College is where people find themselves and enter the world of adulthood. This does not mean they might not want to revisit their childhood, however. Make a list of the birthday girl's favorite things from her childhood, high school and now. The list should include cartoon characters, old television shows and what she wanted to be when she grew up.
Make a list of things the birthday boy likes now. List his fraternity, hobbies, favorite sports teams, colors, extracurricular activities and favorite car. Look around his dorm room for ideas.
Make a list of her goals in life including career and where she wants to live
Selecting a theme might be the hardest part. Walk around party stores to see what kind of decorations are available. Depending on the theme, you might be able to mix and match decorations to create a custom theme.
Some classic popular themes are casino, Las Vegas, different countries, toga parties, luaus or movies.
For a toga party, everyone comes with homemade togas, usually made by draping sheets across the body.
Luaus are Hawaiian-themed and can include grass skirts, leis, and brightly colored decorations.
A Las Vegas or casino theme could include poker games and slot machines.
A movie theme could be focused around the birthday girl's favorite movie. For example, if her favorite movie is "Alice in Wonderland," have everyone come dressed as a different character from the movie. Decorations could include things from different scenes, and the food could be set up to look like the tea party at the Mad Hatter's house.