Hey Girl!
I know how disappointing it is when you get to college to discover that partying and getting drunk seems to be the only option. Shaina and I even considered transferring colleges when we felt trapped into the party scene. So, we thought we’d compile a little list of things you can do when you aren't feeling up to partaking in the typical college activities. You totally can still have fun in other ways! These aren’t specific to any particular season, but make sure you also check out our fall and winter themed lists!
1. My personal favorite: movie nights! At my university, we discovered that there are many classrooms left open at night, so we have access to the Smartboards and projection screens. It’s so fun to have a big screen to watch Netflix with your friends. Don’t forget to make some creative movie snacks to go along with your movie night, and invite as many friends as you can!
2. Bake and decorate cookies and cakes! Bonus points for going around your college’s town and delivering your goodies to your community.
3. Go to a bar or club, and have fun dancing! The first time I went to my school’s 18 and up bar, I thought I would hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised. They played music I liked and so I had a lot of fun singing and dancing. As long as you go in with the understanding that most people who are there are not sober, you can still have a really good time. Also, have you ever people-watched at a bar/club? Being sober at a place like this can actually be a lot of fun! It’s also fun because you get to dress up and meet new people.
4. Organize a scavenger hunt or a challenge with friends either on campus or downtown. For example, one item could be: go to your freshman dorm room and take a picture with the new tenant. Or: see how many stores will give you a free sample or trinket. After the event, spend the rest of your day/night talking about the funny things that happened on your adventures and celebrating the “winners.”
5. Have a karaoke night, talent show, or dance-off! Set it up in your dorm room or in a common area. You might be surprised what talents some of your friends have! Or maybe it will just be really funny. Either way, it’s sure to be a memorable night.
6. Have a yoga and meditation evening. Make all-natural face masks. There are so many recipes online of easy masks to make that help with different skin issues. Look online for a video, or have a friend lead yoga, mindfulness, or another form of meditation. Don’t forget to play some calming music in the background!
7. Volunteer somewhere! This is a great way to meet people in the community outside your university.
8. Along with going somewhere to volunteer, you can also do something simple like knit blankets, scarves, etc., for a specific homeless shelter or other organization in the town or city you live in. What a great way to spend a girls' night!
9. Lead or attend a bible study. See what churches are already hosting these, but if you can’t find anything, go ahead and start one! If you want, you could make it weekly on one of the bigger party nights at your college. This way, you are providing an alternative to partying for like-minded individuals also searching for this niche like you.
10. At my college there is a dance studio open pretty late at night for students. I love dance, so I love going to the studio and teaching my friends routines. You could also make up a dance with your friends any time. My cousins and I used to make music videos so we would film and compile ourselves dancing. Making an end project like that and adding to it on weekends might be a fun project for you to do with your friends. Who knows? A really nice video may come out of it!
11. Have a sleepover. Squeeze into someone’s dorm room for a night every once in a while. Even if you and your roommate feel like it’s a sleepover every night in your dorm room, do something special on weekends. Maybe even start a TV show together so you have something set in place to look forward to.
12. Have a game night. My personal favorite is Monopoly, but there are so many great games out there. Even just a classic card game can be really fun! If anyone has a poker set, having poker nights can also be really unique and bring out everyone’s competitive side.
13. Share your favorite viral YouTube videos with each other.
14. Go on a nature hike or walk, and if it’s nice enough out, even consider sleeping outside.
15. Can’t sleep because of all the partying in your dorm? Go on a midnight run to a grocery store that is open 24/7. Get some snacks. It feels like a little adventure to be the only ones in the supermarket that late.
16. Go to an outdoor concert or open mic night. Look around to see what local coffee shops are hosting these types of events.
17. Go swimming! A lot of people forget that a pool is a resource for students on most college campuses. Go to the pool in the evenings or whenever the swim team isn’t practicing, and there aren’t many community members doing laps. It’s a unique place to hang out with your friends and relax. It’s especially great when there is a hot day in the fall or spring.
18. Go to the sauna with friends. I recently found out that there is a sauna at my school. Ask around, you could have one too! After the sauna, go back to your dorm room, make some mocktails, and get manicures and pedicures.
19. Find an escape room close to your campus and get a good group together to participate.
20. Going on a trip somewhere is always fun, but if you can’t afford it, go on a day trip and have a picnic somewhere! Ever since I got back from studying abroad I have loved walking to the park near my house with friends, bringing music and food and enjoying the outdoors.
21. Treat yourselves to a night out on the town. Even if you go to a rural college, there is bound to be a nice diner or restaurant nearby. Dress up a little if you want! Go out to dinner and then walk around.
22. Sometimes small towns and cities will have seasonal music, heritage, or food festivals. Take advantage of them! In my hometown there is a fair surrounding the body of water I live on. In the city close to my town there is a Greek Festival. See what might be going on around you!
23. Print out photos of you and your friends from the last semester and buy scrapbooks. Make a playlist together, listen to some great music, and get busy scrapbooking. Either keep yours for yourself or exchange them with each other at the end of the night.
24. Write down a bunch of thought-provoking or personal questions, and have a great night of conversation (and hopefully some good snacks too). Some starter questions might be: If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with your extra time? What is your very first memory? Would you rather travel forever but never have a home, or never be able to leave your hometown?
25. Does anyone have a specialized skill they could teach the group? For example, if someone is good at makeup and knows how to contour or do winged eyeliner well, they could teach everyone! Or maybe someone else is really good at writing music, or cake decorating. Look into what your friends are good at, and see what tips and tricks you could exchange.
26. Have a favorite movie marathon! Have each member of your friend group bring their favorite DVD, then watch all of them together. You could also have everyone bring a supply of their favorite movie candy or snack for the group to share.
27. Have a trivia night. It’s a great way to get to know the ones closest to you better, plus it’s a lot of fun. The way I would organize it is to have everyone write up some trivia questions about themselves. For example: how many first cousins does so-and-so have? What is so-and-so’s middle name? Make up some rules and get started with your questions. You may be surprised about what you find out! Spice it up by inviting friends who are roommates, or couples. Have them compete against each other to see which who knows each other the best.
Do you have anything to add? Comment below! Have a blessed weekend.
Hugs,
Alena
