When you go to a school like Penn State, it can feel pretty lonely when it seems like everyone except you is partying on the weekends. If you are similar to me and do not want to spend every night of the weekend going out, here are some ideas to make the evenings less dull.
Themed-Movie Nights
If you are looking for a way to make a simple movie night more entertaining, try to find a theme. One way to do this is to create a menu where all the snacks have to be related to the movie.
For example, if the movie of choice is “Twilight,” try making (or ordering) mushroom ravioli and Charlie’s mixed berry cobbler. Bonus points if you bust out some old “Twilight” merch from the movie premiere.
School Sponsored Events
There is always some sort of event happening around campus if you look hard enough. Whether that is a sporting event, a club-sponsored bingo night or any SPA-organized event, you just have to do some digging to find it. Make sure to check out the posters in the HUB or other common areas around campus to see what is being advertised for the weekend.
Roommate Kahoot
I saw a group of friends do this on TikTok and it looked like a ton of fun. Go to kahoot.com and create a game with your roommates or friend group where the questions are all about each other. Up the stakes of the game by saying the winner does not have to do chores for a week or chip in on the next pizza ordered.
2000 Degrees
If you want to do some people-watching while painting a mug or bowl for your college apartment, I highly recommend sitting in the window seat of 2000 Degrees. The pottery studio is located in downtown State College and is fairly affordable for the average college student.
Game Night
Game night is a tried and true testament to spending an evening with friends that does not have to revolve around drinking and partying. If no one has any games on hand, run to Walmart or even try a thrift store to see what they have to offer. If all else fails, try making a game up on your own similar to True American from “New Girl.”
State Theatre
The State Theatre in downtown State College is always hosting events and showing classic movies like “Mean Girls” or “Elf.” If you are looking to get out of your dorm room, but cannot catch a ride to the College 9 theater out on Carnegie Drive, the State Theatre is within walking distance from campus.
Host a Bake-Off
When I was growing up, my friends and I used to have cooking challenges all the time to see who could come up with the best dish with a limited amount of time and resources. I know college kitchens are small (if you are fortunate enough to even have access to one), but that can make the challenge even more memorable. Set limitations on the price spent, ingredients used or even what kitchen appliances can be used.
Partying and drinking every weekend is not for everyone, and that is totally okay. I hope these ideas can give you some weekend activity inspiration for when you do not want to do schoolwork.