How to: Host your perfect night

Being at university, it is easy to get sucked up into all of the doom and gloom of the really serious stuff that you have to do. We often forget to make the most of the time spent with our friends, enjoying our youth, and creating the best memories to look back on in the future. And what better way to do that than to step up and host the perfect night for you and your friends?

There are many potential events that you can host – from full-blown parties to chill afternoon teas or even a cosy movie night – and what matters is that you find the best option that will make you have the best time. Whilst hosting itself can seem daunting, and it will feel really easy to let someone else take the reins, some of the best nights are accompanied by a feeling of achievement at having hosted a really successful evening!

For the party animals out there, the key to the best party is ensuring that it works for you! One of the easiest ways to do this is by honing your guest list, a simple matter which may seem silly, but the wrong people at a party can cause your mood to take a nosedive and even go as far as to ruin your night. Take a minor step back on the people-pleasing, cherry-pick your guest list, and your future self will thank you for it. You can focus on enjoying the night with your close friends, without having to constantly worry about someone you don’t really know interrupting your night and messing with your planned festivities.

If parties aren’t really your style and you prefer a cosier night in with some friends, stock up on snacks and drinks and settle in for a cute movie night

Another important thing, whether you’re hosting a serious full-scale party or just a smaller friends’ night, is ensuring that you are in the right headspace for it in the day before it begins (especially if your night will involve drinking, do not let yourself go overboard and make bad decisions just because you had a bad day!). Being in a calm, happy headspace will make you a much more efficient and reliable host and will undoubtedly lead to more fun anyway.

If parties aren’t really your style and you prefer a cosier night in with some friends, stock up on snacks and drinks and settle in for a cute movie night. Arrange a night with your favourite people, create your own movie marathon list (the perfect time to force your friends to watch that nostalgic classic that they’ve never seen), grab all of the blankets you need, buy some snacks and settle in for the cosiest night ever. This can be a cute night focused on sharing your favourite movies with others, or if you want a wilder night, choose a fan favourite, play a fun drinking game and enjoy your night!

The same goes for organising meals with friends, inviting some friends around and having a make-your-own lunch together can be a wonderful bonding experience and is productive enough that you won’t feel like you’re wasting any time!

And if movies aren’t your thing, an at-home games night will always go down well! Whether you set out a range of board games or set up an old Wii and focus on destroying each other in Mario Kart, game nights are easy to host. Much like movie nights, you just need to grab your friends and some snacks and settle in for the night. And, they don’t take much planning whatsoever! Personal successes have been found with the investment of a Wii to bring out the nostalgic fun and competitiveness that always make for a fun evening.

If hosting something in the evening stresses you out, a nice daytime activity would be to host a little afternoon tea with some friends – encourage them to bring their own teas and biscuits. Just provide some of your own, and settle in for a cosy chat and giggle over a good brew. The same goes for organising meals with friends, inviting some friends around and having a make-your-own lunch together can be a wonderful bonding experience and is productive enough that you won’t feel like you’re wasting any time!

All in all, your perfect night will not look the same as everyone else’s. But if you can host a fun event with some friends and find you’re having a good time and making memories, that is the best possible outcome for any hosting.