How To: 7 Harmless (But Slightly Evil) Back-to-School Pranks for Your Gullible Dorm Mates

It's that time of year when high school students say goodbye the their past four years of coddling, ready to enter the "real world" and the next chapter of their lives—college.

It's a time of growth, change, and new friends, along with all the timeless memories that go with them. It's also likely the first time they'll share a room with someone that isn't their sibling.

So, how does one make sure they get along with and remain on good terms with their new dorm mate? Two words—practical jokes.

1. Eating Mayonnaise Prank

A good first impression to give your roommate is to be eating mayonnaise straight out of the jar, just as they walk into the dorm for the first time. They'll think you are totally hardcore and you'll have successfully asserted your dominance. Then again, they'll probably just think you're totally gross, so you may best be served trying this one out on the main quad or in your dorm's common room.

What You'll Need

• mayonnaise jar
• vanilla pudding
• spoon

Prank It

1. Clean out the mayonnaise jar until it is completely empty. The only thing weirder than eating mayo straight out of the jar is eating pudding with mayonnaise. Be sure to use soap and water.
2. Fill the jar full of vanilla pudding.
3. Eat and enjoy the weird looks! Try and offer it to people, as well.

2. Nasty Cola Prank

Once you've gotten to know your dorm mate a little better and earned their trust, you'll effectively be able to completely take it away by messing with their food and drinks. This nasty cola prank is essentially harmless (barring allergies), but be sure to replace anything you mess with. Everyone is poor in college, so don't be a tool.

What You'll Need

• Sprite
• your roommate's Coke or Pepsi
• soy sauce

Prank It

1. Dump the cola into the sink until it's empty.
2. Fill it with Sprite.
3. Add enough soy sauce until you get the right color for the cola.
4. Watch them squirm as they take a swig of your gross concoction.

3. Mixed Candy Prank

You're going to a party and you decide it's best to bring something, but you're also a freshman and BYOB just isn't possible yet. So, you bring candy of course! But you're a prankster and you just have to get a rise out of someone, or else it's not a real party, right? Besides the fact that you might be Satan himself, here is a way to look nice, but remain naughty.

What You'll Need

• Tupperware
• a bag of M&Ms
• a bag of Skittles

Prank It

1. Dump the bag of M&Ms into the plastic tub.
2. Dump the bag of Skittles in there as well.
3. Mix the contents of the Tupperware together so that the M&Ms and Skittle co-mingle.
4. Watch your drunk victims grab a handful and get disgusted with the fruity and chocolatey mix.

4. High Five Prank

This is a prank you can pull on anyone in your dorm. Heck, don't stop there—prank your professors, TAs, and even the school mascot! This prank is probably the easiest and cheapest to do, using the universal symbol of "what's up" and "heeeeeeey", but that doesn't make it any less hilarious!

What You'll Need

• petroleum jelly (Vaseline)
• a high-five-ready hand

Prank It

1. Rub Vaseline all over the palm of your hand.
2. Go around giving high fives to anyone you pass.
3. Watch people get grossed out after you transfer the "mysterious" slimy substance onto their hand.

5. Alarm Clock Prank

Let's face it—anyone who has ever cohabited with another human being has had their roommate wake them up. If your dorm mate is especially loud in the morning, this might be the perfect way to get back at them.

What You'll Need

• 4 old-school alarm clocks

Prank It

1. Set the alarm clocks to go off at the exact same time. This would be a lot funnier of you did it before your roommate wakes up.
2. Hide the alarm clocks in different places throughout your dorm room.
3. Watch your roommate freak out as they wake up and run all over the dorm looking to shut them all off.

6. Harmonica-Car Prank

Nowhere is safe when you live with a prankster, so there's no reason to limit your attacks to inside the dorm. Get them where they think they're safest—in their own car. This is especially helpful if you have someone who constantly parks in your spot.

What You'll Need

• a harmonica (cheap plastic ones are the best)
• tape
• your victim's car

Prank It

1. Place the harmonica somewhere on the grille of the car.
2. Attach the harmonica with a piece of tape.
3. Once your roommate goes over 40 MPH, the harmonica will start blasting and they will be so confused as to what's making that noise.

We also like the zip tie around the driveshaft prank, because there's no chance of anyone seeing it.

7. Spider-in-a-Cup Prank

This prank will probably serve best for those living with an arachnophobe. While it may be the oldest trick in the book, it still proves successful to this day.

What You'll Need

• fake spider
• clear plastic cup
• a piece of cardboard or paper

Prank It

1. Place the fake spider into the clear cup.
2. Hold the paper or cardboard on the opening of the cup, then turn it sideways.
3. Run into the room yelling how you found a huge spider.
4. Once you get close enough, drop the cup on the floor and watch as your roommates scream and run faster than they've ever run before.

As an added bonus, hide the spider around the dorm after you've done the prank. My sisters and I had this huge plastic spider that we would hide in beds and showers. While we knew it was fake, it still scared us.

Hopefully your dorm mate will have a good sense of humor. If not, they're in a world of trouble. Just remember what Uncle Ben taught you: "With great power comes great responsibility." Just because you can do all of these pranks in the span of one week, doesn't mean you should.

Okay, maybe you should.