Believe it or not, you don’t have to go out and get plastered every night to have a good time in college. Trust me, I am living proof and I say this with confidence. Going out on a Friday, Saturday (or any day really) isn’t my cup of tea. I feel much more content spending my night sitting in bed relaxing or hanging out with some friends.
I don’t have anything against people who do go out but, I do have a little soft spot in my heart for those who don’t. So, my fellow “stayer inners”, this one is for you. Here are some things that I have learned since beginning to stay in during college:
1.ALONE TIME
Alone time is good! I have found that alone time is essential in college or you’ll literally go insane. Usually, on a Friday or Saturday night campus is completely dead. Not too many people are around because everyone is out. This is where alone time comes in. Taking some time to be with yourself, gather your thoughts and relax is awesome. It is a huge stress reliever and something that I think is very important when you’re constantly surrounded by people in the college setting.
2.PRODUCTIVITY
Just because I don’t go out doesn’t mean I do absolutely nothing all night. Being alone calls for a decrease in distractions. Which, In turn, leads to a lot more of the things you want to get done, getting done. I get a TON of homework done on the nights that I stay in.
3. FEELING GREAT
One of my favorite things about not going out in college is that I can get up and go the next morning. No hangovers to hold me back or keep me from wanting to leave my bed. I’m a big morning person, and have most of my energy at that time of day. Being able to get up with ease is something that makes me purely happy.
4. HEALTH
I try and go to the gym every day. How annoying do you think it would feel to have all of the hard work that you did at the gym all week taken away from you? This is exactly what going out does to you. The calories that come along with drinking (or buying pizza at 2 a.m. after drinking… ha) just aren’t worth it. Knowing that spending a Friday night out is just leaving behind all of the hard work that I did at the gym that week is one of the biggest reasons why I hate going out.
5. MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Beginning to stay in rather than go out every weekend in college has taught me that there is much more to college than just the drinking culture. While going out and having fun is a HUGE part of most college student’s lives, it isn’t for me, and that’s perfectly fine. After all, you’re paying for an education- not to drink every night.