The phrase “solo date” may sound depressing and weird. Why would anyone want to go do something alone when you could just as easily text a friend or go with your significant other? I get it, trust me. I understand the feeling of awkwardness that comes with doing something fun alone, we all do at some point in our lives! We are all, on one level or another, worried about what people will think of us, especially when doing something by ourselves. But here’s the secret: solo dates are not for those peoplem — solo dates are for you and you alone.
I’m not saying that you don’t need people to have fun, but rather that you can have fun by yourself as well. Think date night, but your date is yourself; that’s essentially the concept of solo dates.
My first solo date was in my second year of high school. There was a new play showing at the theatre in town, and I was so excited to see it. Unfortunately, none of my friends were able to come with me. So, I made the brave decision to go alone. I walked alone to the theatre and sat by myself in the audience. The play wasn’t anything huge; in fact, it was written by a local playwright, and ended up bringing me to tears. The antagonist of the play had a very intense speech, and the actress delivering the speech stared directly in my direction while she spoke. It was so impactful to me that I left that theatre crying my eyes out. That’s when I began looking more into solo dates, whether that meant bringing some snacks, a book I’m reading, and my headphones to a bench outside or even something as simple as buying myself flowers. Ideas for solo dates can really be endless, just as long as you are doing something for you!Â
Now, if you are thinking, “Well, gee whizz, this is a lot! I don’t even know where to start with ideas for a solo date!” do not worry! I have made a list of potential solo date ideas that are budget-friendly and are really fun! The list is split into two sections: “Off Campus” and “On Campus”. Depending on where you are located, some of these may not apply to you, but hopefully, some other options will work. Now, without further ado, here is the list of Ultimate Solo Dates for College Students!
Off Campus:
- Go to a new cafe or restaurant! Bring a book and have a cup of coffee, or just sit and enjoy the experience. Bonus points if you end up going to a cat cafe and get to hang out with cats. I recently went to the Alley Cat Cafe in Ithaca and would highly recommend it!
- Go watch a local performance! Whether that be a concert, a play, or even a movie, supporting the arts is always a good idea. Local concerts are so much fun to watch and they’re a great way to discover new artists! Porch Fest just happened in Ithaca, and though I didn’t go, my friends said it was amazing.
- Buy yourself the damn flowers! I love to get myself flowers and then arrange them in a vase (or an old water bottle if I don’t have a vase), and then I have automatic cute decor in my dorm room. If you don’t know how to arrange flowers, Youtube and Google have instructions and tutorials to help get you started.
- Go to your local museum/art museum. Museums are a great opportunity to immerse yourself in all kinds of history and learn some interesting things. There are so many different kinds of museums, so you can totally cater to your personal interests!
- Go on an adventure in nature! You can always go to your local park and have a picnic. If you like to make art, there’s always the option to paint or create something outside! A local community garden is also a great spot. Botanical gardens or outdoor art installations are also very cool! In Ithaca, there is the Cornell Botanical Garden, which I haven’t been to yet, but it is on my bucket list! Bonus points if you bring a sketchbook and draw!Â
- Take a class! There is an infinite amount of things you can take classes in, such as yoga or meditation groups, or even things like cooking, writing, and art class! Whatever you’d like to learn, there is probably a class for it.Â
- Explore the neighborhood! Take in the local sights and get to know your surroundings. Take a drive if you have a car, or if that doesn’t work for you, walk around! You could explore public transportation by taking a train or even riding a bike! There are many different modes of transportation, and getting to know where you are is extremely valuable.
- Go watch a sports game! This can count for both on-campus and off-campus, but going out to watch your favorite local or national team can be super fun! And odds are, most of the people who are also going are super nice, so you have that support if you need it. But be careful, some games get really loud.
- Support a local business! Find a new “underground” shop and browse. Just take a day to find at least one local small business and support them by buying one of their products and following their social media. Any support to small businesses helps!
- Perform at an open mic! Now, I know this one sounds daunting, and you absolutely shouldn’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with. However, if you are feeling bold, just go for it! You don’t just have to sing, you can also read poetry, do stand-up, play an instrument (and not sing), or even tell a story. There are plenty of options!
- Aquarium/Zoo visit! These are so much fun, and I highly recommend aquariums because of the ambience. If you can, go during a weekday; it’s always less crowded during the week.
- Library visit! Visit the local library and check out a book, or just get a coffee and sit there and soak it in.Â
- Â Go to a fun activity or game and sign up to play! Examples include mini golf or bowling! Or you can also go to an ice or roller rink!Â
- If you feel comfortable, biking, kayaking/canoeing, or hiking is another great solo date! Just be sure to have a safety plan when doing these!
- Get your hair or nails professionally done. Treat yourself to a fresh new look, whatever that means to you! I will be honest, I have yet to get my nails done, but I have heard it’s super fun.
- THRIFTING!!! I love going to thrift stores and browsing, just to see what they have. Also, if you can’t get out to a thrift store, you can thrift online through stores such as thredUP, Poshmark, Depop, and The RealReal. This also counts for flea markets and antique shops.
- Leaf Peeping! A popular solo date I have seen for New England is going out “Leaf Peeping”; when you go see the colors on the trees as they are changing. My advice: take a car, drive normally, and then stop to look, because after going to boarding school in Vermont for four years, believe me, the locals will hate it if you drive slowly on the roads.
- Brunch. Ever heard of a second breakfast? Elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea?
- Local fairs and markets! Farmers’ markets are so fun to go to, and you can find good food and products there. I am a huge fan of art markets, where local artists sell their works. You can find some really unique pieces that you can’t find anywhere else. In Ithaca, there are several different festivals and fairs year-round, including Porch Fest, Apple Fest, and Chili Cook-Off!
On Campus:
- Take a walk around campus. Get your bearings and explore, or try to find locations outdoors you don’t think people use. You will probably find places you didn’t even know existed before you found them.
- Go to campus events alone. Find a club or event that intrigues you and just show up! You don’t have to stay the whole time if you don’t want to, but just go check it out!
- Hang out on the quad. Bring an interesting book and go read in your favorite spot on the green! Or you can do art, or even bring your laptop and watch a show!Â
- Spa Night/Day. Get some self-care supplies and just relax! Make your own body butter, DIY Mani-Pedi, soak in a scented bath, you name it! I personally love to do face masks and skincare while I listen to podcasts or audiobooks, but you can do as much or as little as you want!
- Cook a meal for you- just you! Bake or cook something for yourself. Put as much time and effort as you want to make yourself a delicious meal or treat. It really tastes better when you know you worked hard to make it!
- Write yourself a love letter. Love letters aren’t just for a partner, they can be for yourself, too! Write down what you love about yourself, what you admire about yourself, and make a promise to appreciate yourself! There are plenty of examples online if you need a place to start! You can even write poetry for yourself if you want!
- Learn a new craft! This could be anything, like baking, sewing, painting, jewelry making, or my personal favorite, crocheting! There are many ways you can start and an endless amount of YouTube tutorials on learning how to start a new craft. No better time to start than now!
- Journal or make a video diary. Journaling doesn’t sound like a solo date, but journaling can include things like making a bullet journal or junk journaling, which are more artistic forms of journaling. Having a space for writing down your feelings, thoughts, or aspirations can still make you happy! Or, if you aren’t one for writing down your thoughts physically, audio or video journaling works too. I love video diaries because I can just talk to the phone and I don’t feel like I have to structure my thoughts.
- Make fun outfits and actually wear them! Ever feel like you have cute clothes but have nowhere to wear them? Just make an outfit out of different pieces in your closet and put it on. Mix and match pieces you already have and make some cute new combinations. You could choose to wear it inside or wear it for a whole day. The point is to build up confidence and feel good about what you are wearing.Â
Additional Date Ideas:
- Stargazing. Go out at night and look at the stars. See if you know any constellations or try to learn some new ones.Â
- Watch the sunset. Bring a blanket and go watch the sun set. You can bring snacks or even a speaker for music.
- Alphabet dating, but for solo dates! This is an idea that has crossed my mind, but I have never had time to try. Essentially, alphabet dating is when you go on a date to a place or experience that starts with “A”, like an aquarium or amusement park, and then the next date you go on, you go to a place or experience that starts with “B”, like bowling or a botanical garden. The idea is that every date you go on is consistently guided by moving down the alphabet and going to a place that begins with the next letter (C, D, E, F, etc…). There are plenty of example lists online that you can follow, or you can make up your own! If you are daring enough to try it, go for it!Â
The main ideas of a solo date are that you enjoy yourself and do something for yourself, so here are a couple of tips I like to use whenever I go out on a solo date to get the most out of each experience:
- Keep technology use to a minimum. When you are doing something nice for yourself, like going out for dinner, the last thing you want to remember from the date is how funny that one Instagram reel was (speaking from experience). I like to turn my phone on silent for most of the time, only using it if I need to communicate about something important or to take photos of my outfit or the surroundings.
- Treat Yo Self! You deserve it. When you go out to dinner with your friends or a significant other, you want to feel like the other person/people care about you and are treating you well, so why not do that for yourself? That being said, the next tip is:
- Make a budget. I like to plan ahead to make sure I don’t overspend, so I have extra spending money for later, or even the next solo date. Whether that means making a reservation and checking out the prices of an event online beforehand. It may also help to write down the amount of money you are going to spend and stick to it. Having a budget can keep you on track for your solo date.
Have fun! Solo dates are for you, so do something that brings you joy! Nothing is too crazy as long as it makes you happy.