Lesson 15 - Surviving a festival!

So, you've arrived, your tent is set up and you are ready to go. Festivals can be daunting for any first-timer, so I've got some quick bullet points to set you on your way. Your festival is what you make it, so these are just loose guidelines and stuff I've learnt.

• Stick together. If you can stay with your group, do. Finding each other via the medium of flags and speakers while shouting down a mobile phone "BUT I CAN'T REALLY SEE YOU" is never fun. Of course, going it alone isn't too bad but it's a good idea to be with someone, particularly late at night. 
• See what you want to see. I've already said that your festival is what you make it, and you don't want any regrets about not seeing an act. Even if you have to stand at the back on your own, make sure you don't have any regrets when you go back to reality.
• Take a map with you at all times. Wandering around and trying to find a stage, especially at Glastonbury (which is proper massive), is unbelievably frustrating. 
• Dare to do something different. Particularly at Glastonbury, the music is only part of the story. There's so much to see and do, so why not try something a little bit out of the ordinary. Try some yoga, get a massage or get creative.  
• Trust your friends. If your camping buddy says they're going to see a band and you've got some time free in your schedule, why not pop along with them? Some of the best acts I saw at this year's Glastonbury were courtesy of recommendations from my housemate Olivia. 
• Take photos! I think every occasion needs plently of photos and festivals are no exception. Whether you buy a cheap digital camera or revert back to lovely disposable cameras, it's always nice to relive the memories. 
• Drink enough water. No one wants to faint from dehydration. I know the toilets are minging so you want to avoid them but I'm sure you'd rather hold your breath for a bit than be carted off in an ambulance.
• Don't get too drunk. I refer you to the blog on freshers week waaaay back near the beginning of the creation of this site. For a start, you don't want to be the annoying drunk person that everyone else has to look after. Second, being too drunk in a dark festival, in the middle of a field, when you're not sure where your tent is, can only be a bad thing. It might sound dull, but know your limits.
• Don't take anything dodgy. You have no idea what's in the things that you buy, or who is selling it to you. As well as this, drugs are illegal in festivals as much as in the outside world.
• Above all, make the most of it and have fun. You never know when you're going to get the opportunity again, so soak it up and make the most of every single second. Lose those inhibitions, dance like no-one's watching, sing at the top of your voice and laugh like a drain. 

The Glasto 2010 crew on the last night. Exhausted, but loving life.

Lesson 14 - Choosing and preparing for a festival

Going to festivals in those long summer holidays is an integral part of university life for some people. Festivals are a unique experience to share with friends, and something you'll remember forever.

You need to pick your festival first. One thing that's amazing about living in the UK is the amount of festivals that go on in the summertime. Whether you're into pop, rock, dub, grime, house, dance, hiphop or just want an all-out hippy experience, you'll find a festival for you with a decent amount of research. You can also decide whether or not you want to camp at a festival, or just get day passes/go to a one-day indoor festival.

You could, alternatively, choose to go further afield and check out a festival abroad. If you've got serious money to burn, Coachella festival takes place in California, and tends to kick off the international festival season. Closer to home, Benicassim festival is hosted in Spain every July. Remember, if you go for a festival abroad, you're going to have to factor in travel costs such as flights and transfers.

As I've only graced Worthy Farm with my presence, this lesson (and the other festival-related lessons) is based around attendees of the legendary Glastonbury festival! However, there are some basic "festival-etiquette" rules that are applicable wherever you choose to go. 

Your preparation for any festival is key. Make sure you have a tent that is going to keep you warm and dry. Getting into a damp tent is going to do nothing for your mood when you're tired and unwashed. Similarly, check that your sleeping bag hasn't got mould growing in it and pack wellies and a waterproof coat.

You also need an adaptable festival wardrobe that can cope with sunshine as well as the somewhat inevitable showers. A pair of trousers, a pair of shorts and then vest tops with a hoody to chuck on the top is a pretty winning combination. Make sure you don't take anything away that you would mind getting ruined, especially shorts/trousers. I chucked my jeans away at Glastonbury. They were muddy, ripped and would not have been socially acceptable anywhere but at Glasto. As well as this, pack toilet roll and wet wipes galore. The "festival wet wipe wash". It's not nice, but it's a necessary evil. Make sure you've got some sun cream as well.

It's up to you how much money you decide to take to your festival of choice. This amount will hinge on whether you're buying all of your food and alcohol at the festival and whether you want to buy souvenirs and so on. We normally buy just one hot meal a day and bring bread rolls, crisps and spready cheese for lunch. We also haul alcohol there, so end up taking about a tenner a day to live on, just to be on the safe side.

Queuing in '09. Tough times.

Getting to Glastonbury is by far the most stressful part of the festival. Transport links are really good, and the organisers have recently introduced "Green Traveller" lanyards, which give those who travel to the festival by public transport certain benefits. However, you've got to be prepared to walk a fair distance with all your festival baggage. The same applies to driving to Glastonbury. The car parks are, on average, a half an hour walk away from the centre of the site. You've also got to be prepared to queue to get into the gates. The first time my housies and I went to Glasto, we sat in a queue for a good couple of hours before chancing it and diverting down some tiny country lanes.

Lesson 15 - Surviving a festival COMING SOON!