As a recent college graduate, I’ve had a lot of fun throughout my time in college. My 4 years in college were the most fun times I’ve ever had, while going to school.
Students often times struggle with having fun, while still doing well academically in college. Luckily, there are so many ways to balance having a good time with school work in college.
How to Have Fun in College?
College students will have fun by playing sports, participating in activities on campus and socializing with others. In order to have fun while doing well academically, students will study in groups and take classes they are interested in.
In this post, I share the 12 best ways to have fun in college, how to balance school while having fun and what to avoid doing in college.
12 Best Ways to Have Fun in College
As a new student, finding ways to have fun in college can be tricky. I remember being a new college student and looking for fun things to do around campus. With a bit of socializing, I found ways to make college more fun. Here are 12 ways you can have fun in college:
1. Socialize
Socializing will go a long way towards having fun in college. If you’re new to a school and don’t know many people, remember there are so many students in the same position as you!
Whether it’s in the cafeteria, in a lecture or around campus, don’t be afraid to talk to anyone. Other students will be really friendly and it’s a great way to build connections and make friends.
Step out of your comfort zone, be social and make some new friends. Making friends in college will make your experience a lot better and you’ll have more fun. It’s a lot easier to go to class, study and have fun if you’re with friends.
Socializing with other students will get you invited to parties and to hang outs. Once you start getting invited to parties, you will begin to get invited more frequently.
If you’re a student with social anxiety, do your best to step out of your comfort zone and leave your dorm room. If you can manage to attend campus events, talk to your classmates and be social, you will have a great college experience.
2. Play Sports
A great way to have fun in college is to play sports. Whether it’s joining a sports team or throwing a frisbee with some friends, playing sports is a great way to enjoy college life.
If you’re not super athletic, like me, don’t be afraid to play sports with your friends. In college, a couple buddies and I would play touch football.
Setting up some sports games is a great way to meet new people. If everyone invites a friend to play, you’ll meet some new people while having a great time.
This is a very easy way to become more familiar with other students around campus.
3. Participate in School Activities and Join Clubs
In college, there are always activities going on. Participating in school activities is a great place to have fun while meeting new people.
Volunteering for school activities is another way you can stay busy in your free time while meeting new students. In college, it’s a good idea try a lot of different things so you can find out what you enjoy doing.
Joining clubs is one of the best ways to develop a social life in college. There are so many different clubs you can join and it’s a fun way to meet students who have the same interests as you.
If you’re struggling to make friends, meet new people and have fun in college, I would suggest joining a club and seeing how you like it.
4. Organize Groups
Once you make a few friends in college, organize a group. Whether it’s playing cards, a sport or a game on the computer, having a group of friends is a great way to try new things and have fun.
During my freshman year in college, Thursday nights would be poker night at my buddies place. Every week, a few of us would get together, hang out and play poker.
It was a great way to chill with my friends and it made the school year way more enjoyable.
5. Work Out
Working out is a great way to have fun in college while bettering yourself. If you have the extra time on your hands, keeping in shape is a great way to stay busy.
If you go to the gym on campus, over time you will make friends with the same interests as you. Try to get into the habit of working out a few times a week, and you will look and feel a lot better.
If it’s your first time at a gym, don’t be afraid to ask other students for tips. At the college gym, other students will be very helpful and willing to show a newcomer how to workout properly.
6. Take Classes You Are Interested in
As someone who always liked taking easy classes throughout my college years, I would strongly recommend taking classes that you’re actually interested in. It’s a lot harder to attend and do well in class that you have zero interest in.
I’ve found that I am a lot more successful in classes that I am interested in taking, even if that means that there are harder tests and more assignments.
It’s very easy to become unmotivated when you don’t have any interest in what you are learning. If you are going to school anyways, you might as well take classes where you will at least learn.
Classes that you find interesting will be more fun to attend. If you think a class sounds cool but you don’t know anything about it, don’t be afraid to try it out. You never know what it can lead to.
7. Study with Friends
Studying with friends will make studying more enjoyable. No matter what, studying won’t be fun. If you can make it a bit more amusing by studying with some of your best friends, then you should do it.
Studying with friends is one of the best ways to stay motivated when you’re in school. If your friends are motivated to do well in school, chances are you will be motivated too.
If you and your friends push each other to do better in school, chances are you will get the best grades possible.
8. Walk Around Campus
Walking around the college campuses is the perfect way to explore your college, meet new people and see what’s going on around school.
A fun activity is walking around school with a friend and participating in whatever is going on. Whether it’s throwing a frisbee or participating in extracurricular activities it’s a great opportunity to try new things.
Walking around campus alone at the end of the day, is a great way to clear your mind. There’s nothing wrong with spending a bit of alone time walking around campus with your earphones in.
9. Game Night
Planning a game night is a fun way to have fun in college. Whether it’s board games, video games, or an organized activity, a game night is always a good time.
If you’re looking to make friends in college, you can tell each of your friends to invite a friend. This way, you will meet more people, and you will all have fun together.
In college, my friends and I did a Survivor night. We were about 10 students, and we all had to compete in challenges, create alliances, and vote each other out.
Survivor night was a huge success, and I met many amazing people that evening.
10. Travel With Friends
A big part of the college experience is going on trips with your friends. Whether it’s a road trip, catching a cheap flight to a destination, or a cottage weekend, traveling with your closest friends is always a great time.
Throughout college, my friends and I would make a real effort to travel at least once a year. We took multiple road trips, and those are some of my best memories from college!
Naturally, when you travel with your friends, it is a good time. Everything from planning to going on the trip will keep you busy and is a fun experience.
11. Movie Night
Movie nights are a fun way to have an enjoyable evening with your college friends. All you need is a TV, friends, and snacks!
Whether it’s in a dorm room or an apartment, a movie night is an excellent way to have fun and take your mind off of school. In college, it can be easy to feel like you always have to go out. However, sometimes staying in is better as you won’t wake up hungover and tired.
Overall, a movie is a nice change from partying and going out. Instead, get a group of friends together, sit back, watch a movie, and enjoy each other’s company.
12. Join a Fraternity or Sorority
If you’re looking to have fun in college, consider joining Greek Life. Joining a fraternity doesn’t only give you access to parties, but it also offers a sense of community, and you will build valuable connections.
When you’re choosing a sorority or fraternity, make sure to choose one that reflects your values, interests, and priorities.
By joining a Greek organization, you will stay busy, and you will always have brothers or sisters who want to hang out. You will also get access to tutoring, additional scholarships, and other amazing benefits.
How to Balance Having Fun with School Work
For many students, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun side of college and forget about the hard work that it takes to do well. I managed to have fun while still doing well in school by doing these things:
Be More Efficient When Doing School Work
One thing I did to maximize the fun I had in college was working efficiently. Students will oftentimes get distracted by other students and their phone.
When it was time to work on my assignments, I put my earphones in and my phone away to limit distractions. Once I would start working, I wouldn’t stop until I finished.
Be working this way, assignments and projects became a lot less time consuming and I had more time for fun. Limiting distractions is a good way to work a lot more efficiently.
Being Organized
Being organized is the key to getting good grades college. I can’t stress how important having an agenda is to keep track of important dates.
If you are on top of your assignments, tests and exams you will know when you can have fun and when you have to study.
Taking organized notes will make studying a lot easier. If you have messy hand writing like me, take notes on a computer or an iPad.
Not sure if you need a laptop for college? Check out this article: Do I Need a Laptop for College?
Pay Attention in Class
Paying attention in class is super important. One thing I never understood in college, was why students come to class just to fall asleep.
If you are going to attend class, you might as well pay attention or else you’re just wasting your time. Paying attention in class will make assignments, tests and projects much easier to complete.
If you pay attention in class and still struggle, ask the professor for help, get tutored or ask another student in class for help.
Take Time for Yourself
Taking time for yourself is very healthy to do in college. If you find yourself studying a lot or going out too much, there’s nothing wrong with taking a step back and relaxing.
Taking a walk around campus or working out can be a really good way to feel refreshed and clear your mind. Going to college, especially during your first semester, can be exhausting so it’s important to take care of your mental health.
Know When to Say No
The most important thing in college is to know when to say no, there will always be another party. It’s important to prioritize your education above fun.
If you know you have assignments to do or a test the next day, it’s better to stay in and get your work done. The semester moves very quickly, so if you become complacent you will fall behind.
Many students don’t want to miss out on the fun activities in college, they neglect their studies and choose to party. Very few students will be succesful by doing this.
Most students will either fail or even end up dropping out if they’re not disciplined enough to say no to a good time.
Things to Avoid Doing in College
Skipping Class
Skipping can become a very nasty habit in college. Once you skip that first time, you will see that nobody notices whether you attend class or not.
Skipping is all fun and games until that test or assignment comes and you have no idea what to do. It’s better to attend as many classes as possible, and to only miss a class when you really need to.
At the end of the day, if you skip and do badly in school, the only one that it’s affecting is you. If you attend every lecture, pay attention and do assignments, it’s practically impossible not to pass.
In my experience, the students who often drop out are the ones who skip class regularly. Skipping class is a sign of a student who isn’t motivated, so don’t be influenced by other students who are skipping.
Procrastinating
Something I and many other students struggle with in college is procrastinating. Everyone does it, but do your best to minimize the time you spend procrastinating.
If you make a plan for when you want to get your assignments done and actually stick to it, you will have a lot more time for fun in college. Use your agenda to plan out your days and follow it.
By doing this, you will never miss and assignment and will always be prepared for tests and exams.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
In college, it’s super easy not to get enough sleep. When you are exhausted it will a lot harder to pay attention in class, study and complete assignments.
If you feel super tired, sometimes it’s better to get a good night of sleep instead of going out. Even if you tell yourself you’re only going out for an hour, it probably won’t be for just an hour.
If you’re so exhausted and you know that you’re going to fall asleep in class, sometimes it’s better not to go. There’s no point in attending class if you’re going to fall asleep.
If you sleep in class, you won’t learn anything and the professor will not appreciate it. It’s better to get some rest so you can have some study time and be ready for your next lecture.
Not Eating
Many students get so busy during the day that they forget to eat. If you don’t eat throughout the day it will be harder to learn and retain information.
Eat before class and pack some snacks in your backpack. Bring a reusable water bottle in case you get thirsty.
Wondering what to bring in your back? check out this article: Backpack Essentials for College
Working too Much
Many students will work a part time job while they are in college, however be careful with this. School is your priority and if you are failing your classes because you work too much, it’s better to reduce your hours.
Working less will give you more time for your school work and to have fun. Do your best to balance school, work and fun to have the best college experience possible.
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Final Thoughts on How to Have Fun in College
If you’re just starting college, it’s a good idea to find ways to have fun around campus. In this post we went over a few exciting ways to have fun in college, while still having good grades. As well, I shared the things you want to avoid doing in college, so you don’t fall behind.
What’s your favourite activity to do college? Please let me know in the comments below.
“If you’re a student with social anxiety, do your best to step out of
your comfort zone and leave your dorm room”….this. Ethan is so right.
That subject is especially near and dear to me because I know first hand how difficult having fun can be when you’re feeling socially anxious. Take very small steps. Go out with a friend/roommate for a walk around campus and town on a Friday or Saturday night so you can get a feel for the area and what’s going on socially out there without actually having to participate yet. Hang out and party with a very small group of just your roommates/closest friends in a venue that’s comfortable for you at first, and then collectively start inviting a couple more people each time and gradually work your way up to the bigger parties. Make sure you have all of those same friends around you for support when you start going to the bigger parties – especially the first one. I personally guarantee you that in the end you will be so proud of yourself for having the courage to put yourself out there and experience the fun side of college! You will never regret the things you tried in college as much as the things you didn’t, and I can also guarantee that you will look back with great fondness on all the crazy fun times you had there for the rest of your adult life! 😁😎
My favorite activity on your list was “Survivor Night” – yo that is so genius and sounds like hella fun!!
So much perfect wisdom here for sure.
There’s only one vital thing you didn’t mention lol – Cards Against Humanity!!! 😁 I am so blessed to have as friends in my life a few of the oldest Z’ers, and they have more than once conspired to get me to play that darned game with them – best game everrrr! 😂
I was walking through the electronics department of a local store here yesterday and struck up a conversation with the Gen Z’er who was working there. We were talking about the insane amounts of money some folks are willing to pay to acquire an old electronic device, such as the earliest iphone, purely for nostalgic value. He concluded, “Well, let’s face it, nerds have money!” He then went on to say, “Unfortunately, THIS nerd doesn’t.” I laughed and said in response, “Well, I guess that can be a goal then.” He agreed, but he also said that just as important to him was having a meaningful journey along the way. I told him I absolutely agreed with that. We chatted some more, shook hands, and continued on with our journeys.
The minds of Gen Z yo….I am so glad I have been able to stick around on this planet long enough to finally meet the generation that knows what matters. I love living in a Gen Z-majority town – literally every single traffic light control box at the intersections here has been painted this fall into artistic murals with uplifting phrases by the local college Z’s. My favorite is the one that says “Just Be Yourself!” ❤️💯
Every single day, more and more, I interact with so many of you who are super polite, kind, and positive out there. You are going to revolutionize this society, and I am so happy that I can contribute along with you to make this the world you want it to be. Never let anyone discourage you, because collectively you guys can overcome all the negativity and things that make you unhappy out there and replace them with things and ways that are so much better. Every single one of you is so worth it, and you deserve to find that level of fulfillment that I know so many of you are seeking.
Keep working at it and keep spreading the positivity and kindness, because the changes I am slowly but steadily seeing out there from within your own gen are so inspiring!
Truly the greatest – and wisest – gen I have ever met, this website and its creator most definitely included.