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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WMU chapter.

 

You are at college for several reasons to get your degree, have fun, and make lots of friends! College will end eventually, well you know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun! College is no acceptation. Before your college days are done there are 10 things you have to do!

 

  1. Get Involved With Something You Are Passionate About

 

What do you like to do? What are your interests? Do you love the environment and want to save it? Or maybe fashion is your passion! Whatever it is get involved with it! Join an RSO, or a cause that needs you!

 

By getting involved you will make friends, and have a great time! Plus you can make contacts, which can be helpful when you graduate. In addition, if you don’t get involved now, when will you? In college every door is open, so look around and find out what you are passionate about! If you need ideas or aren’t sure how to join an RSO, then check out this website, there is information about all the RSO’s, http://www.wmich.edu/activities/

 

  1. Do An Internship Or A Job Shadowing

 

Internships are very important! While some majors require you to do them, others don’t. Internships teach you so much. You get to learn first hand about what your job could be like one day. For those with crazy busy schedules, try doing a job shadowing, you get a taste of the future without having to give up a lot of time.

 

  1. Take A Road Trip

 

Gather your friends (especially one that has a car), and figure out where you should take your road trip too! Think about what you want to do… do you want to go shopping? Take a short trip to Grand Rapids! Maybe you want to go somewhere off the beaten path… try Hell, Michigan! Yup it’s a real place, there isn’t a whole lot to do there, but hey who can say they’ve been to Hell? Or maybe you’re looking to take a long trip… try visiting the Upper Peninsula. It’s absolutely beautiful, and it’s perfect for camping! Where ever you decide to go I promise you’ll make lots of memories!

 

  1. Use Your Student ID For All The Perks

 

Pull out that student ID and see what discounts you can get! Remember use it while you have it! Have you seen a movie lately? Well why not go, you get a terrific discount! Check out this website: http://www.studentrate.com/  it has all kinds of student discounts!

 

  1. Complete A Bar Crawl

 

Round up your friends and get to planning this unforgettable night! Start by choosing your bars; remember they need to be in walking distance. Work together to set up the rules, and make sure that everyone is clear about them. To make sure you with stand the night; eat before you go and drink lots of water through out the night. Most of all be responsible, don’t drink and drive, and don’t drink underage!

 

  1. Learn About WMU’s History

 

Do you know who founded WMU? Or do you know what year WMU opened, if the answer to both of these you need to brush up on your WMU History. Try visiting the library, or maybe do some googling.

 

  1. Take A Stand On Something That You Care About

 

Is there something that you don’t think is fair? Maybe it’s the gender pay gap… or the use of fracking… what ever it is get involved! Join a protest! Speak out about the things you find unfair in the world. Plus you’ll make a lot of friends who believe the same things as you! Not to mention that it will feel good to get out there and make a difference!

 

  1. Convince Your Professor To Teach Outside One Day

 

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to have class outside? The warm sun bathing your class in light, a breeze blows just slightly, and it smells heavenly all around you. The next nice day you encounter get some of your classmates to suggest it to your teacher. If you make a good enough argument or get enough of your classmates to support you, I think you might just enjoy nature as your classroom for the day. So go on and do it, I dare you!

 

  1. Get A Picture With Mascot

 

Go out and flag down Buster Bronco! I recommend attending a sporting event, that’s probably your best chance at snapping a picture with him. While some might say this is dumb, it’s not, it would be a great memento to look back on when you’re done with college. Plus if you bring a friend along when you set out to get your one of a kind picture, you could end of having a crazy adventure, and that photo you both worked so hard to get is your reward, and memento.

 

  1. Attend A Guess Lecture

 

This one’s not hard to do, it seems like there’s a guest lecture going on every day. This is a great opportunity to expand your horizon, and it will make you a well rounded person. Plus some teachers offer extra credit if you attend a guest lecture! Not sure when about when guest lectures are? Then check out this website, it has all the events going on at Western for every day, http://www.wmich.edu/news/events

 

  1. Volunteer

 

Get out there and make a difference! Volunteering is so much fun, and it leaves you with a great feeling. Not to mention you get to meets lots of wonderful people. Plus you can gain experience, and do some networking! Lastly this again makes you a well rounded person, and it will help you get to know the great city of Kalamazoo! To learn more about volunteering check out this website, it has tons of volunteer opportunities in Kalamazoo: http://volunteerkalamazoo.org/

 

  1. Go See A Homecoming Game

 

Homecoming is a great time to celebrate your school pride! There’s lots of tailgating, you get to see some football or basketball, there’s time to spend with your friends, and it’s so much fun! Mark the next homecoming on your calendar. Don’t forget to show off your school spirit, and cheer loud for your team!

 

  1. Take A Spring Break Trip

 

Ahh spring break, it comes just after midterms. It’s the perfect time to get away from the cold and snowy Michigan. Start saving now for your spring break trip! Get your friends together to start planning your spring break trip. Remember you don’t have to spend a lot. If you plan on going south, then try driving, it’s usually cheaper than flying, and if you drove in a group everyone could chip in money for gas. Plus you could all share a hotel room, it might not be the comfiest but it sure will save you lots of cash.

 

If going south isn’t possible, try going to an indoor water park. It’s a lot of fun and in the winter prices are usually lowered.

 

  1. Take A Class That Interests You

 

So what if it’s not for your major. If you’ve always dreamed of taking Shakespeare, then take it! You should get to take something you like. If money is too tight for you to do this, and then look for a class that you like that satisfies one of you general education requirements.

 

  1. Attend Bronco Bash

 

I once heard Bronco Bash described as the Halloween for college students. I have to agree, you get tons of free stuff and you don’t have to dress up. Plus if you’re a new student it’s a great way to meet people. Also lots of RSOs attend, so you can learn how to join them, and which ones you’re interested in. It’s a lot of fun and certainly something that everyone should attend at least once!

 

In college there are so many things to try and do. Here is a list of everything that you should do before you graduate! Your only here for a short amount of time, so make the most of it!

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I am a sophmore at Western Michigan University. I'm double majoring in political science and enviromental studies, and double minoring in gender and women's studies and journalism.I love's reading the newspaper, I'm a self-proclaimed news junkie. I also love volunteering, spending time with my friends. In my rare free time I love to watch movies and televison shows a season at a time. I comedies, espically British comedies, the dryer the better! I also love spending time out side, whether it's camping, hiking, or just enjoying our world's natural beauty.My future plans include saving the earth from climate change and ensuring women's equality, well those are my long time goals anyway. After college I plan to work as a legislative aid or a political reporter. I currently serve as Her Campus WMU's senator in the Western Student Association. I also work as a reporter at my home town newspaper, The South County News.To my friends I'm known as the poltical coffee addicted shoeaholic feminist, but you can call me Morgan. Follow me on Twitter: @macfarlane_mOr email me: morgan.k.macfarlane@wmich.edu 
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I always find self-written bios to be kind of awkward, but throwing modesty out the window, here goes nothing: Hi, my birth name is Sara but I feel as though most of Kalamazoo knows me as Hollywood, which has been my nickname for several years now. The nickname was given to me when I played rugby for WMU, and it just stuck. This is a chance to set aside my ultra ego, and dive into the opinions and thoughts of Sara rather than the outrageous, unbelievable adventures of Hollywood. A little about me: I am studying Communication Studies and Nonprofit Leadership at Western Michigan. I think I'm almost done, but with college, who actually knows. My ultimate goal would be to have my own column in a women's health magazine that talks about nutrition, exercise, and maintaining a positive outlook on life as a woman. But if that doesn't pan out, I figure I would own my own hotdog stand, so I got options. Unlike most people, I love running and exercising. A few years back I had something devastating happen to me, and the way that I found happiness again was through a healthy diet, learning about nutrition, and working out. I completed two triathlons this summer, and in one of them I placed in the top 10 for the 29 and below age group. Now that I have conquered the triathlon, I don't know what's next off my bucket list that I want to conquer. (May be Brazil??) I am not a 'down-to-earth' person, rather, I like a busy life and I like being involved whether it be getting involved in volunteering or just trolling around Kalamazoo with my friends. I'm always on the go and I like it that way. But as of now, I'm just a twenty-something girl with a zest for adventure with an empty wallet who is making due with exploring all what Kalamazoo has to offer. If you see me out, I'll be the girl with red shoes and a mustache tattooed on her finger. I usually refer to myself as not the girl next door, but the girl two doors down; I have a little more life lessons under my belt and a different outlook on life. http://theblacksheeponline.com/author/sara-czarnecki twitter: @sarasuzieczar