How to Spend your Free Time in College

We know you travelled to the United States to school, but you also need some down time. Your options for how to have fun and relax will vary very much depending on where your school is located, who your friends are, and of course what you consider as fun. If you run out of your own ideas about how to spend your free time in college, you can read our suggestions below.

The logistical stuff

• Most of us feel like we’d like to meet new people but don’t know how to do it. If you’re also like us, try using Meetup, a website and app that features thousands of groups and events specified to your area and filtered to your interests.
• If you’re looking for fun stuff to do without hours of research, you can use TimeOut, which lists events and activities for dozens of cities worldwide. There are even versions with activities for kids if you brought your family with you during your studies.
• We know that you’re careful about how you spend money because you have to eventually pay back your student loans. Try using Groupon, LivingSocial, or other websites that offer special deals on thousands of events, things to do, restaurants, etc. But make sure to read the fine print of every deal before purchasing!

The fun stuff – How to Spend your Free Time in College

• If your school is in a medium-sized or big city, go see a play. Everyone knows that New York City has Broadway shows, but many other cities put on plays and musicals as well. Theaters do exist outside New York! But if you’re eager to see one of the impressive Broadway shows in your college town, you might be in luck – a number of them tour around the United States.
• Feel like laughing your socks off? Go see a comedy show or a stand-up comedian. That way you can fulfill your lifelong dream of being made fun of by a stranger in public.
• You can fulfill a different dream by seeing your favorite band perform. Find a nearby concert and rock out!
• Although Americans love different sports than you may be used to, we definitely love sports. Many cities across the USA have professional baseball, hockey, (American) football, soccer (everyone else’s football), and basketball leagues for both men and women’s teams, and there are tournaments for tennis and golf. You will have to work really hard to find cricket though, as it scarcely exists in the United States. And don’t forget that should always cheer on your school’s teams!
• If watching sports isn’t active enough for you, you can join a sports team. Check if your school has clubs (for non-official athletes) or if there are other local teams. And these aren’t just your basic sports – you might be able to find frisbee, quidditch, dance, karate, and tons of other teams, groups, or classes where you can make friends while getting a good workout.
• Actually, your school is likely full of societies you can join that aren’t at all sporty. Many schools provide all kinds of groups to keep you busy – study groups, parties, sponsored events, volunteer groups, language or culture groups, religious groups, and so forth.

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