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Why A Night In Can Be Just as Fun as a Night Out

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

When you come to college, all of a sudden you are thrust into this world of three day weekends and people constantly being down to party. Personally, I had no idea that Thirsty Thursday was a thing until I came to school. Now, it’s common terminology, and going out on a Thursday isn’t any stranger than going out on a Friday or Saturday.

Don’t get me wrong—I love going out. Dancing and party hopping can be extremely fun when you’re in the mood, and when you’re with the right people. But when you’re not, it’s miserable. On those nights, where I just can’t muster up the will to shower, blow dry my hair, do my hair, do my makeup, and find an outfit (way too much time goes into this get-ready process), I’ll simply stay in. 

Sometimes when I don’t go out, I’ll get asked, “Why would you stay in on a weekend? These are the only days of our lives that we can do this!” And that’s totally fine. For me, a good night in can be just as fun as a good night out if I’m doing something fun.

There are several things you need to have a good night in. First, you should try to rope some of your friends into staying in with you. Having a nice Netflix movie night to yourself in bed is super relaxing, but if you still want to hang out with people, try to get them to come hang out with you.

Then, you need food. Ordering food is a staple part of every weekend, no matter if you go out or stay in. Get Chinese food, wings, pizza—the opportunities around here are endless. Lastly, you need a form of entertainment. One of my favorite things is to play Cards Against Humanity, but you could even just pop in a movie and sit there and pig out.

College is all about balance. Classes, work, extracurriculars—everything has a time and a place, but you need to find it. The same goes for going out. I’ve done it many times before, and going out three nights in a row makes for a rough Sunday. So don’t be afraid to stay in one of the nights and just chill out. As long as you’ve got your friends, and a large amount of food to consume, you’ll be just fine.

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Andrea Lee is a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Majoring in Communication, she is planning on pursuing interests in many different fields and taking different classes in order to find what she loves best. Andrea was an editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, and has loved to write for her whole life. Coming from the small town of Walpole, Andrea was overwhelmed by the large university but has found it to be her new home and loves being on campus.
Contributors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst