How to spend Friday night alone
Dedicated to every introverted college freshman who ever existed
As you walk down the hallway to your room, the silence is overwhelming. Passing by door after door, you hear nothing but your feet dragging across the carpet floor as you make your way to the bastion of solitude you know very well on nights like these. Friday. Party night. It seems like everyone went out to have a good time with their friends as they possibly drink things, do things, do things, do others, etc. Even Rebecca Black is aware of the festivities that take place today, and she wasn’t even a college student. Only on days like these will you compare yourself to her, you say. Only today.
I have definitely had my fair share of lonely Friday nights, one part because my roommate gets back late doing who knows what and another part because I can be as introverted as a black hole. But that does not stop me from having fun le vendredi soir on my own terms and with minimal tears. And yes, there is always Netflix, online gaming, Tinder, or whatever you might do to occupy yourself, but there are plenty of other options.
I’ve gotten pretty good at holding parties of one, and if you’re in any way similar to me (awesome-sauce and you know it, but you don’t really care to show it), here are some things you can do to pass the time with minimal crime (and I really mean that).
- Do something you might be insecure about that interests you
This suggestion applies for any sort of creative, physical, or artistic activity, especially the ones you think are embarrassing or questionable. Being alone gives you the chance to explore your imagination, talents, and possibilities without fear of judgment or weird looks as your roommate stares at your attempt to draw your favorite Bob’s Burgers ship (Bob + the Deli Guy of course). Think of your room as a playground, a safe space, your own studio—whatever you like—and then, get to work!
For example, although I’m not the best singer — not great at all, really — I find that the only time I can sing is when I know I am alone and no one can hear me. So on Friday nights, my room is pretty much a karaoke lounge, or I head down to the music rooms to sing to and play the piano. It sounds pretty lame, but over time I’ve built up more confidence in my voice and the whole world of singing is just so interesting to me that I’m considering joining an acapella group here at Cal (we’ll see how that goes aha).
Basically, being alone can enable so much self-discovery and life-skills if you allow yourself to play. Losing yourself in an experimental way passes the time well, and maybe you’ll defeat some insecurities along the way.
2. Consider improving your physical fitness
If you’re already a work-out enthusiast, then wow, that’s great. *pumps fist, chants your name* But if you’re like me and understand that it’s always good to exercise, but seldom actually exercise, then please, listen up. Exercise. Right now, if possible.
I don’t think you will ever regret exercising if the reason why you exercise is because it’s good for you. It’s a great stress reliever, your body will thank you, and it passes the time very smoothly. If you like the idea of gyms but hate the intimidating environment that only makes you feel unfit, then feel good that there are less people there on a Friday night. If you love your room ever so much, most likely because you are paying a good chunk of money for it, you can lay some towels on the floor or even buy a yoga mat and exercise however you like. Try a few workout challenges on YouTube and/or play some music to get you pumped. The most important thing is to actually get active instead of reading this and going “That’s nice, I should work out.” Nah gurl/bro, drop and give me ten.
Woooo, after you have done ten of whatever you thought I was referring to, let’s go to number three.
3. Reorganize and improve your living space
Okay, this tip is actually pretty cool and I really want to share this with you. Do you know how much of a difference your living environment makes on your day? Think about it. How many times have you needed to find or untangle your earphones, laptop cord, phone charger cord, Ethernet cord, or blowdrier cord from your trusty outlet? Or lost your keys in the vortex that is your room? Or stubbed your toes on that carelessly-positioned dresser? Or uncomfortably wiggled your way into your desk? Or hit your head on the bed frame? Or screamed at the clutter on your desk/closet/floor/entire room? Yeah I know, that’s a lot of frustration.
One great thing about being the ruler of the room is that you can freely move around your furniture, tidy up the space, and experiment with innovative ideas that can improve your day-to-day life greatly. For example, if you want to lose your keys less, buy plastic hooks that have adhesives on the backs and stick them to your walls. Now you can hang your keys, laundry bags, backpack, clock, etc. and find it when you need it. If you hate the way your desk is positioned, move it in a way that won’t be bothersome. If you have way too many things everywhere all the time, go overdrive on cleaning tonight and feel the freedom tomorrow and probably the next three days if your life is a mess like mine. In short, always try to find creative ways to improve your living space. It’ll improve your everyday life more than you would expect, and it gives you something to do for the night. Home Improvement isn't a great show for a bad reason.
4. Plan your future
My final tip could be the most unrelated and subjective, but I’m putting it down anyways. Sure, you might think tonight is totally lame and you wish you had something really cool to do. Tips 1–3 sounded pretty awkward and you don’t expect yourself to be doing any of those things. Fine. Regardless of what you might be thinking right now, if I could say one last thing that I know will really fight lonely college night 100% of the time is to plan for the future.
And what do I mean by that? I mean realistically and actively thinking about where you want to be at this exact same time tomorrow, the next day, next Friday, in a month, a year; basically, I want you to engage in your future. At first, think big. Look for scholarship and internship opportunities that interest you. Think about where you dream of working someday. Look into graduate school if you’re so inclined. Then, take a step back and think about the little steps you can take to reach those big goals. Look for job opportunities, do research on clubs and organizations you can join next semester, map out your future schedule, or get on the email lists of big-boy companies and people that inspire you. Once you've explored all the routes, walk down them. March down them with conviction and an iron will. You can waste a year dreaming about the future but spend only a second to change the present. It is my greatest hope that you will achieve the things you plan for, and, with enough persistence, organization, and lonely Friday nights, you have a greater chance of something great.
And, perhaps, fewer lonely Friday nights.
