1. TAILGATING!

After my first tailgate, I decided it was one of my favorite things about college. This event preps students with excitement before the football game and is a good way to show school pride. Everywhere you look, there are foam fingers, face tattoos, and your school mascot posted everywhere. The energy is crazy; there's loud music, bouncing people cheering and dancing, beer cans crunching under your feet, and the smell of meat right off the grill. It's also a good way to get to know your community, because locals usually come out to support the team as well. I enjoy the atmosphere itself, but meeting random people because they like your school gear is pretty fun too. An endless field of truck beds, body painting, and intoxicated fans awaits you freshmen.

2. Finding different ways to express school pride

If you go to college and don't have team gear or a Greek life shirt that expresses school pride, who are you and what are you doing in college? School pride is a huge part of homecoming weekend, especially at the tailgate and football game. Every year, I swear there is a new trend that I didn't know about. It's the time to go overboard, wear that face tattoo, throw some glitter on it, and deck yourself out. You always see the craziest outfits on homecoming weekend, like that frufru scarf that you never thought you'd wear, those annoying beads from your crazy spring break, that school headband that is too tacky to wear to class, or that oversize shirt that you don't have to wear pants with to support your team. Do whatever you want, just go big or go home.

3. College Football; need I say more?

I like to think many people don't have the opportunities that we do to experience a real college football game. Most only see it by the television screen in front of them. Unlike your high school football games, there's so much more going on. You have the parents, who normally sit in their own section, decked out in school gear. Secondly, you have the students in the student section, who light up the crowd with school colors. Down below, students and other fans are being riled up by cheerleaders and the dance team on the side lines. And then suddenly, there's the kick off, and everyone is so mesmerized by the game, defending their team and bashing bad calls. If your team wins, and you don't get a beer spilt on you at some point, you had a good experience at the game.

4. HOCO Events

Normally, the school throws together an array of events for students during the whole week leading up to the homecoming football game. They include free food and sometimes a free t-shirt, so you can expect a big crowd there. At Ball State specifically, the most popular event is called air jam. Multiple organizations sing and perform songs by lip singing, it brings in a huge crowd, and it is very entertaining. There's also other events during the school day, my personal favorite being the bed races. Yes, you read that right, people actually push their friends on beds down the road, and yes, there is a lot of road rash involved.

5. Party, party, party.

I know, I saved the best for last. Who doesn't love a good party? The best part about homecoming is that we don't have to win the football game to celebrate, because it's still homecoming week. If we do win the game, then heck yes, that is all the more reason to throw a rager, but if we didn't, oh well, there's still crazy fans with crazy intentions for the weekend.

Like any normal teenager, I love getting out and socializing. Sometimes, I'm so tied down with school that I forgot part of the college process is to make new friends and go hang out, and homecoming is the perfect opportunity to do so. So, walk down the street and listen for the music, because they are everywhere this weekend. Just remember to be yourself and be safe.

HAVE A GOOD HOMECOMING, BALL STATE CARDINALS!