Whilst clubbing is seen as the most participated in student experience it is a well-known fact that it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Manchester has a lot to offer in terms of activities to do with friends but there are also many suggestions that can be done at home with minimum cost. Especially as a second-year student I feel as though now is the time when clubbing can become quite repetitive and almost like a chore within friendship groups, meaning that now is the perfect time to explore alternative ways for you and your friends to enjoy university life outside of work.

1.     Themed dinner nights

This is the perfect way to turn something so simple into a more fun, memorable night. Hosting a themed dinner party with the add on of decorations, costumes and even themed food is a drastic change from clubbing. this can be done as a sober night or even a drinking one with themed cocktails.

2.     Game night

A game night is always a fan favourite among university students as it is simple yet effective whilst also being open to flexibility of introducing drinks or consequences for losing. It is often a cheap, easy night of fun as many people have old board games laying around so the need to go out and buy some is often not necessary. However, if for some reason you do not then many student bars provide board games and so those night can be taken outside of the home. Grove Bar, for example, supplies games like Jenga, Twister, Uno and even some truthful question-based games (this is additionally a great way to transform the night out of the home and use it as an excuse to still go out).

3.     Escape Room

An escape room is vastly different from the experience of clubbing and so can be quite nice if you and your friends are looking for something completely different. Manchester especially is a diverse city with a lot of activities available, so you are guaranteed to find something that works. An Escape Room is the perfect way to enjoy time with your friends whilst not having to set anything up yourselves. Breakout Manchester for example is equipped with 17 unique rooms to ensure you and your friends can participate in something of interest to everyone.

4.     Fitness classes

The university offers such a diverse variety of fitness classes that you and your friends can attend for extremely cheap prices. During dry January a favourite among my friendship group was the yoga classes provided by the yoga society – an amazing way to spend time with friends whilst also relaxing after the famous stress of exams. Dance classes are also a personal favourite as they are a bit more upbeat whilst being completely open to all levels allowing you to drag friends along of any capabilities (I’ve learnt that this can be difficult but achievable with a bit of persuading!)

5.     At home Come Dine with Me

As something that me and my friends participated in last year, I can confidently say that this is my favourite. You and your friends will split into even groups and then host a come dine with me night where at the end each team will provide a rating, the group with the highest rating at the end wins. To make things more interesting we ruled that each group’s night had to be themed however this can be subject to change based on your wants. Not only is this unique but it also runs over for a few weekends meaning that it is not just one night of fun.

6.     Karaoke Night

Another personal favourite is a karaoke night (me and my friends prefer this after a few drinks however it can be enjoyed completely sober). There are many karaoke rooms around Manchester meaning that it is all about finding one’s that suit your needs however if you do not wish to travel past university then Grove Bar, located next to Whitworth, is known to host karaoke nights on Friday (this also means that you do not pay to sing, simply show up and enjoy). However, if you would rather stay at home with friends then karaoke can easily become a cosy night with added challenges for more intricacy.

Overall, despite the belief that university students only go clubbing in their spare time it’s clear that that is not the only option available. Even if partying is something you enjoy it is still nice to change things up to keep things feeling fun and exciting – whether this is participating in games nights or venturing out to karaoke rooms!