This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

It’s that time of the year where the weather gets cooler, pumpkin spice fills the air, and the random people from your high school who you never really talked to all of sudden become your BFF and hit you up for a place stay during Halloweekend. Yeah, you know who they are.

It’s spooky season and everyone and their momma wants to be down at JMU to celebrate the festivities. To top it off it’s not just Halloweekend it’s also Homecoming weekend so the campus is already jam-packed. This time of the year although fun, can get overwhelming especially if you have to deal with people who don’t even attend JMU. Not to fret, after 3 years of Halloweekend and hosting people I have come up with a few tips and tricks to make this time of the year litty but not so sh*tty for you and your guest.

First, handling the people who hit up your phone for the place to stay that you don’t really care for:

“New Phone Who Dis” Method

Rule of thumb, if you never talked to them or every really passed the acquaintance stage you can just straight ignore them or hit them up with the “new phone who dis”

“I think I’m going ____ this weekend” Method

If people start hitting you up and you’re not a very confrontational person or just bad at saying no to people you can hit them with the “I actually won’t be here that weekend, I’m going ____ instead”. Leave it as that, if they peep your snap and see that you didn’t actually leave for the weekend oh well, maybe they shouldn’t have hit you up just for a place to stay.

Direct method

This one is the most honest and quickest. You can cut out all the bull and just flat out say no. End of story. *mic drops*

Now that you’ve dealt with the people who you don’t really care for now it’s time to deal with the real homies. Here are some quick ground rules for having the homies over:

Limit your guest to 4 MAX

By limiting your guest to 4 you’re still able to cram into sober rides and mobilize faster. It’s easier to keep track of 4 people opposed to more.

Tell them to bring their own stuff

Whether it’s food, alcohol, blankets, pillows or whatever. Just because you’re hosting them that doesn’t mean you need to be the A+ hostess. You’re offering them your place for one of the biggest weekends they should feel blessed.

Make sure your roomies know

This is essential, nobody wants to be that roommate.

Come up with a loose game plan

Let peeps know what you’re planning to do. You shouldn’t have to change your plans because peeps are down for Halloween. You actually go here this is just as much as your weekend than it is theirs.

Let them know wassup

As much as you love having your homies over let them know about all the technicalities such as:

Parking: It’s a free for all and you may not have the ability to save spots
Parties: Some parties have a guest list, if your friends aren’t on it then it’s going to be a struggle getting people in and don’t even bother with Frat parties unless you know someone. Also, note that if they’ve never been to a JMU Halloweekend before let them know that places are going to be PACKED.
Ubers/Lyfts: Let your homies know that the prices for rides are going to skyrocket so be prepared.
Arriving: Remember your place, your rules, your time. If a homie is late and it’s about time to leave let them know that you won’t be waiting up for them. There’s no point in ruining everyone’s night because one homie is late. If anything send them the addy and tell them to meet up with you. We’re all adults, we can navigate through a night out.
Getting home: There is a high chance that the group might split up there are multiple ways to deal with this:
- Every man for themselves (or at least in pairs): This is easiest and less dramatic way to get everyone home. Make sure everyone has your home address and numbers to call for rides home.
- Designate a meetup place: If your group splits up, decide where would be a good place to meet at a certain time of the night to reconvene.
- Keep in contact with each other, or try your best to: Have a group chat or something that you can periodically check in so peeps know where you are.

So you’ve established the ground rules for the homies but what about the homie that always wants to bring a plus one or three?

Simple, tell them no or if you’re okay with them let that friend know that THEY are responsible for the people THEY bring and you’re kind enough to offer them a place to stay (remember they are blessed, YOU blessed them). After all, you wanted that friend to come down and spend time with you but in no way, will you become a babysitter.

After 3 years of hosting people for Halloweekend, you can tell that I’ve reached my DONE level. I’ve come up with this guide based on my past experiences. I know that some of the tips may seem blunt and sassy but trust me it makes for a better weekend for you and your guests. You can cut out all the drama and just enjoy the weekend full of shenanigans. Most importantly if there’s anything I learned from my 3 years of Halloweekend experiences is that spend it with people you enjoy because no matter where you end up if you’re with people who make you happy and are with good company you’ll always have the best time.

“She Doesn’t Even Go Here”: A (loose) Guide to Having Guests on Halloweekend