As much as first year is the best opportunity you have to go wild and spend about 75% of your time in clubs/bars, that's not everybody's cup of tea. You don't have to feel left out and anti-social just because clubbing isn't your scene. Nights in don't have to be boring, they'll provide your club-going friends with a well needed rest from all of that partying, and will allow you to play host and prove to them that you don't need to go out to have fun!
Host a cheese & wine evening. If you're partial to a drink but would rather have it in the comfort of your own home than out among the blaring music and the sweaty people, a cheese and wine evening might be perfect for you. Ask everybody to bring a bottle, Barefoot wine is about £6.50 which is super affordable. Your guests would bring their own alcohol for pre-drinks so it isn't as if you're being rude by not providing it for them, but as the host you can buy in the cheese and crackers. If you have a bit more money then you can go for a few different types of cheese, and maybe some grapes/nuts/crisps/breads, but if not then even just some simple Jacobs crackers and a block of cheddar will do the trick! Stick some fairy lights up and head down to Wilkos to buy some wine glasses if you don't own any already, they'll come in handy again once this evening is deemed a success! Cut your cheese up and lay out your crackers/bread, it might be nice to wear comfy clothes - even pyjamas if you all live in the same block or wouldn't mind walking over in them - and then welcome your guests! Good food, good wine and good company are bound to make for nothing short of a good evening! This night in is suitable year round, be it on a cold December night, after a sunny day in May at the end of exam season, or anywhere in between!
Have a brunch date! I know it isn't technically a night in, but it can definitely follow a night out! Your friends have all been out and are hanging now, but luckily you're ready to come to the rescue with a nice brunch. It's worth saying that you don't just have to have an activity 'in' because you don't like going out, you can love going out but just fancy a change sometimes, and a brunch date might be that change! You could do a full English, a continental platter, fruits and granola, anything that takes your fancy! Lay it all out on your table, set some places, tell everyone to bring a bowl or a plate if you don't have enough, and dig in! You can add prosseco or Bucks Fizz if you want to be fancy, everyone can chip in a couple of quid if you need them to, or you can take it in turns to host and cover the cost! A big breakfast is a great way to start your day, and sometimes it's nice to eat with other people and make a bit of an occasion of it!
This one is only appropriate throughout the month of October, and really only during the latter half of the month if you don't want to them to rot before Halloween even arrives, but a pumpkin carving evening might be a great way to hang out as a flat/house. Pumpkin's are on sale in supermarkets like Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's etc. for pretty cheap, as are carving kits - although you can just use a marker and a knife! Set some newspaper down, get the bin bags at the ready for all of the pumpkin guts, and carve away! If you want to you can pop on a horror film, prepare trick or treat snacks to nibble on, even make a night of it and decorate your digs! Once they're carved out you can pop some tealight candles in (Wilkos sell packs of these for very cheap) and put them in your windows to show them off to the rest of the accommodation/street.
Though limited to a season, a Christmas Night In is something you can do over and over again throughout December. By this point of the academic year you'll be working on essays, so it's maybe time to give the clubbing a bit of a rest and get your head down. Let's be honest though, that's going to be dull. You need something to look forward to, and a Christmas themed evening is perfect for anybody who is willing to partake in the festive joy of the season! Mull some wine, make some paper chains and snowflakes, ask everyone in the flat to put £5 in towards an artificial tree and decorate it together, get the Baileys out of the cupboard and into your hot chocolate, play Christmas music, watch Christmas films - there are SO many things you can do as part of a Christmas night in! You can do one thing per night, or five things, it's really up to you. Christmas baking would be a great way to give your flat a delicious smell, but if you're not that skilled in the kitchen then go buy some mince pies instead! You could do a Secret Santa evening, decorate a gingerbread house or even just sit and write out Christmas Cards together.
Have a BBQ. Disposable BBQ's can be found in the pound shops, Wilkos, supermarkets and even in your local corner shop! Once the sun is out then there will be stacks of these by the tills, so grab a couple and find yourself a designated cook. Get some beers and ciders on chill for a few hours beforehand, or if you're not a drinker then some non-alcoholic beverages, buy a picnic blanket maybe and lay it out, then bring down all of the plates and cutlery, the drinks, and the meat/vegetarian alternatives, and get cooking! Be careful not to give yourselves food poisoning, turn the meat regularly and keep an eye on it, but also kick back and relax with some music on while you enjoy the company of your friends.
Have a typical 'Girls Night In' with face masks, snacks, drinks, DVD's and gossip. You can either pile into someone's bedroom or take your duvets into the lounge and get settled in there for the night! Face masks like the one to the left cost £1 each in shops like Boots, Superdrug & Primark. Snacks and drinks can be as simple (a bag of Haribos, a tube of pringles and a hot chocolate) or as luxurious (gooey Camembert, a box of chocolates and a glass of prosecco) as you like!
Alternatively, a lads night is also a good option. Sat round the Xbox with a crate of beers and a take-out pizza, playing Fortnite until 4am, wasting money on the skins, and having some time away from your lovely, but rather draining girlfriends.
As you can see, there are loads of alternatives to going out and getting wasted in a busy club. I hope that you'll find some inspiration from this post for a well deserved night in!