Uni’s out, and the great, glorious summer is ahead of you. Now you’ve swapped big, open revision books for the open sky, you may be wondering what to do with your time.
Before you know it, your flat will be empty again – your flatmates will have gone home to sleep all day in their childhood beds, or they’ll be working all summer to pay for the next one. And you will be, too. So make the most of your time now, and don’t let summer pass you by!
Here are 5 things to do with your flatmates this summer!
Look, I know we’re talking about British weather here. It’s famous for being unpredictable, and more often than not, our summers can be pretty disappointing.
But, on the off chance that the Sun may look down favourably upon the British Isles for once, you absolutely should take advantage of it. What better way to combat the searing heat of a 20+-degree day by investing in a paddling pool?
Finding the place to put it may be your biggest foe – particularly if you’re transporting buckets of water from your kitchen sink to your pool outside – but when that challenge is conquered, then the sunny vibes will never stop.
If you can’t find an outside area in which to splash and chill, then your flat may be a good idea – as long you’re happy to face the consequences of not preparing your kitchen floor fully.
Plus it’s a funny little way to enjoy some nostalgia, isn’t it?
On the subject of enjoying the weather, all your enjoyment will inevitably make you hungry!
When the sun’s out, your local supermarkets will reliably bring out their instant barbecues too. As they’re pretty cheap they won’t bust your student bank account either. You need to think mainly about what food you want to buy, whether you’re buying for yourself or for multiple people. Eating good food with good friends is the best way to spend an afternoon!
With the days getting longer and the nights warmer, there’s never been a better time to hit the town. It’s likely you already know that, of course, and are taking full advantage of the warmer air. If you’re not up for a club night, however, a pub crawl might just take your fancy.
Pub crawls, whether you prefer the intense stamina-stretching nights, or taking your time to relax and enjoy it, are definitely best suited to summer. They mean you can actually talk to your flatmates instead of being enveloped by heavy, thumping music constantly, and you’re not as pressured to drink alcohol when sober alternatives are on show and normalised. Plus you can sit outside, hold a decent conversation, and watch the setting sun together.
You also get to experience different parts of your uni home, walking down streets you may not have found otherwise (especially if your uni has a campus). Cities and towns can come alive before you with every exploration you take part in, and you’ll all have fond memories of taking on the town.
You could only be cool when you were younger if you had a laser tag birthday party. At least, that’s what I thought as a kid. I may have grown up now but, honestly, I still think laser tag is immensely cool.
If you’re in a big city for uni, there’s a high chance that you’ll find a laser tag establishment in your city centre somewhere. They won’t be just for kids, either.
You will get warm, and you will get sweaty, but it’s likely that was going to be the case in summer anyway. What you will get is an adrenaline kick, a chance to put your combat game skills to the test and a great day out with your flatmates that you’ll be talking about for months to come.
A classic at this time of the year, one of the best ways to spend your time with friends is to dedicate two hours of your life to looking at a screen and not your friends. Collectively. But it really is worthwhile! And with the (hopefully) sunnier weather, open-air cinemas should be less of a challenging affair than it would be in colder months.
There’s a real sense of community that comes with outdoor movie nights, not least because you’re there as you like the film being displayed. In this world of streaming, dark cinemas and binge-watching, this doesn’t tend to be the case anymore. If you watch a film, you’re probably only going to go with three or four other people at the very most. With outdoor movies, you’re all there to enjoy it. Together.
Watching a well-loved film with your mates is the ultimate bonding moment for friendship groups. It’s often a good laugh and a stress-free way of finding a thing to do that everyone will like. If it’s outdoors, too, it’s more a moment, and a memory for you to look back on and smile at.
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