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28 Fun Things to Do in College
Being in college isn’t just about staying up late studying or sitting in class all day. There’s loads of fun things to do in college that students should take full advantage of. Not everyone gets the chance to go to college, and it goes by a lot faster than you think, so make the most of it while you can.
If you want your college experience to be filled with great memories that you’ll never forget, step out of your comfort zone, and do things you wouldn’t normally do.
We all know working hard and getting good grades is super important, but there’s nothing wrong with having fun and letting loose with your friends once in awhile. After all, that’s what college is all about. Consider this your college bucket list of activities to try out so you can have a memorable time at college.
1. Take a Road Trip
Get your friends together and take a road trip somewhere outside of your college. It’s a super fun way to explore the area and have a good time with friends. If you want to plan ahead, research some cool places you guys can drive to during the road trip. I love going to the beach, but there’s dozens of different places you could go — historical sites, cities, national parks, etc.
2. Visit Local Monuments and Landmarks
If you decide to go on a road trip or even just a drive around the area, it’s definitely worth checking out local attractions like monuments or landmarks. You can learn a lot about the history of the area that way. It also gives you the opportunity to explore and maybe find other places you’d like to check out next.
What’s nice about going to college in the US is that each state is filled with awesome places to visit. In my home state of Pennsylvania, there’s great sight seeing opportunities in cities like Philadelphia, Gettysburg, and Pittsburgh. There’s loads of places to visit in the more rural areas of the state as well.
3. Try Different Restaurants
Going away to college is a great time to try new foods and eat at restaurants you’ve never been to before. It can be a little costly, so I don’t recommend eating out all the time but a few times a month won’t hurt. It certainly beats eating ramen noodles everyday or constantly eating at your dining hall. You might even meet other college students there you can socialize with.
4. Check Out Sports on Campus
It can be a lot of fun going to college sporting events, especially if you go to a big university. Smaller schools can have games that are really fun too. Even if you’re not a big sports fan, college games can still be a really exciting enviroment to be apart of.
When it comes to American college sports, the big three are going to be football, basketball, and baseball. But your college likely has teams for lots of other sports too, including volleyball, wrestling, lacrosse, and soccer.
5. Play Adult Card Games
If you’ve ever played an adult card game before, you know how fun (sometimes embarrassing) and memorable they can be. Most people know Cards Against Humanity, which is always a good one. But nowadays, there’s so many different kinds available in stores and online.
Ranging from goofy to all-out raunchy, adult card games offer a fun way to get out of your comfort zone and socialize with friends. It’s certainly worth browsing online for ones you might enjoy so you can spice up your game night.
6. Cook with Your Roommates
Living off campus or having a kitchen where you live means you’ll be able to cook your own meals besides just eating out or at your dining hall. This is an excellent way to eat more nutritious meals and potentially discover a new hobby in cooking. It also lets you bond with your roommates more often so you can get to know them better.
7. Find Activities Around Campus
Whether you go to a big university or a small college, you can expect different types of events and activities going on around your campus pretty often. This can be anything from fundraisers and festivals to TED talk speakers and job fairs. Your college will probably have a campus events calendar that gets sent to your school email or posted around campus.
A lot of big events like homecoming are ran be the faculty and stuff of a certain department. Many clubs, fraternities, and sororities will host events around campus as well. Scavengers hunts, sports competitions, video game tournaments, and charity events are some of the more common ones.
8. Have a Game Night
Another good way to spend time with your roommates or friends at college is to have them join you for a game night. There’s a million different games to play that would be a lot of fun and can put your own twist on to make them more exciting.
I always enjoyed fun adult card games like cards against humanity. If you guys are 21, then you can play some drinking games. There’s always tons of fun board games too.
9. Check Out Local Shops
Whether your college is located in the middle of a big city or in a more remote area, it’s worth spending some time checking out local shops and stores around your college. You never know what kind of unique places you’ll come across.
Smaller towns won’t have the variety that bigger cities have, but they can certainly have a number of family-owned shops and other local businesses that are unique to the area. Exploring the local businesses and learning more about them will give you a better understanding of what the culture is like in your college town.
10. Go to the Gym
Going to the gym and working out probably doesn’t sound too enticing to some, but it’s super beneficial to your health. In college, most students deal with a ridiculous amount of stress and anxiety. Working out at a gym a few days a week will help relieve a lot of those stressful and anxious feelings. It will help with managing depression and improving energy levels as well.
Once you start noticing these benefits, you’ll actually enjoy going to the gym and realize how valuable it can be. Working out can also greatly improve your physical health by reducing the risk of diseases, improving sleep, and strengthening bones and joints.
11. Volunteer
Volunteering allows students to spend their free time helping out the community and form new connections with people in the process. Additionally, they’ll be able to work on developing a number of valuable skills and abilities, such as teamwork, resourcefulness, interpersonal communication, and leadership.
If you’re looking into volunteering off campus, you can check out local animal shelters, retirement homes, food pantries, and churches. On campus, you can volunteer during campus events, tutor students, or look into other volunteer programs your college offers.
12. Go Hiking
Hiking is awesome because you’re relieving stress, getting a workout in, and enjoying the outdoors all at the same time. You might have to drive a little far to find a decent hiking spot depending on where your college is, but it’s definitely worth it. If your college is in a more rural area with lots of mountains or forests, you should have no problem finding some nice hiking trails with really scenic views.
13. Read a Book Outside
Nothing really beats breathing in the fresh air on a beautiful fall or spring day at college. An excellent way to decompress and get some relaxation in is by going outside on one of those nice days and get some reading in.
I also suggest leaving your phone inside because staying off your devices once in awhile can be really beneficial. This will help lengthen your attention span, reduce distractions, and take some of that college stress off your mind.
14. Have a Movie Night
When you’re a big movie buff like me, it’s a lot of fun having a movie night with your friends or roommates. There’s nothing wrong with laying in bed and watching some movies by yourself either. If you plan on having some friends over, you’re going to need a few essentials, including snacks, drinks, and comfy seating.
15. Walk or Jog Around Campus
I mentioned earlier how important it is to exercise, especially in college. If you don’t like working out at the gym, another way to stay active is to walk or jog around campus.
This is a good physical activity to help you stay healthy and give you some much needed energy while you’re in college. Also, if you find yourself procrastinating on assignments, taking a quick break and going for a walk will help you refocus.
16. Go Swimming
A lot of colleges have pools or swimming facilities for students to use in their free time. Some big universities even have waterparks or lazy rivers. This can be a fun way to make some memories at college and get you out of your dorm.
Your college might also have a student recreation center with an indoor pool and hot tub, which is a good place socialize with other students and hangout with friends.
17. Play Video Games
You can always relax in your dorm and play some video games if you’re into gaming. It’s not as exciting as the other activities on this list, but it doesn’t cost anything if you already have a console or PC. You also might prefer just staying in some nights and playing video games instead of getting all dressed up and going out.
There could even be an esports club you can join at you college. This will allow you to hangout with fellow gamers and play some competitive games together.
18. Have Family and Friends Visit
It’s always nice seeing some familiar faces like your family members and close friends after you’ve spent some time on your own at college. Ask your hometown friends and family to come visit you if you ever get a little homesick. You can show them around the area and catch up on things you missed back at home.
19. Go to a Party
Something you should experience at least once in college is a fun college party. You might not think college parties are for you, but you’ll never know until you try it.
Every college is going to be a little different when it comes to parties. Some have big frat parties and block parties during the day. Others might have smaller dorm parties going on around campus. It all depends what type of college you go to really.
20. Play Outdoor Games
When it’s a nice day on campus, you can head outside and play some fun outdoor games with your friends. There’s a ton of great games you can play outside, such as Spikeball, cornhole, and giant Jenga. You can also check out Vat19 if you’re trying to find cool, unique items you can use to have some fun outside on your college campus.
21. Tailgate
Another great time to play outdoor games is during a tailgate. Going to a big university usually means frequent tailgates around campus and in stadium parking lots. They can be a lot fun even if you’re not into sports. There’s always people cooking out, drinking, and just having a good time. There’s also a lot of unique college traditions that go on during tailgates.
22. Decorate Your Dorm
No one wants a bland and boring dorm room to live in. Spend some time decorating your room and adding your own personality to it. All it takes is a few essentials to really transform the look and feel of your dorm. And once you’re done decorating, It’s satisfying seeing your basic dorm completely transformed into a fun living space.
23. Check Out the Area
Spending the day checking out the local area around your college can be really enjoyable. There’s no telling what cool places you might come across that are unique to that area, from coffee shops and restaurants to farmers markets and parks. You can also find fun events going on around the area, such as concerts, festivals, and other community events.
24. Binge Watch a Show
Grab your favorite snacks, get comfy, and turn on a new tv show you can binge watch. This is always a good way to relax when you get back to your dorm after a long day of classes.
You probably already use various video streaming services to watch your favorite shows and movies on, but if you’re in need of some new things to watch, check out Amazon prime video, Peacock, or HBO Max.
25. Visit Local Bars
If you’re of age, try hanging out at the local bars and have a few drinks with your friends. At big college towns like State College, you’ll find lots of bars near campus that will be filled with college students.
Going to college bars is a fun way to socialize and meet new people. Just remember to have a designated driver who can take you back to campus safely if you have too much to drink — or you can get an Uber to pick you up.
26. Join a Club
The amount of student-run clubs and organizations in colleges is almost endless. Joining a club is a great way to form new friendships, grow your network, and boost your resume so it stands out to potential employers.
No matter what type of student you are, there’s a good chance you’ll find a club that peaks your interest. Academic clubs, political clubs, multicultural clubs, religious groups, and media clubs are a few common ones most colleges offer.
27. Go to Concerts
Going to concerts and watching your favorite musicians perform can be an absolute blast. You might even be able to go to some at your college. And if you have a good amount of free time, you can spend a few days at a music festival; you’ll be able to see a bunch of bands play and make some great memories in the process.
28. Make Spring Break Plans
One of the most fun things to do in college is going on a spring break vacation with your friends — but fair warning, it takes some planning to do it right. Going on vacation over spring break can also be quite expensive.
With that being said, it’s not just a quick activity to pass the time either — It’s something you might only have the opportunity to do once while in college depending on your circumstances.You should start planning for spring break a few months in advance so you can be prepared.
Start by talking to your friends and get a confirmation that they’re able to go. From there, you can plan out a budget, and be sure to book a hotel or find an Airbnb as soon as possible before they all get taken.
