Y2K themed party is all about the outfits. Think Bratz dolls, sparkles, pink eyeshadow, A-line skirts, scrunchies, neon, and outrageous hoops. Guys can wear shirts with bold prints, chunky gold chains, funky sunglasses, and maybe a crazy coat. Donât forget to make a 00s playlist!
Bad & Boujee party
Boujee stands for the French word âbourgeoisieâ and refers to high-class. The combo of bad & boujee is anything bold and flashy! Think faux fur coats, bold prints, jewelry with big diamonds, and high heels. You can come up with many fun outfits for this party theme.
80s ski party
80s ski parties have become insanely popular because the outfits are so fun! An 80s ski party outfit includes fluorescent colors, color block suits, retro fannypacks, and those badass ski goggles. The 80s ski theme is a popular one for college parties, and rightly so. Gear up in your best neon colors and shield sunglasses, and youâre ready to go.
Party props for dorm parties
You can make a college party even more fun with some party supplies!! Things like disposable cameras and cute photo props will leave you with the best candid shots to make you LOL for years.
Disposable cameras
Funny party sunglasses
Sparkly confetti shooter
College party food and drinks ideas
People will love it if you have some snacks at your dorm party! Things like chips arenât expensive but are nice to have. You could also ask each of your friends to bring a snack, so you donât have to spend extra money yourself.
Many college dorms have a zero-tolerance for anything alcoholic, so some drink options without alcohol are below.
- Non alcoholic sangria (recipe on Love Bakes Good Cakes)
- Cranberry ginger fizz mocktail (recipe on The Bettered Blondie)
- Mock mojito spritz (recipe on The Kitchn)
- Virgin Piña Colada (recipe on A Couple Cooks)
- Orange mocktail (recipe on Archanas Kitchen)
College dorm party ideas and essentials
Letâs cover a few essential things every epic dorm party needs! Besides good music and people, you might want to think of some fun games to play. College party games are great icebreakers and just overall a good time. Letâs look at some ideas and essentials.
The best spotify list
Your Spotify list should be a good mix of classics people want to sing along to and all the best stuff that gets people dancing.
- Dope AF College party playlist
- The ultimate college party playlist
- Hiphop college party playlist
Now that weâre talking about music, a good speaker is essential! JBL is my go-to, itâs not too expensive, and the sound is great.
College party games
Flip cup
This is an insanely fun and easy college party game everyone loves. Split your group into two teams and pour the desired amount of beer into your cup. After finishing the drink, everyone lines up their cups on the same side of the table. Everyone has to flip their cup upside down (one after one). The team that finishes first wins! Check out this Flippy Cup video to copy the setup at your party. Fast forward to 1:31
Jenga
Jenga is always fun to play, especially after a drink or two. Itâs seriously hilarious to play this with a group of friends at your dorm party. Everyone always obsesses over this game, so you canât go wrong by having it!
Never have I ever
Beer pong
Beer pong is a college party classic and always a hit. All you need is a long table, ping pong balls, and cups.
Donât know the rules or want to refresh your memory? Read how to play beer pong.
Thatâs what she said
Question games are super fun, especially if youâre with many people who are still getting to know each other! If youâre looking for the best icebreaker games, you need one with fun questions like this one.
Other college party games:
- Two truths and a lie
- Pictionary
- Spin the bottle
- Truth or dare
- Twister
Dorm party decorations
Every dorm party needs some kick-ass decor. Donât worry; this doesnât have to be expensive! Things like fairy lights, cool LED lights, and an oldskool disco ball will go a long way.
Curtain string lights
Disco ball
Good vibes only tapestry
Party lights
Neon sign
Cleaning up
If youâre hosting a dorm party, you donât want to be stuck with a giant mess. Hang a trash bag or two in your dorm, so people have somewhere to throw their stuff. This will save you time and headaches after your party! When people arrive, tell them where to put the trash & lay down some ground rules. I know this doesnât sound fun, but itâs necessary if you donât want things to spin out of control.
- Trash bags
- Multi purpose spray
- Lysol wipes
FAQ about throwing a Dorm Party
Below, youâll read some frequently asked questions & answers about throwing a college dorm party, the best party themes, outfits to wear to a college dorm party, easy dorm party ideas, and more.
What is a college dorm leader called?A college dorm leader is called a dorm supervisor, resident hall director, or resident assistant. Theyâre responsible for the students who live in campus housing. When throwing a dorm party, you need to have approval from your supervisor.
How do you throw a good dorm party? Preparation is everything! Get on your RAâs good side, come up with a good party theme, and make sure to organize food, drinks, party lights, and decorations so everyone will have a good time! If youâre hosting a party in your dorm, make sure to keep your guests in the loop with rules.
What are common college party themes? Decade themes, Y2K, Hawaiian and Ugly sweaters are common college party themes. In 2021, TikTok created a few other college party hypes; for example, a White Lie party, Bad & Boujee, and Highlighter party themes are popular. These themes also work for frat parties or college house parties!
What is an ABC party? An ABC party means âAnything but Clothes.â Itâs an insanely popular college party theme where you can wear anything but clothes! This means people wear card boxes, trash bags, or outfits made from other materials. Other things to use for making an ABC party outfit include bandanas, disposable paper plates, and duct tape. You have to get super creative when going to an ABC party!!
How do you throw an epic college party? A bomb playlist, cool people, and a fun college dorm party will do the trick! Good parties require some organization, so make sure you get cups, drinks, some snacks, a decent speaker, and move aside all large furniture that will be in the way of dancing!
Do college parties have themes? Not all college parties have themes, but most of them do! Some classic party themes include Hollywood, wild west, famous dead people, Halloween, Toga party, superheroes, and 15 minutes of fame. Thanks to TikTok, themes like White Lie, Y2K, and Meme themes have also become insanely popular.
What is a come as you are party? âCome as you areâ might sound like you can wear whatever to a party, but itâs not quite that! For a âcome as you are party, youâll get a phone call from the host, and whatever youâre wearing at that moment is your outfit for the party. Sounds fun, right?
What should I wear to a dorm party? It depends on the party theme if thereâs any! But if not, things like the perfect black crop top always work, animal print, neon, comfy white sneakers, or a cute black dress.
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