Imagine this: It’s a cool and refreshing October afternoon, and you’ve just stepped off the bus. As you make your way home, the satisfying sound of fallen leaves crunch beneath your shoes. The entire neighborhood is coming alive with Halloween spirit as colorful inflatables and jack-o-lanterns adorn the lawns, while delicate cotton spiderwebs drape over the bushes. 

Entering your cozy abode, you’re greeted by the warm glow of the TV screen where Disney Channel’s Monstober event sets the tone for an exciting evening. Your favorite Halloween movie, “Halloweentown,” has just begun, and you sink into your favorite spot on the couch, knowing that your day couldn’t possibly be any better.

Nostalgia is a powerful feeling for college students. The hustle and bustle of school often sweeps you up into a storm of endless homework and obligations, causing the enchanting moments of youth to slip through the cracks. It’s easy to forget that not so long ago, you were captivated by the innocence of October festivities. A simple glimpse at a bag of Halloween candy on the shelves of Walmart can evoke vivid memories of the days when an old pillowcase served as the vessel for gathering treats, and the smell of sweat and vinyl at the Halloween party you’re attending transports you back to when you almost suffocated inside your mask at your elementary school costume parade.

Don’t misunderstand – Halloween in college can be an absolute blast. It’s a time when you have the freedom to indulge in your favorite fall activities, and the anticipation leading up to “Halloweekend” acts as a lifeline, pulling you through those seemingly endless classes.

There can be an entire weekend of festivities, where multiple costumes can be worn and numerous parties can be attended. 

However, there are significant downsides as well. Once the new school week begins, you’ll likely find yourself exhausted from the weekend festivities, and that assignment you postponed to party will be hanging over you – and you might be hungover enough as it is –  causing stress and anxiety. Your younger self might have experienced a sugar hangover and a touch of sadness now that the festivities were over, but the thought of returning to school with the knowledge of having weeks worth of candy waiting for you at home made it all worthwhile.

Choosing a costume can cause uneasiness for some as it may involve facing the stereotypes associated with dressing up in a college setting. Many women have shared their experiences of feeling caught in a catch-22: a costume deemed “too revealing” may trigger insecurity or unwelcome attention, while a “quirky” costume can lead to the dreaded label of a “pick me.” 

As a child, nobody really pays much attention to whether you want to be a princess, a swamp monster or wear an inflatable dinosaur costume. Your concerns are simple: your mom worrying about the weather and making you wear a jacket over your costume, and strategizing how to visit all the houses in the neighborhood for trick-or-treating before the porch lights begin to fade.

Perhaps a marriage between childhood and college Halloween is what is needed, after all, everything in moderation is a pretty good rule to live by. 

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that households offering candy would warmly embrace a group of adults in their 20s appearing at their doors and demanding treats. So, this Halloween, spark some youthful delight within yourself and feed your inner child. Buy a bag of your favorite Halloween candy and eat so much your stomach hurts. Watch a movie that’s so scary that if you watched it as a kid you’d have to sleep with your parents for two weeks straight. Take a walk or drive through a neighborhood with tacky decorations that jump out at you when you walk by. Wear whatever costume that makes you feel like the coolest kid in town, because life is too short to let go of the mystical magic that characterizes Halloween when you’re still so young.