As a lover of fandom, the best part of being involved in fandom is getting to go to conventions where people understand you and where you can talk about your love of fandom with the people that understand you. However, conventions are so much more than just getting to be around others who love fandom—it's also about remembering to take care of yourself throughout the weekend. Here are some tips that first-time con-goers, and even repeat con-goers, should know.
1. Know your limits!
One big thing at conventions is that nobody ever sleeps. We mostly sleep for about 3-5 hours every night just to get everything in. If this works for you, absolutely do it as long as you're eating and drinking water! If this does not work for you and you feel yourself getting tired or sick, take a break, eat something, drink some water, go take a nap; how you feel is more important than that panel about the Hogwarts houses of My Little Pony characters.
2. Cleanse yourself free of "Con Flu."
Do you ever feel yourself getting sniffles, coughs or aches after a convention? You may have gotten what we call the con flu. Because you're around so many people during a convention, your body is more likely to catch a cold or sickness. Always make sure to wash your hands and bring hand sanitizer with you everywhere you go.
3. Practice proper hygiene.
Especially if you are sharing a hotel room with others, remember to shower as often as you can! People will start to notice if you don't put on deodorant or shower regularly, trust me.
4. Bring cash with you.
Ahh, the vendor hall—where you'll inevitably spend your life savings in just one weekend. Most vendors at a convention will take card, but if they require a certain minimum purchase or their card reader stops working, then you have to pay with cash. A great tip is to determine half of the money you plan to bring to the convention and withdraw it to cash, just in case you want something and they don't take a card. It's also great to have because you can track how much you're spending!
5. Eat some REAL food!
Make sure to eat some real food when you're at a convention—yes, that's right, Coke and Doritos don't count. Eat a burger, eat a salad, go back to the room & heat up some mac and cheese, just eat something of substance, because eating snacks and drinking energy drinks all weekend will get old really fast. Especially if you're older, you'll be feeling the downside of your choices if you don't at least eat a real meal or two every day.
6. Don't be afraid to ask a cosplayer for a photo!
If you see someone cosplaying as your favorite character, don't be afraid to ask them for a photo! That's part of the reason why cosplayers do what they do, because they want to see that others are into what they're into! However, there are some boundaries you need to take—don't be sneaky with a photo and respect a cosplayer the way you'd want to be respected. If they don't want to take a photo or you don't feel like they are "the right gender" or "the right weight" for a cosplay, do not harass them about it. Cosplayers don't owe you anything based on what they're wearing and there is no "right" way to be a cosplayer.
7. Make a schedule before the convention.
Most conventions will announce their schedule a few weeks beforehand, and it's always fun to make your own schedule! Just because you make a schedule, however, doesn't mean you need to stick to it. Don't feel afraid to go to something else if you're feeling iffy about what you have, especially since they even make changes to the schedule during the weekend! Also remember to line up for popular panels, photo ops or autographs early to get a good spot in line! If your convention has a smartphone app, get it, as they tend to put last-minute changes on the app. If they don't have an app, see if they have a twitter or facebook that you can follow for all important updates! Of course, if you prefer to wing it during the weekend or you're just going to a convention with a day pass, you are free to make your schedule as you go, too!
8. Remember to HAVE FUN!
Conventions have given me some of the best moments of my current friendships and have given me some amazing new friends from all around the country, some even around the world! Remember to have fun with it, take lots of photos and don't be shy to make new friends! The convention will be over in a blink so have fun with the time you're given!
I hope that with all these tips, whether you're a first-time convention attendee or this is your 20th convention, you have an amazing time!
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