So, you’re finally living on your own. You can walk around naked. You can eat nothing but cereal and ice cream. Hell, you can even throw a party.

Throwing a party can be a blast. What’s more fun that spending an evening with your friends drinking, dancing and having a ball? There are, however, plenty of things that can go wrong. That is why it’s important to prepare and plan, so that mass chaos doesn’t break out, turning your amazing evening into a nightmare.

There is quite a bit to keep in mind in order to have a successful party. Perhaps the most essential thing is planning. How big do you want it to be? Will you be providing alcohol? If so, what kind and how much? Do you know what to do if the police show up? Are you going to trust a bunch of strangers around your valuables? You need to have answers to all of these questions so that you can prevent things from going wrong.

If you want people to come to your party, you need to spread the word at least a week in advance. Billy Bernardo, Lakeville, Minn., senior, said that if you were trying to get something going for Saturday night, and it was Friday. no one was going to come.

“You have to sell it to people. You want them to choose your party over a bar,” Bernardo said.

To keep most partygoers happy, good music and good drinks are a must. Gibson said selecting music that appealed to the masses and was easy to dance to.

“Pick songs that everybody likes, not just you,” Gibson said.

It’s also a good idea to offer more than a keg of cheap beer to your guests. Bernardo said the key to a successful party was a variety of alcohol. He suggested jungle juice, a fruity punch usually spiked with vodka, as a good addition to the standard keg of beer.

If you are planning something epic, Delta Force vice presidential candidate Stephanie Craig suggested having a large space for a dance floor. She also suggested inviting all of your neighbors so that they would know ahead of time about the party.

If your party gets too loud or too big, the police will inevitably show up. According to the Lawrence Police Department’s Web site, it is against the law to participate in a party that is excessively noisy. If the police do show up, be very nice, they just want people to leave, Craig said.

The Web site states that police officers can order everyone at the party to leave “in lieu of being charged.”

Craig also suggested taking anything valuable and locking it in your bedroom prior to your party.

“If your door doesn’t lock, put a couch in front of if,” Craig said.

As long as you plan everything out, your party will run smoothly. Once your plans are set, put on your best dancing shoes and get ready to have a good time.