A College Student's Guide To Surviving Their First Concert

By Nayra Mendoza on March 7, 2016

College students love concerts. Free concerts are probably the biggest hype of the decade, what with rising college tuition and living the struggle.

Getting to see your favorite artists near you could also have been a slight reason you decided to go to that college and not the other one closer to home. Even discovering new bands and artists are great ways to have a good time and enjoy yourself. Surviving your first college concert means finding the right music, the perfect outfit, and going with the best group of friends.

The Right Concert

College is the perfect time to try new things.

As many times as you’ve heard that already, it’s still very true. In high school, you listen to your favorite band over and over again all day. In college, your roommate is constantly telling you, “You need to check this song out!” Next thing you know, you’ve learned all of the lyrics to this new jam and have researched more about the band than their own manager. You’re thankful to your friend for introducing you to great music.

college students concerts

(Image via Business Insider)

But how do you find concerts near you? Songkick can help you. Co-founders of Songkick, Ian Hogarth and Michelle You, and founder of Crowdsurge, Matt Jones, joined forces in 2015 to tackle the same goal: make every show a sell-out.

Their merge means that you can buy your tickets directly from the site. CrowdSurge also empowers artists to own their on-sales and use them to engage with fans in creative ways, driving ticket sales and improving the fan experience. Find major artist clients to see live such as Childish Gambino, Tiësto and Kenny Chesney, among others.

college students concerts

(Image via android.freepps.top)

Bandsintown connects the artist and the fan together for an incredible music experience. Track your favorite artists and get recommendations to similar artists or concerts in your area. The company keeps improving with partnerships and brand relations. Bandsintown Amplified, a select network of premium publishers that work together to reach over 120 million music lovers on mobile and web platforms, ensures better interests and selections with their programmatic ad analytics.

The Perfect Outfit

To be honest, there isn’t really such a thing as the perfect concert outfit. You can either dress up and wear your cutest skirt and top with adorable sandals for an outside venue or you can dress down in jeans, white tee, and Converse sneakers to move and dance.

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started on a more personalized style for your first concert.

college students concerts

(Image via polyvore.com)

college students concerts

(Image via thehunt.com)

For more outfit inspiration, go to The Hunt and Polyvore.

The Best Group of Friends

Going to a concert with like-minded individuals is the best way to enjoy the music. Find people that would also like to check out the band coming to town. Attending a concert with the right people is important because you’ll hope everyone’s having a good time.

While you probably already made a couple of friends in your dorm hall or classes, not everyone is into the same thing you are. And that’s totally fine. Just don’t try to force your friends into going with you to a concert that does not interest them. Neither you nor they are going to have a good time. Instead, bring up some concerts happening soon, any music genres they like or would like to see, and casually mention that you want to see a band next Tuesday. I can guarantee there’s someone in your group that will go with you to check them out.

Enjoy The Moment

Or record it now and enjoy it later. You could really cherish the sound of your favorite song live and scream along to the lyrics while it lasts. You could take a video of the song you’ve been waiting to hear all night and relive it at the end of the night and forever.

Unfortunately, you can’t do both.

college students concerts

(Image via Tumblr)

And while I, more than anyone else, feel your pain, it’s okay to do either. There will be many times to decide if the moment is worth more than the memory. If you absolutely love the song and always want to remember that time in college when you saw the best band in the world, I’d suggest recording the moment. If you have great friends that only accompanied you because you couldn’t stop talking about how much you love the band’s singer, you could ask them to record the song for you.

Concerts during college are probably going to be the best you’ll ever go to in your life. You’re out with new friends. You’re experiencing new or good music. You’re having fun even though you should be studying. It happens. I say, “Live it up while you can.” You’re only going to have one shot  – or two, if they come again — to see the band you’ve been relentlessly listening to.

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