As Valentine’s Day closes in, students have begun scrambling to find and fund expensive outings for themselves and partners. With our minuscule college-age budgets and the University’s dorm-life regulations, options have quickly become limited. While candlelit dinners are romantic, they are not worth a knock from your RA. So, as everyone often does for people they love, students must compromise and get creative. To make it simpler for you and your Valentine, here are some cute, affordable and dorm-friendly Valentine’s date ideas!
- Bake a Mug Cake
Obsessed with sweet treats? Try baking a mug cake! Finding the right recipe can be daunting, but there are plenty out there to customize your cake and accommodate the ingredients you may have. Worst case scenario, mug cake mixes are easily available by themselves at stores or online. Make multiple cakes with extra batter for a layered cake, but make sure to cool the cake first before putting on the frosting! Collaborate on the cake decor for a customized cake just for you two. Another option would be a competition–get fanatic with sprinkles or frosting and find a judge for the best taste, look and creativity!
- Movie Marathon
Whether you want to watch the entirety of “Lord of the Rings” in order or binge cavity-causing Hallmark love stories, cuddling up for a cozy movie marathon is a great option in the dorms. Watch on your laptop or set up a cheap projector until the sun comes up. A terrific addition to a movie night is snacks. Try to match snacks, food or creative mocktails to your beloved series to immerse yourself.
- Game Night
Any certified gamers? Grab your Valentine and hop on your favorite video game together. As many students don’t have the usual consoles in the dorms, consider playing the various free-to-play games online, ranging from “Roblox” to Cool Math Games. Compete to see who can get to levels fastest for single-player games or collaborate to defeat bosses in multiplayer. Though, games are not limited to the digital world. Go thrifting for board games or a deck of cards and teach each other your favorite games—there is a huge opportunity here to show off some sick card tricks to woo your partner. And don’t worry about missing pieces—customize your own in the next activity!
- Arts and Crafts
Collaborate on a craft you both can cherish, just like in a trend on TikTok where couples make trinkets out of air-dry clay. Unleash your creativity by comparing how well you each can make a little animal like a pig or turtle or choose a simple character like SpongeBob or Yoda. For an extra challenge, try making mini caricatures of each other! Prefer jewelry? Teach each other friendship bracelet designs or (for those who can never figure those out) string beads onto a bracelet or necklace. Use ones with letters for funny phrases or each other’s names. For painters: trade paintings back and forth to create masterpieces to hang in your dorm.
An important thing to note is that Valentine’s Day can focus on your love for anyone, not just romantic partners. Think about the love you take for granted, such as family, friends, or even pets. Take the time to profess your love for these people—invite them to a “Galentine’s” party or FaceTime to participate in any of the activities. Valentine’s Day is what you make it!
