Forget the clubs and the costume parties - get the candy. The best part of Halloween will always be trick-or-treating.
In D.C., students have the unique opportunity to trick-or-treat on Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue. The embassies close at 5 p.m., so students have time to burn their newfound calories afterward.
The neighborhoods around AU are also obvious places to score Halloween goodies. The tree-lined streets behind AU are perfect for trick-or-treating, with quick access back to the residence halls so students can follow up that sugar high with a night out.
Just be sure to dress for the occasion. Candy-givers don't like a Halloween grinch - unless he actually is dressed up in the green garb with a heart two sizes too small.
"People are less likely to give a college student candy if they have made no apparent attempt to come up with a costume," said Liz Smith, a senior in the Kogod School of Business.
Of course, it also helps to know which houses to hit up.
"Usually, a good bet is to go to the houses with the best decorations - the better the decorations, the better the chance of good candy," said Jessica Wunsch, a senior in Kogod.
Fancy, closely situated homes are also favorite student snack spots.
"I plan on trick-or-treating around the Friendship Heights and Bethesda areas," said Claudia Imel, a freshman in School of Public Affairs. "The homes there are likely to give out the most candy."
Still, some AU students stick to the closest neighborhoods for their Nestles and Now and Laters.
"I think that the AU area is definitely the best place to go trick-or-treating because you'll see lots of AU students running around in their costumes, and most of the houses there give out large amounts of candy," said Liz Buser, a sophomore in SPA and the College of Arts and Sciences. Besides AU, Georgetown and Dupont Circle also provide a visual feast. Trick-or-treating in these neighborhoods usually starts around dusk and ends around 9 p.m.
