Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

8 Ways To Have The Perfect College Sleepover

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Iowa chapter.

Sleepovers frequented our free weekends of high school and junior high (and even elementary school if you were cool). But who says we can’t carry on the tradition in college? No doubt slumber parties are different in college (Hello? We have booze now); we may be free from the confines of our parents’ basements, but we also don’t have them to buy doughnuts for us in the morning. Here’s how to make a college sleepover the best it can be!

1. Find the popping-est location

Choose a bestie’s apartment with plenty of floor space and a TV with either Netflix capabilities or a DVD player. This would also preferably be a place with zero annoying roommates or crabby neighbors (believe me, you’ll be giggling and prancing around and doing that uninterrupted is crucial to having fun). Feel free to have a full-blown pillow fight to relieve the stress of the week once you are in the clear!

2. Bring on the snacks

The best strategy here is to go potluck style. We’re all broke af, so it’s not a bad idea to have each girl bring something to share. Popcorn and brownies are highly encouraged.

3. Create a bar

Make your sleepover a wine night or blend up some margs. It will help everyone take a little of the edge off and encourage spontaneous dance parties. If booze isn’t your thing, get creative with smoothies or milkshakes! You can’t really go wrong.

4. Don your comfiest PJs

It’s a pretty common pattern in college to stop caring about appearance so much. Skip the clichĂ© silky PJ set in favor of your biggest t-shirt and oldest sweatpants, and encourage your friends to do the same! Comfort over cuteness. Bonus points for zero makeup and unshaven legs!  

5. Compile your jazziest tunes

If there’s one thing I am completely obsessed with, it’s making playlists. I have made one absolutely perfect for a girls’ night. If High School Musical isn’t quite your thing, there are all kinds of playlists created on Spotify to choose from. Otherwise, there’s nothing better than customizing your own with songs you know will get everyone dancing.

6. Break out all the old rom-coms

The idea of having a sleepover is itself filled with nostalgia. Why not carry that out with your old fave movies you would have watched back in the day? From Aquamarine to 13 Going on 30, you’ll find yourself reciting lines you didn’t know you had stored in your brain, all the while laughing with your besties.

7. Pamper yoself

There really isn’t anything better than getting the gals together for manis and face masks. You could even lounge around in robes with cucumber slices covering your eyes if you’re feeling fancy. You’ll feel relaxed, and the pictures will be iconic.

8. Take lots of pics

Even though you’re in your ‘jams and might have green goo covering your face, getting all the girls together is the perfect opportunity to document the great mems you’ll make.

No matter how crazy college may get, between schoolwork and partying, it is never a bad idea to have a relaxing, fun night in with your girlfriends. 

Paige Netzel is a senior at the University of Iowa, studying English and Creative Writing with a Cinema minor. Coffee, creating playlists, and gratitude are essential to keeping her going. Check her out on Twitter for some hecka funny tweets or on Spotify for those dope playlists.
U Iowa chapter of the nation's #1 online magazine for college women.Â