If you have never been to an anime convention before and you’ve decided that you want to see what it’s all about, here are some helpful hints about how to make the most of your con-going experience.

1. If you want to cosplay, start on your costume as early as possible. A good costume is the best way to meet people at a convention, as everyone will want to take pictures and say great your costume is. A good costume takes a lot of work and a bit of creativity; a rushed job produces a costume people won’t be interested in seeing. Also make sure that if you make your costume that it fits you well. You may not look exactly like your favorite character, but it’s better to make the costume look good on you than to have the costume match the character’s figure but not fit you well.
2. If you’re going for more than a day, you’ll want to get a hotel (unless the convention is very close to home). If you don’t have the money for a hotel room by yourself, get a group together and share the expense among friends.
3. Drink a lot of water, especially if you’re in costume. You’ll be doing a lot of walking during an anime convention and if you don’t drink enough water, you could pass out (detracting from your con-going experience!).
4. Don’t spend more than you can afford to. There might be a limited edition Gundam in the dealers’ room but if you have to go into debt to buy it, it’s probably not a good idea. Remember, you need to have money for food and to get home, and if you spend your travel money during the convention, you’ll be in a jam.
5. Two things you’ll want to be during the convention are clean and awake. Make sure you get enough sleep (this is why many conventions don’t run continuously throughout the night) so you can do everything you want during the convention. Conventions also have begun to stamp down on individuals whose body odor offends other con-goers; make sure you’re as clean as can be, so you don’t get kicked out of the convention.

With these helpful hints, you should have a great time at any convention you decide to attend. Enjoy!