Every weekend, us college students are faced with a dilemma: go out and find people to socialize with, or stay in and chill. Many times we are quick to choose to stay in because it is the safer and less expensive option. Instead of cramming yourself into a packed bar sipping on a $5 Blue Moon you're pretending to enjoy, you could easily at home binge watching Netflix and eating cake. It seems like an easy choice, but often times the easy choice isn't always the best choice. Here are five reasons you should force yourself to go out at least once a week during college.
1. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
This quote by Wayne Gretzky holds true in life in general and definitely in college. Yes, going out isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Nobody likes to spend $45 on drinks and have to go home alone. Nobody likes to put on their best clothes and still be ignored by every attractive person at the bar. But there's a chance that red-headed bio-major asking for a cigarette at 4 AM might be your future spouse and the first step to a life of happiness. You'll never know unless you give yourself the opportunity to be there to meet her.
2. Maximize your opportunities to meet new faces and see new places.
Life is too short to allow yourself to get trapped in an endlessly repetitive cycle of work, school, sleep, food, and Netflix. Instead of living like you're in "Groundhog Day," challenge yourself and do something new every week. Even if it's as simple as trying a new froyo place or petting a goat for the first time.
3. It gives you something to look forward to.
Sometimes it's hard to find motivation to keep pushing forward during a long and strenuous semester. The days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months. If you're in a bad state of mind, a semester can feel like an eternity--which is why it's important to give yourself something to look forward to in the week, so you can take that designated time to get your mind off academics.
4. Going out helps preserve your mental health.
This piggybacks off of #3 a bit, but spending all of your time worrying about academics will make your overly anxious/depressed. Humans are not evolutionarily developed to take tests and prepare Powerpoints. Stress and anxiety are traditionally predatory response tools that the human body utilizes in order to help it survive. We were never meant to be in a constant state of stress like we are now and it's important everyone finds a way to break the cycle and blow off steam once in a while.
5. You learn more through controversy and adversity than you do through comfort and convenience.
If you enjoy eating pizza and playing Xbox as a leisurely activity, you're not going to benefit from doing it for the 30th time this month. If you want to grow as a person and become more knowledgeable about the world, you need to take yourself out of your comfort zone and embrace the wolves. This is because the world is not always a comfortable place with central heating and Wi-Fi. It's often ugly and unpredictable and becoming used to that will make you more adaptable, and, in the long run, a happier person.
