Countdown to U-Con – 2 days left!

Preparation tips:

For first time visitors and veterans alike, the excitement of the games can sometimes overshadow the practical, physical demands of your body and brain. Here are some quick reminders.

5 – 2 – 1 rule: This generally stands for 5 (or 6 or 3) hours of sleep, 2 meals, 1 shower. Get all of these things every day. Missing an hour of sleep over the course of the weekend won’t kill you, but you’ll regret staying up for 3 days straight come Monday morning. Personally, I’m more of a 6 – 3 – 1 type, but do what’s right for you. If I’m starting to feel tired, sometimes sneaking off to my room in the evening to catch a second shower is just what the doctor ordered, or maybe I just need a quick nap after lunch. Think about what helps you function best and plan it out ahead of time.

Stay healthy: This is the time of year when people are starting to get sick. Maybe you are too, but you’ve already paid and you’re so excited and you’re not going to miss this just because of a few sniffles and maybe it’s just allergies and … WASH YOUR HANDS! We’re all touching the same game pieces, so please don’t be gross and let’s all help each other stay healthy. Bring hand sanitizer. If you’re starting to feel sniffly, bring tissues. If you sneeze, cover your face. By doing a couple simple things, we can make sure that we all have the best time.

Be prepared: Did you remember to pack your lucky dice? Now take a quick second and think about if you’re hungry or thirsty. Where are you at? Is it easy to rectify that? Now think about being hungry or thirsty in the middle of a game. Not so much fun 🙁 To help avoid this, pack some snacks. Try to think of things that won’t make your hands all messy. Having a water on hand will probably help you not get jittery from drinking nothing but coffee and Mountain Dew all weekend. Maybe you want a notebook to write down impressions of new games, or to help you remember what you want to ask Santa for. Would having an extra shirt help keep you warm if the A/C were set cooler than you expect?

Spend a couple minutes over the next few days to put together a packing list to help make sure you have the funnest time possible!