Make college dating easy with these cheap and fun date ideas for college students.
College dating is the perfect excuse to get out of the study hall and do something fun. Finding the courage to ask a girl or guy out is already hard enough, but coming up with date ideas that will please everyone is even tougher. On top of that, most of your money is probably going to tuition, books and meal plans. You didn’t really plan dating into your college budget.
If you have no clue what to do, check out these first date ideas for college students that are inexpensive and easy, too.
Nothing feels better than crushing your date in a fierce round of bowling or mini-golf, especially if you want it to be a group date.
1. Enjoy the Outdoors
Doing activities outside is the pinnacle of cheap and easy date ideas. If your school has great hiking trails like Dartmouth College, go for a hike. Head to the beach if you go to a school like Pepperdine University, or University of California, Santa Barbara. Or if these options don’t work out for you, consider going for a bike ride or maybe a picnic on the quad.
2. Rent a Movie
Instead of paying $14 for a ticket at a movie theater, head down to your local Redbox or utilize your parents’ Netflix subscription. Not only can you save money but renting lets you stay on campus no one will shush you if feel like talking through the movie.
3. Go Dancing or Take Dance Lessons
Dancing is a fun first date idea for college students because you get to be close to your date, dress up and maybe show off a cool dance move or two. If you’re too nervous to head over to a salsa club, group lessons at a dance studio are very affordable. Bring a partner, find your favorite dance style like swing, salsa or tango and strut your stuff!
4. Find a Local Coffee Shop
If you want to play it safe, go out for coffee. Try a local shop off campus to make college dating a little fancier.
5. See a Play
Another alternative to a traditional movie is to see a play at a theater. This is a must-do if you go to college in a big city known for its theaters like UCLA or New York University, but is equally fun if there is a local theater nearby. Some theaters reserve a limited number of tickets called “rush tickets” that can be bought the day of the performance. They’re usually first come first serve at the box office, and though the seats aren’t always the best, the tickets are usually cheaper than normal. If none of these options are available, even going to a play on campus put on by the theater department is a fun date idea.
6. Go Geocaching
Geocaching is a unique and exciting college dating idea that takes a little extra work, but definitely pays off. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game played outdoors in the real world with a GPS device. If you have a smartphone, you can use your GPS to track down hidden containers called geocaches all over the world.
Go to Geocaching.com to learn more about how you can play and see if there are opportunities to go treasure hunting near your college.
7. Try a Little Friendly Competition
Nothing feels better than crushing your date in a fierce round of bowling or mini-golf, especially if you want it to be a group date. Or if you’re a charitable type, you can try to score a second date by letting your partner win. Bowling, mini-golf, arcades or go-kart racing are all interesting and fun first date ideas for college students. You might have to spend a little bit of money, but a little friendly competition always makes for an exciting first date.