After spending a summer apart from one’s university friends, it feels great to be reunited with them in the fall. But being back at school also quickly reminds us of our outstanding rent payments, tuition fees and how much money it costs to be a student (why oh why did I go out of town for school?!). Luckily for all U of Ottawa students, the city we go to school in is filled with cheap fun things for us broke students to do all September long.
Gatineau Park
This provincial park, on the other side of the river, offers students a multitude of fun activities to enjoy! The park has many lakes and hiking trails for students to take advantage of. For the more adventurous type, there are places where you can rock climb, cave explore, mountain bike and kayak. Instead of heading out to the pub and spending a lot of money, why not head to the park to have a barbecue with friends instead? It’s the perfect way to enjoy those last few days of sunshine before the cold rolls in.
Take a Tour of Parliament
Maybe you already work in Parliament, maybe you don’t. Maybe you love politics or maybe you would rather bang your head on a brick wall then watch the news. But either way, the Parliament buildings are only a 10-minute walk from campus and are even more spectacular when seen from the inside. The guided tours are free and will boost your knowledge of Parliament, history and architecture all in the span of 40 minutes. If it’s a nice day out, include a picnic on Parliament Hill.
NAC Performances
The National Arts Center has amazing performances year round. Tickets are usually quite expensive. However, when you’re a full time student under the age of 29 you can purchase LiveRush tickets. The way it works is the night before a show, the NAC gives the unsold seats to students for dirt-cheap! Instead of spending your next Saturday night out clubbing, why not change it up and go see a play or a ballet?
Live Music Bistros
The pub culture in Ottawa is great, and the music scene is even better. Not only do restaurants and bars in the Ottawa region offer student deals, they also often have free live entertainment. Next time you’re looking for a cool activity to do in the evening, check out the Rainbow Bistro that has live music 7 days a week or Fat Tuesdays on a Saturday that features dueling pianists.
Movies on Campus
Every week there is a new movie playing on campus. It’s substantially cheaper than going to the movies and allows you to mingle with other students. Bonus: you’re allowed to bring your own snacks. You’ll forget why you were taking the bus and spending a lot of money just to get to the movies theaters at Blair or South Keys.
Photo Credit : volkerballueder.com & lilac-frost.blogspot.com