Uni balls are a long-standing tradition, and they are, without a doubt, a great way to celebrate making it through another semester or year at uni. They’re the perfect excuse to dress up, eat good food, and make memories with friends. However, when they come attached to quite a hefty price tag, it can be easy to question how much we really need them. Is so much fuss really necessary for celebrating the end of the semester, or would it be better to celebrate in a more relaxed and affordable way?
Through talking to some of my friends, it has become glaringly clear that whilst we all love getting all dressed up and going to uni balls, we cannot forget about the cost of the ticket. Generally, ball tickets cost in the region of £40, a price that would be absolutely reasonable for a nice, sit-down, three-course meal and dance in the “real world”. Yet when a student event that only lasts for a few hours comes with this price tag, it starts to seem a bit ridiculous. Is it really worth spending more on a uni ball that what you would spend on a whole week’s worth of groceries?
The other financial issue that is glaring us in the face is that the cost of the ticket is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of student spending on uni balls. With the other main costs being drinks and outfits, your overall spending on this one night out can easily skyrocket. Personally, I always forget to factor in how much I’m going to spend on drinks and, when you only get a small welcome drink included in the price of the ticket, the cost of the overpriced beverages at the bar can really bite. Are we really expecting students to fork out £10 per drink? Is there really no way that we can encourage the venues to offer special student deals?
Given that most uni balls are black-tie events and a chance to dress to impress, lots of students take the time to buy a new outfit for every ball they attend. Whilst I get that most of us don’t want to wear the same dress to every ball (it is nice to be able to distinguish each ball’s photos in some way!), the habit of buying a new one every time is probably not the most cost effective! Buying a new dress can easily set you back at least £50 and it is unlikely that you’ll have many opportunities to actually wear the dress again, making it a bit of a waste of money.
However, the good news is that there are plenty of ways to save some cash, and be a bit kinder to the environment when planning an outfit to wear for a ball. Living in Sheffield, we have a range of charity shops right on our doorstep, so it can be fun to make it a group outing to scour them for the fanciest dress you can find. Alternatively, you could look for a pre-loved dress online, or you could even ask your friends and family if anyone has anything that you could borrow for the night.
As well as suggesting ways for individual students to save money, I also think that it is important for societies to find ways to keep their costs down so that their members are not priced out of the event. This could involve offering a buffet-style meal rather than a three-course meal, or holding the ball at a cheaper venue, even if slightly less fancy. A fellow student also mentioned that, for one of the balls she went to last year, they paid for a drinks package in advance of the event. This allowed them to choose how many drinks they wanted and prevented overspending at the bar on the night. I personally think that this is a great system, especially as queueing at the bar to buy drinks is not exactly my favourite part of any ball! I also think that societies need to be aware that some students are working with a much smaller budget than others, and to address this by providing some financial help for these students wherever possible. Although this might put the normal ticket price up by a pound or two, I believe it is worth it if it allows students who would otherwise not be able to afford it to attend the ball. This would help to remove the sense of exclusivity that floats around balls which can only be a good thing when we are trying to create an inclusive university community.
Nevertheless, uni balls are not everyone’s cup of tea, and I think that there needs to be more consideration of alternative ways to celebrate the end of the semester or year. I know that some societies organise a picnic or BBQ in one of Sheffield’s many parks, and a friend suggested that societies could organise a potluck event in a committee member’s garden. In my opinion, this type of event is great because they drastically cut costs, whilst at the same time still feeling special, especially if people are encouraged to dress up a bit. They are also great for students who choose not to drink because the more laid-back environment is likely to be less conducive to the pressurising attitude towards alcohol that can be found at certain uni balls. However, living in the UK (and Sheffield at that!), events like this that take place outside do face one major challenge: the weather! Even in the summer, we can’t rely on it being nice and sunny on any given day and cancelling an event at the last minute is a real pain for everyone involved, especially for the committee members who have spend so long organising it for everyone.
Therefore, we are left wondering whether balls, or at least a society meal, is the best way to celebrate the end of the semester without running the risk of the event being rained off. Maybe societies should just continue to focus on organising more affordable balls for their members; a memorable event to commemorate the semester’s end, and save the picnics and BBQs for those spontaneous summer evenings with friends.
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