There can be no doubt that college can mentally and financially stress out students. After paying off tuition and textbooks — in addition to the expenses that come along with lodging, food and other bills — it can be hard to find a few dollars for the one thing that all students hold in high value: entertainment.

While outings such as nightclubs and concerts have always been the stereotypical activities of the college student night life, these sorts of nights can easily eat up $100 or more. Thankfully, there are plenty of activities in London that can easily provide plenty of entertainment for a reasonable cost, not to mention a few old-school options that can be given a twist.

Bowling
Hitting the lanes, eating a slice of 'za and sipping on a beer can be a great way for a group of friends to eat, drink, and put their Wii Bowling skills to the test in the real world. While adding together a few games, food, and a pitcher of beer seems like it would be a costly night out, students can stretch out a $20 bill surprisingly far if they go out at the right time and place.

A short bus trip from campus, students can find Palasad (777 Adelaide St.), a combination bowling alley and pizza parlour that offers multiple opportunities for a cheap night out. Heading there on a Monday night offers up the double promotion of half-priced pizza, coupled with games of bowling for just $1, allowing you to fund your games with some spare laundry change.

If you're one of those high rollers, Toonie Tuesday may be more up your alley, offering glow bowling, pool and delicious, delicious beer all for the nice round cost of $2 each. This cost, coupled with a retro soundtrack and a 19-plus rule after 7 p.m., makes it a popular night with the college crowd. Go to palasad.com for more information.

Laser Tag
Ranking just behind suits and women in the life of Barney Stinson, the favourite sport of How I Met Your Mother's most awesome bro can also offer London students a night out without breaking the bank. While a regular 15-minute battle will cost $8.50, Laser Quest (49 Carling St.) downtown offers a set of deals and events throughout the year, giving you the chance to wage war against your friends and still have some ammunition left in your wallet.

Going on a Thursday or a Friday evening grants you access to a double-length match (half an hour) for just $11, or three matches for $19, allowing you and a group to stretch out an hour or so reliving your childhood and making ‘pew pew' sounds while you shoot each other.

In addition, every couple of months the location will run an all-night match (10 p.m. to 2 a.m.) for $30 — check out laserquest.com for details and dates.

Movies
Whether you're on a date or just hanging with friends, heading to the movies has always been a perfect way to kill a few hours any night of the week. Unfortunately, with the rise of high-definition and 3D movies, a trip to the movies costs much more than it did five years ago, and that's not counting the approximately one billion per cent markup cost that theatres apply to a bag of popcorn and a soda.

Luckily, there are quite a few options that students can choose from when they want to head to the movies but have moths flying out of their wallets. The most obvious time to go, regardless of your preference of theatre, is a Tuesday night, which seems to be the official cheap night of the movie industry. Major chains like Cineplex and its various offshoots offer rates under $5, causing other cinemas to lower their prices accordingly, leaving it as most people's first choice when heading to see a film. The downside to this, however, especially when seeing a fairly new movie, is that the crowds are easily twice the size of an average evening out, leaving moviegoers to deal with long lines and crowded lobbies and being forced to show up a good hour before showtime if they hope to get a seat.

Fanshawe students have access to another cheap night courtesy of Rainbow Cinemas, located in Citi Plaza downtown, which offers a $4.00 ticket to students ($6 for guests) to a selected new release movie on a Wednesday night. This offer ensures that students can easily see any of the top releases within a couple weeks of them coming out, without having to deal with crowds and crazy ticket prices. Check out the FSU Events Calendar (available at the Biz Booth in SC building) or fsu.ca/events for a list of upcoming First Run Film nights.