60 ideas to make the most of your college experience!
This post is all about college bucket list ideas.
Starting college is SO exciting, and when you’re going into your freshman year, you need to make sure you’re going to make the most out of your college experience. That’s why you need to take note of these 60 college bucket list ideas!!
From exploring your college town, to becoming a better version of yourself, to embracing the school spirit and making memories with your new friends, this bucket list for college has it all.
Let’s get you out of your comfort zone and make the next 4 years of your life the BEST they can possibly be!
1. Go to a football game
Going to a school football game is one of the most obvious but essential college bucket list items. Dressing in your school colors and going to cheer on your school’s football team is a great way to get into the school spirit and even meet new people!
2. Host a Friendsgiving
Hosting friendsgiving dinners have been one of my FAVORITE parts of being a college student. Whether you do something small in your dorm or you have an off-campus apartment to invite your college friends to, getting all your besties together for friendsgiving before going home for the break is a great way to make memories together.
3. Go to a Halloween party
Halloween parties are some of the most memorable parties you’ll go to in your college years! Dressing up with your close friends is one of the best feelings ever.
4. Pull an all-nighter in the library
Everyone knows that college is hard work, and while I’m not a huge fan of all nighters, you have to pull an all-nighter in the library at least once in your college career. If you’ve got an intensely hard exam coming up or a rigorous assignment to finish, that’s the perfect opportunity to spend your whole night in the library.
5. Find your go-to study snack
Over the course of my time as a college student I learned my absolute go-to study snacks… my number one was hot cheetos, but if I wanted to be healthy I would opt for some cucumbers and dill dip or trail mix. Whatever your go-to study snack ends up being, I can guarantee that’s what will carry you through every finals season… so choose wisely!!
6. Participate in a campus tradition
Part of the quintessential student experience is participating in a campus tradition. These are the kinds of stories that you’ll pass down to your future kids, nieces or nephews, and you’ll cherish those memories with your college best friends forever.
7. Try all the local coffee shops at least once
There’s something so fun about going to a coffee shop to study or get schoolwork done. The vibe and the excitement of trying new local coffee shops is just so much fun. Trying different coffee shops has been one of my FAVORITE things to do as a student. If you have a fellow coffee-loving study buddy, you need to add this to your college bucket list!
8. Volunteer for a local cause
A great way to get involved in your local college town is to volunteer for a local cause. You may choose to look for local animal shelters, mentoring or tutoring programs, food banks, or any other type of cause, but doing this will give you a sense of purpose and belonging in your community.
9. Chase a sunrise
There are plenty of opportunities to sleep in after a long night studying or partying, but how often do you get to chase a sunrise? Find a great sunrise spot on or near campus and pick a day when skies will be clear to go and watch a gorgeous sunrise. I seriously loved doing this in college and I can remember the beauty of each and every sunrise I watched!
10. Go on a camping trip
When you’ve got some free time, a camping trip is a GREAT way to bond with your college friends and let loose. You may choose to go on a camping trip for spring break or on a long weekend, or even over the summer!
Whenever you can make it happen, a camping trip is so much fun and it’s a great way to disconnect from all the stress of being a student and just focus on your well-being and your friendships.
11. Have a dorm room movie night
Sometimes you want to hang out with your friends without doing anything too crazy, and that’s what dorm room movie nights are for. This is one of the most classic college life activities that everyone has to do at least once. Whether you have a dorm room movie night with one close friend or with lots of people from your friend group, doing this is a lot of fun either way.
12. Participate in an intramural sport
Intramural sports are a great way to get involved and meet new people! Every sporting event you’re part of will be a new memory and a good chance to represent your school well. College sports games are super fun to attend, but also lots of fun to participate in!
13. Explore a nearby city
Your college town might be a great place to explore, but I’m sure there are lots of nearby cities that have fun things to do as well! Whether it’s going for a hike, finding a great restaurant, or attending some kind of event, it’s always fun to get out of your town and explore a nearby city.
14. Join an extracurricular
There are SO MANY extracurriculars to choose from in college, I truly believe there’s something for everyone. Some extracurricular activities take up a lot of time, and others are a low time commitment just for fun. Either way, it’s always fun to take part in something that’s happening on campus, especially as a first-year student!
15. Visit a national park
Who wouldn’t want to visit a new national park?! Whether it’s in your school’s local area or somewhere else, you’ve got to add this to the top of your bucket list!
16. Take a spring break trip
Whether you go somewhere far or stay pretty local, it doesn’t really matter… The important thing is that you get to be with your friends and take a fun spring break trip, wherever you go!
17. Go to a poetry slam or open mic night
I went to several poetry slams and open mics in college, and they’re always so fun! Even if this is outside of your normal interests, it’s fun to see local talent and appreciate something that you normally wouldn’t attend.
18. Go to a farmer’s market
Farmers markets are the BEST. Whether this becomes your new hobby or is simply a one-time outing with a friend, it’s such a great way to romanticize your life in college while supporting local farmers.
19. Go to a pumpkin patch
If you want some fun things to do in the fall with your friends, going to a pumpkin patch is perfect! I love going to a pumpkin patch every year and taking photos with my friends.
20. Go stargazing
Stargazing is such a surreal feeling, and it’s one of those activities you can easily tack onto camping, going to the beach, or a weekend getaway.
21. Join a study group
Study groups can either be super helpful or super distracting, but either way, it’s worth a shot. Team up with some other current students to study for an upcoming exam or meet regularly throughout the semester to help each other. This is a great way to make friends while staying productive, especially in your freshman year!
22. Spend the whole day in a coffee shop
If you want to get good grades, sometimes you’ve got to hunker down in a coffee shop all day and get to work. Coffee shop study days were always my favorite (and most productive) throughout college!!
23. Attend a formal event
There will be plenty of formal events to attend throughout your college years, but they’re always a great time so you have to make sure you get all dressed up to go to a formal event with your friends!
24. Go to a haunted house
Haunted houses are so much fun! If you’re a huge fan of fall and the spooky season, you’ve got to make time for a haunted house at some point.
25. Go to a drive-in movie
Drive-in movies are the best! This can also make a great back-to-school activity to reunite with your friends.
26. Attend a professional conference
There’s no better time than college to attend your first professional conference. Keep an eye out for when your school announces any conferences where you might benefit from networking.
27. Do a color run or mud run
I never managed to cross this off my college bucket list, but color runs and mud runs look like so much fun!!
28. Take a beach trip
Whether you live right near the beach or have to travel far to get there, going on a beach trip with your college friends is something your future self will thank you for because you’ll always have those memories to look back on.
29. Read a book in a new genre
College is a great time to get outside of your comfort zone and try new things, including reading a new genre. In college I tried reading sci-fi for the first time and discovered there are actually some amazing sci-fi books out there!
30. Go to a comedy show
College is the perfect time to go to a comedy show with your friends! Comedy shows are the perfect excuse to spend an evening downtown.
31. Attend an art exhibition
Attending an art exhibition is a great way to not only romanticize your life but also appreciate some local talent. Whether you attend an art exhibition run by your school or go to a local gallery, this would be such a fun activity with your friends!
32. Go to a rooftop restaurant
Need I say more?! Trying new restaurants is already fun enough, but going to a rooftop restaurant is even better.
33. Take an art class
If you’re an art major then this one will be easy for you, haha! Whether you take an art class through your school or just do a one-time pottery workshop for fun, this is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and have some fun.
34. Go to a fashion show
If you can find a fashion show to attend, either at your school or in the city near you, that would be such a fun outing with your friends!!
35. Play a harmless prank
Keyword here is *harmless*. Pranks are only fun if nobody gets hurt!!
36. Volunteer for a political campaign
Whether you volunteer for school politics or actual politics, this is a great way to get involved with the things you care about and make a difference in your community.
37. Go to karaoke with your friends
Having a karaoke night is so much fun! Whenever your friends have a Friday night to spare, karaoke will definitely be a memorable activity.
38. Attend a TEDx talk
Chances are that your school or a nearby university will run a TEDx talk at some point, so try to find out when the next TEDx events are in your area and attend one! I went to one on a college campus. It’s so fascinating to watch some public speaking and learn new things!
39. Try a local brewery
Local breweries are perfect for a Saturday afternoon or free evening!
40. Make a time capsule with your friends
At the beginning of college, it would be so fun to make a time capsule with your high school friends and then open it at the end of your senior year and see how much has changed! Or, you can even wait longer and open it in 10 years to see where you all go.
41. Take a fun class outside of your major
One of the best things about college is getting to pick elective classes that you would normally never take.
I chose to take a couple random classes outside of my major in college, and they were definitely the most memorable since they were different from what I would normally be doing!
42. Take a road trip
Whether you take a day trip to another city a couple hours away or take an actual long road trip, a road trip with your college friends is one of the best way to make sure that your college years are actually the best years of your life!
43. Try a new cultural food
One of the best things about experiencing new places and meeting new people is getting to try foods from cultures you’ve never tried before! Whether you meet an international student and try their food or just go out of your way to find an ethnic restaurant in your college town that will let you try something new, this is definitely a great activity to add to your college bucket list.
44. Give your family a tour of your favorite places on campus
College campuses may all seem the same, but different places on campus mean something to different students. Whenever your family or friends come to visit, take them on your own tour of college campus and show them all the places that hold special memories to you, or places where you spend a lot of time!
45. Upload a vlog to YouTube
Whether you create a vlog about your daily routine in college or something fun you get to do, uploading a vlog to YouTube is a great way to document your college life so that you can look back for years to come.
46. Submit work to a magazine
It would be so cool to have some work published in a magazine! Whether you write a news-worthy article, something academic, or something creative, there’s truly a magazine out there for everybody and it would be so cool to get published.
47. Do a cold plunge
Cold plunges are such great challenges to try with your friends!
48. Run a 10k
If you want to put a fitness goal on your college bucket list, running a 10k is a great goal!
49. Create a film photo album
So many of my friends in college had a film camera and I loved getting film photos to add to my college photo album.
50. Delete social media for a week every year
As a college student, you’ve got so much information coming at you all at once. Deleting social media once a year for a week (or at least a day!) is a great goal for college students.
51. Host a tailgate
Tailgates are so fun, especially if you find a great college tailgate outfits!!
52. Get a summer internship
Whether it’s your dream internship or just a summer job, a summer internship can really help you build your leadership skills and get some experience that will serve you well after college.
53. Become a research assistant
Becoming a research assistant is one of the best job opportunities you can get in college if you can find a research assistant job that’s relevant to your field.
54. Go to a music festival
If you like having a dance party and enjoying some music with your friends, then a music festival has to be on your college bucket list!
55. Learn to budget
Learning how to manage your personal finances in college is so important. If you don’t know where to start with learning to budget, check out this post on how to create a college budget you’ll actually stick to!
56. Help organize a campus event
It’s so fun to be part of campus events, but helping organize one is a whole new level of involvement! The best part is, if you join on-campus clubs or help run events, those are skills you can add to your resume!
57. Join a student club
Joining a student club is a great way to meet new, like-minded people and gain experience!
58. Try as many local restaurants as you can (and rank them as you go)
I get SO excited every time I try a new restaurant. When you’re living in a new town for college, trying as many local restaurants as you can is a great way to get acquainted to where you live.
59. Go to a college sports game aside from football
Football is great, but there are so many other college sports you can watch! Whether it’s swimming, soccer, hockey, or anything else, show up for a home game of a sport you wouldn’t normally watch and have fun cheering on your school’s sports team.
60. Do some random acts of kindness
Bringing some random acts of kindness onto your college campus is a great way to show your school some appreciation and spread some positive energy. Leave some kind notes on a bathroom mirror or buy coffee for a friend for no reason!
