Seven Ways to Celebrate Halloween in College

If you are looking for fun campus-related activities for "spooky season" here are some ways to celebrate!

By Jessica Dickenson — October 3, 2022

Tags: campus, celebrate, college life, halloween, tips

Seven Ways to Celebrate Halloween in College

Halloween usually brings back fond childhood memories of dressing up and trick-or-treating. Though you may have grown up going door-to-door for candy, chances are, as a college student (possibly living in a college town), you aren’t going to join the neighborhood kids or head home for the holiday. While Halloween isn't a holiday you need to celebrate, collaborating with friends and finding a reason to celebrate can be a fun opportunity. It may be a nice well-deserved break for the middle of the semester!

If you are looking for fun campus-related activities for "spooky season" here are some ways to celebrate!

Host a Movie Night

Dim the lights, pop some popcorn, and gather your friends to watch some spooky Halloween-themed films! A move night is a great opportunity to host a Halloween get-together. Your friends can dress up or come in their comfiest pajamas. If you are feeling daring, you can try to watch some truly horrifying films and stay up all night, or watch one film before hitting the books.

Nightmare Before Christmas
The Corpse Bride
Beetlejuice
Spirited Away
Coraline

If you and your friends are feeling more courageous, you can opt to watch some classic horror films like:

Halloween
Silence of the Lambs
American Psycho
The Exorcist
Rosemary's Baby

Make Some Festive Treats

Candy is the truest form of Halloween food, but that doesn't mean you can't be adventurous. There are hundreds of recipes online with great Halloween-themed recipes from cutely decorated deserts, to some cleverly named main courses. And no meal is complete without themed drinks like Butterbeer!

We get it; not every dorm room is equipped with a full kitchen, but there is nothing to fear! There are recipes online specially designed for dorm room baking. All you need to do is prep the ingredients in advance and you are well on your way to a festive, holiday-appropriate meal.

Do a Little Decorating

While carving pumpkins is most likely not an option for your dorm room, there are still plenty of opportunities to make your dorm room look spooky for the season. You can start with some hanging lights using command strips (you can also save these for Christmas if you want to think ahead that far). Toilet paper is a precious commodity, but you can consider sacrificing a roll for some mummified streamers. You may put a spooky sign on your door or an eerie welcome (or unwelcome) mat.

Many retailers offer inexpensive Halloween decorations that you can set out for the holiday season, but be aware that you will have to move with them at the end of the year. While spiderwebs and dust are common Halloween decor, keep your room as tidy as possible. The last thing you want is your RA to cry out in horror!)

Always discuss decorations with your roommates. Since this is a shared living space, you want to ensure they are comfortable with your decorations.

Dress Up

Dressing up is one of the best parts of Halloween. Some campuses welcome faculty, staff, and students dressing up on Halloween, while others are less inviting. Try to learn if walking to class in full costume will be problematic for your campus or professor. If you ask some professors about dressing up for Halloween in advance, you may receive permission, or they may plan something for the day. However, don't push too much if your school is uncomfortable.

That doesn't mean that you have to forgo dressing up! While you may not wear an elaborate costume from a chain store, you may still find creative ways to costume yourself for the holiday. For example, that flannel shirt in your closet with a beanie may be a fun lumberjack costume, your Hawaiian shirt with a camera could be a tourist, or wearing all black could be modern gothic.

If you are uncomfortable wearing a full costume, you could always wear a Halloween-themed shirt or socks for a more discreet celebration. Remember that you can still fully dress up later when you are with your friends and classes are finished for the day.

Listen to Halloween Music

Christmas music gets people in the Christmas spirit, so why not Halloween music to get you in the spooky spirit? While there aren't any traditional Halloween songs, there are still songs that can help set an eerie mood. Cosmopolitan published a list of 74 Best Halloween Songs that include classic songs like "Thriller" and more modern hits. There are also playlists online to help you curate the perfect list.

If you want to have more eerie background music, consider finding and listening to horror movie soundtracks. Rolling Stone published a curated list of the 35 Greatest Horror Soundtracks that you could play while you are trying to study (and stay awake)! The theme from Psycho is sure to keep you awake!

Reverse Trick or Treat

We know that Halloween is usually about getting candy, but you could make it a season of giving too. You may consider buying a bag of candy or some other cheap goodie and sharing them with your classmates. You could knock on dorm room doors in costume or simply bring a bag to class, but one thing is for sure — your classmates will love it! Whatever goodies are left can be shared with your roommates.

No matter if you decide to stay in or head out for the holiday, remember to stay safe!

Jessica Dickenson

Jessica Dickenson graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with degrees in English and communication. She has applied her abilities working as a young marketing professional for a local university but works as a freelance writer and photographer in her spare time. She currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband.

View all posts by Jessica Dickenson