College life can be a blur, a fun exciting swirl of new friendships, parties, academic anxiety, and strange club-sponsored activities. Yet there comes a moment when the rush calms down and you are left suddenly bored on a Saturday afternoon with nothing to do. Somehow, you have no pressing assignments, no errands, and no set plans with your friends. Of course, this emptiness can happen at any moment, and it is easy to fill it with a task like laundry, but that hardly fills the hole. It is easy to get lost in the WashU environment, but there are plenty of things you can do (solo or accompanied) to get out of the bubble and have a lovely day. 

Go to the art museum

Just 15 minutes from the edge of campus, the Saint Louis Art Museum sits on the top of a hill with a beautiful basin at the bottom. The museum is free and has a vast collection with pieces from around the globe. The walk from campus is very pleasant and is a lovely introduction to Forest Park. 

Ice skating 

Whether it’s snowy or sunny, ice skating is a fun and simple activity under $10 that can fill up a good couple hours of your day. You can go to the open ice skating rinks during the winter, or drive (rideshare or Enterprise Rent-A-Car if you do not have access to your own car) to indoor rinks like the ones in Brentwood and Webster Groves during their sessions. There are also roller skating rinks around St. Louis with more flexible hours if the ice is not your vibe. 

Try a sport!

Similar to the last one, but more local, you can go to Sumers Recreation Center and request sporting equipment for a variety of sports. You can borrow a ball and practice shooting by yourself, or get a few friends together to play. It doesn’t matter if you are good or not. The point is to enjoy moving your body for a couple hours. 

Entertain yourself!

The arts may seem inaccessible from time to time, but St. Louis and WashU offer plenty of opportunities for artistic entertainment. Early in the fall, you can watch free Shakespeare in the Park, or go to SLAM Cinema and watch a free movie in the park. The Hi-Pointe Theatre (accessible through the South Campus Shuttle) offers $10 tickets for students and regularly shows everything from new releases to classic silent comedies. WashU offers plenty of opportunities for artistic engagement from free music performances of the Kemper series to student theater, dance groups, or movie screenings through WashU Cinema. 

Pay attention to campus events

Student groups and organizations are constantly hosting fun and exciting events that might fly under your radar. There are brilliant cultural shows like Diwali, Carnaval, Lunar New Year, Black Anthology, and more. Clubs host activities and fairs all around campus that at the very least might get you a free meal. Graham Chapel regularly has student concerts, fashion shows, and cool speakers like Olandria from “Love Island” and Amanda Nguyen. Pay attention to accounts like Campus Life (@WashUCampusLife) on Instagram that shout out all sorts of campus happenings and also regularly host events like Tuesday Tea and Well-being Wednesdays. 

Watch out for free or discounted student deals. 

Being a student has some perks like free tickets through Campus Life, 15% off Sushi AI, reduced prices for performances in the Fabulous Fox Theatre, and much more. This comes with everything from free opportunities to watch Blues games to the latest movie screening in the Galleria Mall. 

Go to a game

St. Louis is home to the Cardinals, Blues, St. Louis City Soccer Club, and the Battlehawks. Baseball games happen regularly and are fairly cheap (Busch Stadium is accessible through Metro), and recently they started a $30 deal for unlimited treats. Beyond classic sports games, you can always support WashU teams by going to their home games, or catch a Saint Louis University game at Chaifetz Arena. 

Music 

You can do everything from attending the Battle of the Bands hosted by KWUR, the student radio, to monitoring events sites for niche artists that come to town. Of course, getting tickets for Lorde requires planning months ahead of time, but sometimes you can just buy $30 tickets to watch Madison Beer that day at The Pageant. 

Comedy shows

Like every other university, WashU has about one million comedy clubs that constantly get together to trip, fall, surprisingly sing, or just crack jokes on stage. You have everything including stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy. If you are feeling fancier, the Helium Comedy Club regularly hosts popular comedians like Gianmarco Soresi and Preacher Lawson. 

Markets, sales, and fairs

Sometimes a sleepy weekend morning calls for walking around and shopping for things you don’t need. If you pay attention, there are plenty of neighborhood yard sales, farmers’ markets, and specific item fairs (clothes, books, etc.) all around St. Louis selling unique stuff. It is a great activity both alone and with company and requires practically no planning. If you can’t find any events like these happening, just find one of the many unique stores St. Louis has to offer. You can pop into Avalon to thrift, go on a bookstore/library crawl, or find a unique neighborhood like Cherokee Street to explore. 

When the ebb and flow of your WashU life suddenly stops, you might feel stumped. Sometimes weeks go by and school and friends keep you so busy that you don’t even have to think about your next move. However, there will come a time where you might feel stuck, bored, or simply need a change of pace, and that is when you put in the effort to do something new. Host a picnic, try painting something, buy nail polish, or bake something in the communal kitchen. Even something as simple as exploring campus can turn a dull day into an adventure. Do not let routine turn into a rut.