TGIF! School is done for the week and all of your friends are ecstatic to go out for the night, but you’re just not feeling it. Maybe you have an overwhelming amount of homework, your outing from last week is still not sitting well with you, or you’re just exhausted from the stressful week of school. Whatever the reason is, here’s a secret — you don’t need an excessive amount of alcohol, or even to leave your home, to have fun!
- Self-Care
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After a long week of school, what better way to de-stress than with a spa night by yourself or with the girls. Light those pumpkin spice candles, draw yourself a hot bath — with bath bombs of course — and pop on a cool, soothing face mask to clear out those pores. You can hear the relaxation already!
- Movie Marathon
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Yeah, movie theaters are cool, but have you thought about the expensive tickets, no pauses for bathroom breaks, no talking, overpriced snacks and uncomfy chairs? Instead, you could move that right into your living room. Create a sea of pillows and blankets and plop on top of it in your pajamas with a giant supply of all your favorite candies and snacks. Binge watching a Netflix show, enjoying a cheesy rom com or giving yourself a good scare with a horror film all make for a night that is just as good — or even better — than a movie theater!
- Game Night
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Unplug from your phones and have some “old-fashioned” fun! Gather up a bunch of friends to play board games like Sorry or Chutes and Ladders, or card games like Ueker or Spoons. If you don’t have any games, just remember that not all games need supplies! Bringing it back to high school, you can always play a couple rounds of Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever to make some hilarious memories with your friends!
- Cooking or Baking
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Become a Gordon Ramsay or Rachael Ray for the night and show off your best cooking or baking skills! If you’re missing your mom’s famous, home-cooked meals and sick of microwavable food, cook a fancy meal in your apartment with your roommates. Not forgetting about dessert, of course — after dinner, you can bake some delicious cookies, brownies or even cupcakes for a late-night snack!
- Karaoke
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Instead of going to a party, bring the party to you! Turn on your speaker and play some good Taylor Swift throwbacks, the classic “Dancing Queen” by Abba or any other song you can scream at the top of your lungs with your friends. Dance the night away right on your living room floor!
- Video Games
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Bring out your inner middle school self and use or borrow a Wii or Xbox console. Whether you are competing in Wii Sports, jamming out in Just Dance or figuring out what is so great about Fortnite, there are plenty of games that will keep you and your friends busy for hours!
- Physical Activity
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If you don’t feel like being lazy all night, try to do something active like yoga or a workout! You could go to the Natatorium to join a group fitness class for the night, or you could bring up a fitness video and work out right in your apartment — either way, you’re burning calories on a weekend instead of gaining them!
- Girl Talk
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If none of these ideas have seemed appealing to you and your friends, do what girls do best — just talk! Don’t lie, everyone loves some juicy gossip once in a while. Not only gossip, but everyone also loves having super deep talks. Nothing is better than having friends that you can laugh for hours with, but also be able to turn the conversation around and have deep conversations that make your relationships stronger in the end.
- Prank War
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If you’re feeling goofy, there’s no better way to use that energy than in a prank war! Pranking either your BFFs, roommates or the boys down the hall in your apartment, there’s endless ideas and opportunities that await your exciting night!
- DIY
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Show your creative side for the night and do some arts and crafts. Whether you want to paint like Bob Ross, build some decorations to fill your apartment or make a wide variety of friendship bracelets, there are plenty of options when it comes to DIY crafts.
Weekends are the chance for students to forget about school for a couple days and make memories to last a lifetime. Even if you’re not going out, there are plenty of different ways to make your weekends exciting, fun and memorable!