It seems that every year I've been in college, the timeline for Halloween excitement gets moved up earlier and earlier. As in, I definitely overheard students talking about costume ideas in August this year. But one thing is for sure: by the time the calendar hits October, it seems like the entire month is one extended Halloweekend, or shall we say, Hallomonth.

With spookiness in full swing on Grounds and visions of Halloween parties dancing in UVa students' heads, you may feel alone in your efforts to come up with a Halloween costume that's somehow topical, trendy, UVa-specific, and also cute.

Well, fear not, because here I have a few suggestions for Halloween costumes that will flatter the personalities of any UVa student.

1. Thomas Jefferson, a la the Bicentennial impersonator guy

Bill "Basically TJ" Barker did a fantastic job bringing TJ's legacy to life at the Bicentennial, though the picture above actually depicts a different TJ impersonator. I hope that his esteemed work inspired a couple of daring UVa students to try to one-up him this Halloween. As long as you've got the knee-length pants, a powdered white wig, and a semi-British/early American accent, you'll be a dead ringer for our University's beloved founder.

2. A basic frat bro

Now I'm certainly not one to favor generalizations, but if you play it tongue-in-cheek and just find some pastel shorts, a button-down t-shirt, a backward hat, and a carefree attitude, you'll be the life of any party.

3. Sheetz

This one's easy. Just wear a bunch of sheets, in a decidedly non-ghostlike manner. It may induce cringes, but no one can say that your costume is inaccurate.

4. A tourist, specifically to the Charlottesville area

With Monticello visitor passes and UVa bookstore receipts overflowing from your pockets, going as a stereotypical Cville visitor could be a fun idea for a UVa student looking to repurpose their Cville-specific gear. Just make sure you accidentally say "campus" instead of Grounds a few times at strategically placed moments throughout the evening to really seal the deal.

5. Foxfield in October, aka "Foxtober"

If you've been at UVa long enough to witness a Foxfield, you know that those attending this day of outdoor debauchery tend to wear very specific articles of clothing. There's the floral, often Lilly Pulitzer dress for girls, the button down and pastel shorts for guys, trendy sunglasses, and of course, the oversized floppy hats. Honestly, you could probably get away with this costume just by wearing a floppy hat with a normal outfit.

6. A tabler

It doesn't matter what time of year it is or where you walk in grounds, there are tablers everywhere trying to stuff their flyers in your faces as you discreetly walk by and "look busy on your phone." I know I'm guilty of both aggressive tabling and unconsciously shunning tablers as I walk by. But for this costume, just collect a bunch of flyers from various tables and tape them to a t-shirt. Or better yet, snag the incomparable "Tabling Table For Tablers" sign from Clem and tape that to a shirt.

7. A Bodo's bagel

I distinctly remember someone I know going as a bagel during Halloweekend during my time at UVa. All you'd need for this costume would be some bagel-shaped cardboard, perhaps a menu with Bodo's signature cheap prices, and maybe some repurposed Bodo's cups or napkins to really seal the deal.

8. An overcommitted UVa student

If you're like me and you own shirts/paraphernalia from at least five different organizations on Grounds, it's time to show that off in one well-compiled costume. Find a way to work in every single one of your extracurricular commitments into one costume. Whether that's a sorority baseball hat combined with an a Capella t-shirt, a club's pajama pants, and another club's sweatshirt, or some other combination of involvements, there is always a way to showcase even more commitments on your body all at once. Maybe even throw in a paper or test you didn't do so well on to highlight that you're overcommitted.

9. An overly enthusiastic "Hoo Crew" member

Since many of these UVa-specific costumes seem to center on ironically wearing different aspects of your UVa wardrobe, why not pile on all of your UVa sports gear at once. Get out that "Hoo Crew" shirt, orange and blue scarf, UVa baseball hat, UVa temporary face tattoos, blown-up picture of a UVa basketball player, and a win-or-die attitude, and you'll be all set to cheer on the Hoos all evening. I'm always amused when diehard Hoos paint themselves either orange or blue for various sports events, just to prove they're really fans, so if you want to go the extra mile for Halloween this year prepare to be semi-permanently dyed your school colors for several days.

10. A first year

For this costume, simply snag a "UVa Class of 2021" shirt or a dorm association t-shirt, keep Newcomb Hall open continuously on Google Maps because you can't find it yet, and somehow indicate that you signed up for 57 listservs at the activities fair. Class t-shirts are a nice memento, but I do remember feeling a big conspicuous walking around in mine first year when I knew that everyone I passed could tell instantly that I was not an elder statesman on Grounds. Now that I'm a third year, however, that shirt is a badge of Bicentennial honor.

Whether you're trying to be literal, metaphorical, or ironic this Halloween, as a UVa student you've got plenty of colorful material to work with. By shopping your own wardrobe, your friend's closet, or Goodwill, you can compile a thoughtful and entertaining costume on very low funds. But start thinking early about your costume, or you'll be left just writing "I couldn't think of a costume" on a piece of paper and taping that sadly to your shirt as you head out the door.