How to smash Halloween in Sheffield

You might love it, you might hate it, but you can't deny Halloween is impossible to ignore when you're a student. Whether it's your flatmates nagging you to let them throw a house party or you nagging them to think of a perfect group costume idea, it's one night you can't avoid. Here's a student's guide to doing it right.

Improvise your costume

When it comes to your Halloween costume, you have three choices. Spend £££s on hiring a costume you'll inevitably wreck and never get your deposit back on, or buy one you'll make too many bad decisions in and swear never to wear again. The third, best, and cheapest option is to improvise. Tape an empty coco pops box to your chest? Cereal killer. Wear all camouflage? The invisible man. You could even wear all black with an orange top and come as that Sheff classic Henderson's Relish. No one will remember your costume the next day anyway.

Poundland is your friend

This goes for outfits, house parties, trick or treating goodies and basically anything to do with Halloween ever. There's one on The Moor and one near Arundel Gate, selling fairy lights, face paint, decorations, and even costumes for dogs all for (you guessed it) a quid! Yes they might not be the best quality, but it's only one night after all. Plus you can always recycle the fairy lights and cocktail bowls as quirky house decor, if you fancy yourself as a budding Noel Fielding.

If you do throw a party, have a theme

There's nothing worse than having to frantically message anyone who's put interested to that randomer's house party in Broomhill to ask them if they're going in bunny ears or as the Super Mario brothers. Take the stress out of your poor guest's decision to go sexy or satirical and just give them a theme. If you're desperate for slightly shit ideas, just ask a friend in sports team what their last social was – from golfers to animals to fairytale or Toy Story characters they're bound to give you a few ideas. Yes, you'll still get people basically turning up in lingerie, but who cares? At least they'll all be co-ordinated for your Instagram.

Beware the Halloween club night

Some people will still definitely go for it with their costume, and others will not. Plan ahead and remember you'll have to navigate West Street and squeeze into Aslan's in that seven foot banana outfit, although at least you'll be easy to find. The club is also probably going to put on some sort of 'scary' extras, like clowns or a frighteningly cheesy DJ who plays Thriller four times in an hour. Unless you really, really love Halloween, it's probably not going to be your best night out ever. Although you do get the bragging rights of saying you pulled Jack Sparrow or hugged Catwoman in the loos. You'll never remember their real name no matter how many times they tell you.

But you can have a night in if you want

If you'd rather not watch your expertly applied zombie makeup slowly melt off with sweat in a club, or spend the night telling drunk people what your costume is for them to ask again five minutes later, feel free to have a night in. Get a group together to watch scary movies and eat aptly named chocolate, or just relax with one of Lush's Halloween bath bombs. Treat yo' spooky self.

Never underestimate the humble pumpkin

Pumpkins are the Christmas dinner of Halloween. Why? They are literally edible. An entire pumpkin has got to provide at least a few days worth of soups, tarts, cakes and roasted veg as a side with everything, and if you don't like it yourself you can always serve it to your party guests/flatmates. Plus pumpkin carving is the ultimate Halloween bonding experience. There's nothing quite like crying over your kitchen table at 3 am because your attempt at a Corbyn portrait looks more like Phil Mitchell. Best to stick to the classics.