How to have a house party with just your housemates

No Clubs? No problem!

4 years ago

Freshers week is arguably the most exciting thing about starting a new year at university. And, for first years and returners alike, the one thing which reigns supreme throughout it all is clubbing. Getting drunk and making a fool of yourself is a university staple, just like skipping 9AMs.

But with the current climate and Nottingham going into a Tier 2 lockdown, it’s all been derailed. That said, it has helped us remember one of the greatest institutions known to man: the house party. But this time, just with your housemates.

So, whether you were a regular at Ocean or Crisis, get your housemates together, whack on your trackies, and throw a (very) small house party just for yourselves!

Step one: Alcohol

The benefit of not actually going to a club means not spending money on drinks while you’re out, Ubers and a kebab on the way back. What does this mean? More money to buy whatever you want. Want to make cocktails? Go for it! Have a favourite beer that they don’t sell in Trade? Treat yourself. The only limit is your imagination, as opposed to an overpriced menu.

One man, 52 beers

Step two: Pres

Drinking games. Lots of them. Our personal favourite is the old classic, Ring of Fire. This was great as not everyone in our house knew each other, and by the end, we all felt a little closer. Fall Guys also provided hours of entertainment and, it was pretty easy to make it a drinking game.

Can’t play Fall Guys in Crisis!

Step three: Ambiance

This one gets a little personal as it all depends on the mood of your house. You could go for Hawaiian shirts and inflatables or simply just put on your pyjamas. Or, if you really wanted to, go the whole 9 yards and dress up to go ‘out out’, but stay in. If you have a TV in your front room, put some footage of a club set, or your fave Boiler Room on Youtube to up the vibes a bit. You could take this even further by adding in some funky lighting. Those neon lights from TikTok are a great investment.

“Just texting the girlfriend, she won’t leave me alone lol”

Step Four: Music

A benefit of lockdown was that we all have come up with some amazing Spotify playlists, so pop one of those on. Another great idea would be to have a collective house playlist, which everyone can contribute to. This way, if one solid theme can’t be decided, you all get a chance to have something you want on. One massive lockdown hobby was DJing, and if you’re lucky enough to have a ‘decent’ one in the house, get them to do a set for a while. We went for a cheesy Ocean-themed playlist, which seemed to round off our night perfectly.

“You alright mate? Can you play Overdrive?”

Step five: Afters

Afters is the part of the night for deep chats, Netflixing terrible TV, getting all the gossip, and slowly heading to bed. The best part about skipping the club? No need to get changed, or take your makeup off – you’re already there. Takeaways are still open, so feel free to get a kebab, and relive those hazy days of chatting rubbish with your mates until 4AM.