With the most exciting week of the year just around the corner, Palo Alto High School students are enthusiastically planning outfits, creating cheers and rallying all the class spirit they can muster. Yes, Spirit Week is exciting, isn’t it? However, not everyone knows what to expect. If you’re wondering how to make the most of your first ever Spirit Week, then this article is for you. Read on:

1) Go all out. Spirit Week is a big deal at Paly, so don’t avoid dressing up just because you think you’ll look stupid. In all honesty, you’ll probably stick out more if you don’t dress up. It doesn’t matter if you think you look silly; that’s what Spirit Week is all about!

2) Know where to get your outfits. Heading out to the nearest Halloween super store may seem like a good idea at first, but can get very expensive very quickly. Why not hit up some second-hand clothing stores instead? You can get twice the stuff at half the price, and you’ll be amazed at the kinds of things people donate. Goodwill is a popular Spirit Week swag destination, but the Bay Area is peppered with neat thrift shops like Bargain Box, Lost and Found and Savers for you to hit up.

3) Dress within reason. I know I told you that it’s okay to go all out, but that does not mean it’s acceptable for your butt to be hanging out of your outfit. Spirit Week is not an excuse to let out your inner stripper.

4) Make sure you’re comfortable. You may feel great in front of your bedroom mirror in the morning, but will that last until your 7th period math class? No matter how cool you think you look, you won’t be having a ball if you’re freezing to death all day or can’t breathe without getting stabbed with 60 safety pins. So before you head off to school, move around in your outfit a little just to make sure everything’s hunky-dory.

5) Bring your lunch. Lunchtime rallies are fun, and you don’t want to waste any time running to Town and Country to grab a bite to eat when you could be participating and scoring points for your grade.

6) You still have to do work. Believe it or not, you still have to go to class during Spirit Week. Many teachers are aware that Spirit Week is not the time to assign projects or essays, but homework will be assigned nonetheless. So when you get home, change into something a little less crazy, take a seat and get down to business.

7) Have fun with it. That’s the whole point of Spirit Week. Dress up. Go crazy. Express yourself. You only get four of these in your life, so make this one count.

Still have questions? Check out our past Spirit Week coverage.