Student clubbing tricks

For a university with such a poor reputation for its nightlife, you should know there’s a surprising amount of options: a range of things on offer and conversely a couple of places with nothing.

Everyone enjoys and values different things when it comes to going out so there’s no ‘one shoe fits all’ place to go to. But, there are typically two main areas that people look for when going out: the atmosphere/how much fun they’re genuinely going to have, and the value for money of the place they’re going – especially being on a student budget.

Some enjoy a crazy, busy club night in Smack without minding the money spent that night, while others value a quieter and cheaper Spoons trip on a Friday. As I said: not one shoe fits all.

ATMOSPHERE

If you’re someone who enjoys a club night, then you cannot go wrong with Neon or Smack.

Tickets for Neon are on sale over a week in advance, so it’s extremely quick to get in – if you don’t leave it last minute and need to stand in the queue anyway. But, because of the high demand for Neon already a week early, there’s a frantic rush to get them, and this is unlike some clubs (Smack). Queue times at Neon are relatively short, but the club is always active with three different dance floors, a large smoking area, and tons of seating. Conveniently, it’s open on a Friday so there’s no worries of 9ams the next day.

Smack is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, so less ideal than a Friday or Saturday. Tickets drop at 6pm on the day and sell out almost immediately so if you have bad WiFi maybe Smack isn’t for you. Despite this and the extreme closeness on the dance floors, there seems to be something that draws people to Smack each week.

If you’re looking for a quiet night out, then Kasbah in Coventry should be at the top of your list. Despite the extremely cheap drinks, this is the kind of club you’ll see being made fun of on TikTok for having about five people total in it. On an event night, such as Halloween, Kasbah should definitely be in consideration, but for any other times I would avoid it at all costs.

Any of the Student Union-run pubs, clubs, and bars check nearly all the boxes. They’re cheap, sociable, and if you’re on campus you don’t have to worry about spending money on busses or Ubers to and from.

Going to Circle is a great way to meet new people who share your interests. But if you aren’t into the big drinking games and dressing up, or just have a 9am on a Thursday, then other society socials and bar crawls can achieve the same thing.

MONEY

Good value for money is important to all students so if the atmosphere and type of night out is not something that bothers you too much then here’s where you should be looking.

As I said, anything Student Union-run is always cheap. Pubs and bars, especially the Dirty Duck, T Bar, and Wetherspoons are all extremely cheap and you don’t have to worry about paying for tickets to get in, which is a bonus for pub nights.

Kasbah is also extremely cheap with its £1 shots on a Monday, but only if you’re willing to go to a place like that.

The clubs in Leamington (Smack, Neon, and Moo) all have more expensive drinks and of course require tickets as well as transport if you’re on campus or in Coventry, so will make for a more expensive night.

MUSIC

If the music is something you really value then there’s a fair amount of options.

Moo plays older songs that you won’t hear at clubs like Smack, Neon, Pop, or Kasbah where the more typical and expected club songs are played.

Kelseys in Leamington plays a lot of house music, and the Dirty Duck runs karaoke nights if you enjoy hearing others sort of sing.

There’s a lot of things that can make or break a night out, and when putting in so much time and money to go out it shouldn’t end up being something you don’t enjoy. Whether it’s the queue length or the drink price or the type of music, it’s important that you do something that you actually want to do.