How to Host a Party in Your Apartment This Summer

Summer is many things to many people: a reprieve from school, an opportunity to party, or even a time to pursue gainful employment. One thing that almost everyone can agree on though is that the season wouldn’t be nearly as fun without friends. The summer months provide an opportune time to meet up with those close to you and spend some quality time with them. Of course, the challenges of being a young adult mean that this is a lot more difficult than when you were a child or even in high school, as you are saddled with much more responsibility than when you were younger. Still, with good planning and coordination, you can definitely find time to gather all your friends at your apartment for a party this summer. If you want to cement your place as the best spot to hang out, just follow these simple steps.

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Check with your roommates first

Chances are if you are a college student, you share your living space with at least one if not multiple roommates. An important first step in planning any sort of house get-together should be checking in on them to make sure that having people over wouldn’t be a major inconvenience to their own plans. The last thing anyone wants is for friends to arrive at the apartment, only to find out your roommate has a very important online meeting and a screaming match ensuing. Checking with them is not only respectful but will help build trust between all of you, as they will hopefully return the favor when they find themselves in similar circumstances. Inviting your friends over also gives your roommates a chance to meet and hopefully befriend them, hopefully leading to more frequent get-togethers; roommates may be even more amenable to people coming over if you have mutual friends!

Stock your place with food and drink

An essential part of any summer party is food and drink. Keeping guest bellies full is a great way to keep people in a good mood as well as something to gather around and socialize. Chips and salsa are classics, as well as sodas and other beverages to sip on. You may want to prepare a meal or order out some food if you plan on your guests staying for an extended period of time. If you have a group that is culinarily inclined, you could prepare a meal together. This would be a great way to make some delicious food on the cheap while getting everyone in the party involved in one group activity, allowing people the opportunity to meet and socialize with anyone they may not know. Alternatively, you could schedule a potluck party, where everyone invited brings one dish that they cooked for all guests to share. However, it is incredibly important to check with your friends to make sure that nobody coming has any food restrictions or sensitivities; you wouldn’t want to prepare food some of your guests couldn’t enjoy.

Have some pre-planned activities

While generally most of your time with friends will be spent talking and catching up about what’s been happening in each other’s lives, it’s also a good idea to have some pre-planned activities lined up. These activities allow everyone to be included in doing something together and give the party focus when conversation stalls. It also allows people a low-stakes environment to meet new faces, free from the social pressures of having to keep a discussion going. There are many easy activities to do in an apartment, such as watching a movie or playing games with one another. You might also plan a themed get-together so that everyone contributes to a specific hobby or experience.

Make sure to socialize with everyone

When you have people over for a party at your apartment, it’s important to make sure that you’re talking to all of them. Not only is it polite and part of being a good host, but it makes each of your friends feel important and included in the festivities. It’s also possible that some of your friends invited people that you don’t know, and talking to them will provide an opportunity to get to know them better. If you’re anxious about meeting new people, you can approach them when they are with the friend that brought them so they can introduce the two of you to each other. The guest will feel more welcome if you let them know you’re the host of the party and greet them warmly. Being a good host also increases your chances of making your friends want to come back to your place more often, turning it into the de facto hangout spot!

Summer is the best time of year to gather your friends and loved ones and invite them over to your apartment for a party. If you follow these steps, you’re sure to make every summer get-together a blast!