I'm going to a house party tonight. It's been a long time since I've been to one of those, but my many years in university have seen thousands of gatherings in houses, apartments, and tiny dorm rooms. I'm excited for the experience, and hope I haven't lost my house-party social skills. I do remember a few tips from the wild past:

1) It's fun to fill up an empty vodka bottle with water, and then watch party goers use it to spike their colas. It's even more fun to then watch those people (who didn't BYOB) act tipsy as time goes on.

2) Speaking of BYOB, it's also important to BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper). House parties have a tendency to suddenly explode in popularity, thus quickly making the available toilet paper disappear. It's always a safe bet to carry your own supply.

3) If the host/hostess is your friend or even just a fond acquaintance, help her/him out by watching out for potential thieves. I don't know what motivates some people to steal from a person's home after they've been invited in, but I've seen it happen too often.