Whenever I tell people that I don’t really like to go to parties, I get a strange look. They say “Aren’t you in college? Don’t you go to a party school? What do you do if you don’t go to parties?” I’m used to these questions and have a standard response that I give, but it actually bothers me whenever someone asks them. Yes, I’m in college. That doesn’t automatically make me a partier. Yes, my school does have a reputation as a party school, but that doesn’t mean everyone who goes there likes to party. And what do I do? Well, a lot of things, actually. My friends and I have movie nights, game nights, pizza nights, or we just hang out and talk. Just because I don’t party doesn’t mean I sit around in my room doing nothing.
In my opinion, the fun part of going out is getting ready to go out, when I’m hanging with my friends and we’re all running into each other's rooms asking “Does this look good on me?” or “Can you do my hair?” Blasting music, dancing around, putting on clothes and makeup that make you feel good, that’s all super fun. Taking Insta-worthy pictures, funny Snapchat videos, laughing ‘til your abs hurt, that’s what’s fun to me about going out. But once it's actually time to leave, it quickly loses its appeal.
First off, the walk to a party can vary between anywhere from 10-45 minutes, depending on where it is. I’m too broke to call an Uber everywhere I go, so walking is the only option, and a long walk in the dark is never much fun, especially if you’re in heels. Second, once you get to the party, it's so loud you can barely hear yourself speak, let alone the person next to you. I love dancing, so it's always fun to dance at parties, but once it gets too hot, it's not fun anymore. I like when I can find someone to talk to, and actually have a nice conversation with, but a college party is not the place that’s going to happen.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that parties suck and no one should waste their time on them. What I’m saying is that given the choice between going to a party and having a movie night with my friends, I will personally almost always choose the movie night. A night of pizza and movies with my friends where we spend the whole time laughing and talking until 2 a.m. is so much more fun to me than going to a party where I can’t even hear myself think. Those are the nights that I remember for a long time to come, because they create bonds and inside jokes, and memories that last. Each night is unique; each night has a specific memory tied to it that will make me smile whenever I think about it. To me, those nights are always more fun than a night spent at a party that I probably won’t even remember in a few weeks.
