The end of August marks many things: classes starting, end of NSO and Labor Day. But, it also marks the arrival of one of the best festivals Philly has to offer—Made in America. 

Although it was only established two years ago, Budweiser and Jay-Z have made sure to pull out all the stops for this event. With previous headliners such as Beyonce, Deadmau5, Nine Inch Nails and Pearl Jam, it's no wonder that every summer Penn students clamor for tickets.

For some unfortunate reason, this year Made in America has been divided between the two cities of Philadelphia and Los Angeles—as if LA doesn't have enough festivals. Nevertheless, you can still look forward to acts such as Kanye West, Tiesto and Kings of Leon shaking up our city streets and having us dance into the night. But, before you make your way to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, take a look at these five things that will help you survive Made in America (and other musical festivals).

1. Quench your thirst
   I cannot stress this enough. Bring water. You do not want to be that person who faints in the middle of a crowd because they're dehydrated. It's the end of summer, and the heat and humidity will make you as thirsty as a boy at his first frat party. You are actually allowed to bring water bottles into the festival area, so take advantage of this. Water is ridiculously expensive if you buy inside. The festival also provides water refill stations, but at midday when everyone is sweating and running out of water, expect to have to wait half an hour or more.
2. Strap on those sneaks
   If you're planning to go to Made in America, also plan to not be sitting down for a while. The only place you can find seating is the floor (can't bring in chairs) which is not the best idea when there's literally thousands of people in questionable states wandering around. The ground at your disposal is either sticky concrete or sticky grass. And think about it. The festival lasts for around 12 hours each day, which means a total of 24 hours of watching, waiting, and dancing. Wedges may seem like a good idea, but let me be the first to tell you that you would be sadly mistaken.
3. Three's company, four's a crowd
   I know that you're extremely popular and your 50 best friends all want to go with you, but let's be real. Is everyone really going to want to watch the same thing? You'll be too busy figuring out or arguing where to go next instead of enjoying the concerts. And if you do manage to come to a consensus about where to go next, good luck sticking together. It's better to keep to a very small group. Don't worry, you have the rest of the year to hang out and make dumb mistakes with the rest of your friends.
4. Not small, just undiscovered
   There are some people at festivals who get to one stage very early and stick there so as to not lose their precious spots. There are other people who don't show up until later in the day when big acts are about to perform.  One of the best things about festivals is finding groups that you may not have discovered otherwise. Sure, the smaller names may not seem that appealing, but how do you know if you don't try it out? Skipping out on these groups is wasting your money and an opportunity to branch out.
5. Keep your hands to yourself
   If there's one thing I really hate about festivals, it is all of the pushing and shoving that happens. I don't mean the inevitable pushing that happens when you're in a large crowd. I mean the certain people who decide it is their RIGHT for them to be in the front. The front of the stage is their calling, and they will get there by any means necessary. But really, what's even the point? They're probably so focused on trying to get to the front, they don't really enjoy the concert and even ruin the experience for other people. So please, don't be this person.

Finally, just have fun and enjoy yourself. Made in America is a great last hurrah before classes really start getting heavy. Follow these tips, and you'll be sure to have no regrets.