If you ever fancy a break from relentless partying at Jimmy’s, there are so many fun, sober, and affordable activities you can do with your housemates and friends in Durham. As much as it’s fun to go out, some of your favourite nights at uni will be when staying at home and spending quality time with your housemates. Here are some of the things my housemates and I do most nights at uni to relax after long days of lectures and studying (or not really studying).
Baking and cooking together
One of the things my housemates and I love doing is baking. Not only is it fun to do, but it also gives you a sweet treat to enjoy throughout the week! Particularly, we love baking Nutella brownies as they’re both delicious and cost-effective.
You also don’t have to be great at baking, as you can get pre-made mixes that are still so tasty. It’s great fun cooking meals with your housemates too. We have had many nacho nights, fajita nights, and pasta nights. And all of these are fun and easy to make and share. My personal favourite is my housemate Anna’s carbonara, it’s so delicious! Plus, with only four ingredients, this is the perfect recipe for a low-effort, high-reward meal and activity.
Painting or colouring together
Painting or colouring is another affordable, fun, and (maybe) sober activity you can do with your housemates. Our house invested in some paint by numbers, colouring books, and colouring pens, which was absolutely worth it. We spent almost every night in second year either painting or colouring whilst watching Grey’s Anatomy (if you haven’t watched this, you need to). This is such a mindful and therapeutic activity, and really did help me relax during exam season this year!
Movie Nights
This is just such a lovely and chill activity to do. We had so many movie nights in our house last year – and we loved watching light-hearted comedies, especially during summative season. My personal favourite was Freaky Friday! We also loved doing this in December, when it is freezing cold in Durham. Watching a Christmas movie, with a hot chocolate and some popcorn, is definitely the perfect night in.
Going for walks
Chill and free – plus in one of the prettiest cities ever. Perfect. Going on walks with my housemates was something that really helped me to manage my stress levels, especially during exam season. Durham is so beautiful and there are so many nice walks to go on. Sometimes you just need to get some fresh air and have a nice chat with your friend. I did this a lot during my 24 hour exams and they really helped me to clear my mind and take a well-needed break.
Having games nights
Wholesome, versatile, and exciting – especially if you get competitive. Anyone who knows me will know this is my favourite thing to do with my friends! A games night is always so much fun and doesn’t have to (but can…) involve alcohol. Whether you play a board game like Monopoly, or a simple card game like snap, a games night is always such a laugh and can really help you to bond more with your housemates. It’s also really fun if one of your housemates has a Wii/Nintendo Switch! We had so many Mario Kart nights last year, which I couldn’t recommend more!
Doing a jigsaw puzzle
Hear me out on this one… Jigsaw puzzles are genuinely brilliant fun. I bought a jigsaw puzzle in the last week of second year and all of my housemates got involved to help me finish it (which I appreciated because I am awful at puzzles!). It is such a fun and productive thing to do with your housemates while also having a chat or maybe watching a movie in the background. I’ll definitely be getting more puzzles to do with my housemates in third year. There’s nothing more satisfying than fitting the last piece…
Decorating the house
Decorating your house is not only fun to do, it also gives you a living space that feels more like a home! It also doesn’t have to be expensive to do either. My housemates and I decorated our house for Christmas by making gingerbread houses out of cardboard and making snowflakes out of paper (which in itself was a lovely, wholesome activity). We also displayed paintings we had done around the living room.
Pro tip: fairy lights are always a great addition to make your house feel more cosy and homely!
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