It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday and the streets of Chico are quiet but not for long. Students often rushing home to get things done and still be able to make it to the pregame they just got a text about.

One question that always comes to mind before going out is: Where am I going tonight?

If you’re like any other Chico State student, you would probably know that there is an underlying conception that the party scene is divided into two sections: the Aves and Downtown Chico.

I hope I’m not the first to admit that but if so, the Aves is where it’s at.

Chico State had the reputation of being one of the top party schools in California. It’s always a conversation starter at the dinner table during Thanksgiving or the holiday season.

“So, how do you like Chico? Isn’t it a party school?” are the common questions asked when I’m back home. “Yeah but I get good grades too” is my usual response.

Because of Chico’s party school reputation, expectations are set high. Many incoming first-years, including myself, had the impression that there were parties every weekend and one could pick and choose which one to go to. Wrong.

As a first year, my roommates and I did the typical walk around downtown hoping to find a house with raging music and lots of people surrounding it. To my surprise, it wasn’t very hard to find parties. The only problem was, you’d have to know someone at the party to get in.

This became a routine, and suddenly I found myself going out just to go out. Was I really enjoying these parties? Did I really want to jump around and throw my fist up into the air each night?

According to Niche, Chico State has an A+ for the party scene. After reading a few comments, there is a vibe that the best parties are on the streets that spell out Chico and that no one should go near the dangerous parties in the Aves.

If you’re anything like me, you would agree that the Aves are the most fun. A girl simply cannot deny dancing with her friends to Too $hort and Mac Dre.

The common misconception of these parties is that someone somehow always has a gun or knife and pulls it out just for fun. After attending roughly around 50 parties in the Aves since my arrival to Chico State last year, I’d say that only happened once or twice.

To define a party in the Aves, you’d find yourself either indoors or outdoors dancing to “ratchet” music, a term that is commonly used by students in Chico. Artists like E-40, YG and the Ying Yang twins are commonly heard at parties, and it’s usually crowded with people dancing with their friends, a partner and sometimes even the wall.

A party downtown in the streets of Chico can sometimes be defined as a “Greek” party. Most of those are intimate and considered kickbacks. I’m definitely not saying that parties downtown are all like this, but from the many times I’ve heard or come across one, that is what the majority are.

Many of these parties include playing beer pong and people standing around while EDM music is being played. There is very seldom dancing but if there is, it’s usually the kind of dancing you’d see at a rave — fists high, jumping up and down and more head nodding as opposed to yiking or twerking. These dances involve girls dipping, rolling and gyrating their bodies.

The Aves are just more fun. Parties are meant for dancing, loud music and the inability to hear your friends talk to you while on the dance floor.

My favorite part about these parties is that when a really good song comes on, everyone yells and the whole crowd simultaneously goes deeper into the dance floor and starts dancing even more. It’s almost like a bond or a connection through a good song.

Aside from being able to dance to the kind of music that is actually meant for dancing, these parties are diverse and welcoming. No, you do not need to know anyone to get into these parties. Instead, you’ll find the atmosphere to be very hyped and friendly.

A lot of the times, the parties in the Aves have the dance floor set up so that the party expands from the inside of the house and into the backyard, where you can find people playing beer pong or taking a break from dancing. It’s a two in one kind of deal. I’m able to hear my favorite dancing songs, mingle with friends and still have a really good time.

I’ve never experienced this kind of fun at a party downtown. You don’t really get many options besides a turn to play beer pong and a spot to stand in the house and spend your time being drunk doing nothing.

If I wanted to listen to the Chainsmokers and play beer pong with my friends, I would have stayed home.

Rachel Reyes can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.