It’s a Friday night. You lay on your couch dreading the fact that in one hour you will have to get up and start getting ready to go out for the night. Your phone buzzes next to you. It’s your friend asking what time you’re coming over. Ugh. As you lay in your pajamas with your unwashed hair tied up in a bun, you begin to think that maybe it’d be a good idea to stay in tonight.
We’ve all been there. Getting up, getting ready, and going out would just be too hard right now. You feel like a loser and for some reason feel the need to justify your actions to your friends. You know they would never understand why you would choose to stay in on a Friday night.
Why is it that as college students we feel the need to keep up with the crowd and go out just because it’s a weekend night and we feel guilty if we do not?
Here are ten legitimate reasons (not excuses) why it is OKAY to stay in one night:
1. You are legitimately tired.
You have spent all week staying up late at night to finish your homework and study for the four tests you had. Just one night you want to get your adequate 9 hours. You need your beauty sleep. Is that too much to ask?
2. You want to spend alone time with your boyfriend.
You and your man may just want to take a night to yourselves. Renting a movie and cuddling up together sounds like the perfect Friday night to you. However, let’s face it; you’re probably single so in that case turn on a sappy love movie and cry about the boyfriend that you don’t have.
3. You want to be productive the next day.
You may tell your friends that you have a lot of homework to do and need to stay in and finish it tonight, but let’s be honest you will most likely not get any work done tonight. Instead, you will be super productive tomorrow. Rather than being your usual incapable, hungover, whiny, Saturday-self, you will be a big girl and get up, go grocery shopping, go to the gym, and start your homework. You are on top of your game.
4. You’re busy binge-watching Netflix.
You’re eyes have been glued to the TV screen for several hours, and you can hardly wait the fifteen seconds it takes to load the next episode. If you get angry when you have to get up when Netflix asks you to click if you’re still watching, you are definitely not getting up to go out.
5. You have work.
While you may sit bored at work envious of your friends who have been out since happy hour, know that as they make drunken fools of themselves and spend their money carelessly, you are getting paid. Who’s the real winner here?
6. You have no money.
You have just spent $60 on groceries, $500 on books, and $50 for school supplies in one week. How are you expected to pay for a few drinks at the bar and a pizza that you know your friends will insist on getting at the end of the night? Unless your friends are willing to pay for you, I’m sure they will understand.
7. You have nothing to wear.
This could mean one of two things. You don’t like anything in your closet, even though you have more clothes than any girl needs, or you haven’t done your laundry in weeks leaving you with literally no options. Stay in and do your wash. Your friends will thank you, ya nasty.
8. You want to avoid drama.
For one night you would rather not hear about how Megan hooked up with Josh even though Anna liked Josh and Megan knew that. Like OMG.
9. You don’t want to waste the calories.
You have worked out all week and feel as if going out would set you back. You are well aware that sadly one beer is equal to a sandwich, and one shot is almost 100 calories. Taking a night off may not be the worst idea, and your body will thank you later.
10. You would rather spend the night with your boys—Ben and Jerry, that is.
Instead of wasting your calories on a few mixed drinks at a bar or on a few cups of jungle juice at a frat party, you have decided to have a binge night and indulge on a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. You might feel pretty guilty about this decision, but trust me; it’s a decision you won’t regret.
So go ahead, put on your sweats, sit back and relax because you are about to have yourself an awesome night.