How to Plan a Student Night Out

Most student nights start with an idea rather than a plan. One message and a few replies in the groupchat can be all it takes to arrange a fun night out, but the best student nights have a bit more thought put into them. None of it needs to feel like organising a big event- making a few firm decisions at the start can pay dividends later on.

This guide will walk you through the basics of planning a student night out without taking the spontaneity out of it: working out what kind of night you're actually planning, setting a sensible budget, picking somewhere that suits the group, and getting everyone to commit.

What Kind of Night Are You Planning?

A student night can be a lot of different things. It might be a house party, a pub crawl, a club night, or something with an activity built in. Working out which one you and your group want to do saves a lot of back and forth later.

The occasion usually gives you a clue. A weekly society or sports team social usually has a regular format in place so sticking to what’s familiar will often go down well, while a birthday or an end of term blowout might call for something unique that requires a bit more planning. Sometimes a night out can creep up on you without warning- how often has “just one drink” turned into ten?

Whatever the reason, agree on the format first. Venue, budget and timing all fall out of that decision, and arguing about them before the format's settled tends to just go round in circles.

Choosing the Right Venue or Activity

A good pick for a student night is affordable, easy to get to, and big enough to hold the whole group without splitting people up. Anywhere that’s costly, hard to reach or awkward to book tends to lose people before the night's even started.

Before settling on anywhere, it's worth asking a few practical questions from this checklist:

• How many people can it actually fit?
• What's the cost per head?
• Does it need booking in advance?
• Does it work for anyone who isn't drinking?

Getting these answered early avoids any bad news on the night itself.

Pubs and Bars

Pubs and bars are the lowest effort option. Most don't need booking, they suit smaller groups well, and they're a good way to ease into a night without committing to anything bigger. The trade-off is that there's not much to actually do beyond talk, which can wear thin once the group grows, but this can be great for meeting new people.

They also tend to be the cheapest starting point for a night out, since a round at the pub usually costs less than a round of cocktails in a club, though this can still be expensive in bigger cities like London. Turning the night into a crawl between a couple of different pubs works well for a bigger or more spread-out group too, since it gives everyone a natural point to regroup if some head off early and keeps the night from feeling stagnant.

Club Nights

Clubs suit a group after music and dancing more than conversation. It's worth checking entry costs, queue times and minimum group sizes before turning up, since some venues turn away smaller groups or charge more on the door than online.

Student nights usually run midweek, and are worth looking out for since they often come with cheaper entry and drinks deals that aren't available at the weekend. Turning up earlier in the evening can also mean shorter queues and a better chance of getting in before the venue reaches capacity, which matters more in big student cities where popular clubs fill up fast.

Activity Venues

Activity venues give the night a focal point beyond just drinking by centering around a shared game or event, such as sport simulators, bowling or karaoke. Food, drink and fun all happen in one place, so there's less to organise separately and less risk of the evening losing momentum halfway through.

They also tend to suit mixed groups particularly well, since there's something to do beyond drinking which makes it easier to include people who aren’t drinking much or at all. These nights out do tend to be more structured than a pub or club night- you’ll often have to book a set time slot in advance rather than walk in whenever.

How to Budget for a Student Night

Money is the thing most likely to cause friction on a student night, so it's worth talking about early rather than working it out at the bar. Nobody wants to be the person doing maths in their head while everyone else orders another round.

Starting the night off with pre-drinks at home and keeping an eye out for student deals helps keep costs down, and splitting any booking or entry fees beats one person covering everything upfront. What matters more than any of that is being honest about what people can actually afford. A student budget varies a lot from person to person, and assuming everyone's in the same position is where the awkwardness starts.

How Much Does a Student Night Out Cost in the UK?

Costs vary depending on what you're doing. Outside London, a classic pre-drinks-then-club night typically comes to somewhere between £30 and £50 a head once entry and drinks are factored in. Research from Student Beans estimates the average student night out in the UK costs £49.05 before pre-drinks are even added in.

In London, the same kind of night runs a lot higher: According to London Night Guide, a realistic budget for a night at a London nightclub at roughly £80 to £150 per person. A pub crawl usually sits in a similar range. A night that includes an activity tends to run from £20 to £40 a head, depending on the activity and any extras included. Drinks, entry and transport add up faster than food does, so it's worth thinking about those separately rather than lumping everything into one guess.

A good night out doesn’t need to be expensive to work- a lower budget just means being a bit more careful about where the money actually goes.

Getting the Group to Commit

Getting a group of students to actually agree on something can be harder than picking the night itself. Putting forward one option rather than opening it up to an endless discussion usually gets a faster answer. Suggest something concrete, along with a rough time and place, and let people opt in from there.

It helps to plan around a loose estimate of numbers. Waiting for a final headcount before booking anything holds the whole plan up, and no-shows are fairly common anyway. As long as the plan doesn't depend on a specific number of people showing up, a few dropouts or late arrivals won't derail it.

Staying Safe and Having a Backup Plan

A few basics make a real difference without turning the night into a safety briefing. A charged phone, a way to pay that isn't entirely reliant on cash, and knowing roughly how everyone's getting home cover most of it.

It's also worth keeping some backup options in mind.Even the most well thought out plan can hit a snag, so having a second idea ready means the night doesn't stall if the first one falls through. Above all, keep an eye on each other, especially if the group ends up splitting between venues. A night that ends a bit differently to how it started is fine. One where somebody gets left behind isn't.

Student Nights at Sixes Cricket

If you’re looking for a unique and exciting student night out, Sixes Cricket could be the place to go . It's an activity venue built around a virtual cricket simulator, with no cricket experience needed to join in. Players take turns in the batting lanes while everyone else eats, drinks and mingles from the sidelines. Sixes also has live sport available, so you don’t have to miss the football, cricket or tennis while you’re out.

If that sounds like it'd suit your group, find your nearest Sixes location or book your student night now.