A guide to the best themed nights for Lancs students to try with their flat

Just a few ways to celebrate getting through exam season

3 years ago | UPDATED 3 years ago

This year has certainly been more different for students than usual. With no freshers, no bars, and no nightclubs, options for going out have been severely limited. Alongside all the opportunities to meet new people and see what Lancaster nightlife has to offer, students have also missed out on themed social nights with their societies, which is a fool proof way to bond with new people, and to miss your nine am Thursday seminar.

Being the creative, and slightly bored, students that we are, my flat have been consistently attempting to get everyone involved in dressing up to a different theme on a Friday night. It is arguably pointless to dress up to simply hang out with the same people in the same place, but you can’t blame a girl for trying. Regardless, what better way is there to prepare for upcoming Extravs than trying out a theme of your own?

Dress to Impress

A theme requiring minimal effort. It will be hard for your flatmates to say no to this one. Just pretend it’s a “normal” Friday night, and throw on your best jeans-and-a-nice-top combo from the back of your wardrobe as if you’re heading out to the Sir Richard Owen, followed by Sugar.

Sure, you’re really just going to your communal kitchen to get plastered off cheap vodka from Aldi for the fourth night running, but after a few drinks you’re bound to forget.

Dressing up as each other

A perfect bonding experience in our first term was for everyone to pick a partner and dress up in their clothes for the night. I don’t know a single person who didn’t thoroughly enjoy this, as we also spent the rest of the evening imitating each other as well. Naturally, we finished our night like any freshers on campus this year, by doing our routine campus walk in the dark, hoping no one would question our fashion choices.

Polaroid Photoshoot

Since polaroid and disposable cameras are becoming popular ways of documenting your experiences, there is a lot of fun to be had by throwing on some funky outfits and visiting iconic places around Lancaster to take pictures.

This retro style can romanticise even the dreaded circuit laundry room, or eerily quiet Alexandra Square at one am. If all else fails, you can bug your flatmates by getting them to take pictures of you holding various kitchen appliances in different places. Bonus points if you manage to snap a picture of some ducks out on your travels.

Monochrome Night

I’m sure this theme could easily be repeated in freshers come October, and it simply requires dressing head-to-toe in one colour. It could be orange, pink, or black if you want to take the easy option. And if you wish to extend the theme further, challenge yourself to only drinking liquids of this colour for the rest of the night.

Year Six Disco

This was one of our favourite themes to try last term, where we all dressed up as our 11-year-old selves and threw up peace signs and our best pouts for the camera. We even laid out a year-six-style buffet, with cupcakes and mini rolls, and our own cocktail named “Intercourse on the Shore”.

Our trustworthy disco light lit the scene perfectly, alongside iconic tunes from 2012, and you’re lying if you don’t think this was the peak of pop.

High School Musical Night

An iconic film series that shaped our childhoods, and the new series is our flat’s not-so-guilty pleasure, so what better way is there to honour this than dressing up as the characters and blasting the original soundtrack all night long?

The effort required for this theme is minimal, just put on your usual jeans and t-shirt and call yourself Troy Bolton. Honestly, we were just hoping our cheerleading outfits could easily be reused for freshers next year.

Festival Night

Undoubtedly for many students, the cancellation of festivals last summer was as disappointing as arriving at Greggs when they’ve run out of sausage rolls. However, if you’re still reeling from not being able to get Extrav tickets, simply recreate Grizedale’s theme of Coachella yourself by grabbing your trusty bucket hat and having your own mini rave in the kitchen.

Overall, I highly recommend any of these themes, and the fun had by dressing up for the night will definitely override the sheer disappointment when you see the state of your kitchen in the morning. Our future ideas include dressing as your degree, or dressing as your most listened to musical artist, but I’ll say no more as I’m guaranteed Glow will want to steal at least one of these for reopening.

However, this intrinsic planning is not for everyone, and after a particularly difficult week of working from your bed, it’s more than OK to take advantage of going out to Spoons instead, especially since we now have the opportunity to do so.