Take the Pressure Off
By Meghan Bouwman
Do any other college students remember when Halloween was just one night of the year? I remember the excitement of flipping through Halloween costume catalogs that came through the mail. There was nothing better than the moment your costume finally arrived at your doorstep, and you never wanted to take it off once you tried it on.
As I’ve gotten older, I can’t help but notice how the excitement Halloween once brought me has turned into stress. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel a rush when those “Halloween Costume Idea” TikToks pop up on my For You Page in early September. Yet, once the weekend of the 31st rolls around, I can’t help but question if I picked the right outfits.
Not only do we plan three or even four different costumes for Halloweekend, we also pressure ourselves to find the perfect balance between the funny, scandalous, and ‘chill’ girl costumes. This seems a bit unfair when most college guys get to throw on a random jersey and call it a day.
This type of stress isn’t just limited to Halloweenweekend though. Us girls know that getting ready to go out on the weekend takes at least an hour to prep. Boys will never understand the process of maniacally trying on all of your ‘going-out’ tops, only to end up borrowing one of your roommates’ for the night- or looking in the mirror a million times to make sure the outfit you chose is the perfect combination of revealing and modest.
Many girls feel the pressure of maintaining a certain appearance and reputation while going out on the weekends. But going into Halloweekend I reminded myself that no matter the costumes I chose, I would still have fun. Once the craziness of Halloweekend finally came to an end, I can confidently say that what I remember most is the fun I had with my friends, not my outfit details.
No matter what weekend it is, I try to keep in mind that years after we graduate, we won’t remember what we wore that one Friday night to the Townhouses or The Point. Instead we’ll remember all of the exciting moments we had with our best friends in college. So when you’re getting ready with your roommates for a night out this weekend, focus less on the outfit and more on the fun night ahead!