Entertainment
We know you came to the USA to study, but you also need some down time. Your options for how to have fun and relax will vary very much depending on where your school is located, who your friends are, and of course what you consider as fun. If you run out of your own ideas about how to spend your free time, you can read our suggestions below. Plus, the busier you are the more youll be able to learn English without worrying about your TOEFL score.
The logistical stuff
- Most of us feel like wed like to meet new people but dont know how to do it. If youre also like us, try using Meetup, a website and app that features thousands of groups and events specified to your area and filtered to your interests.
- If youre looking for fun stuff to do without hours of research, you can use TimeOut, which lists events and activities for dozens of cities worldwide. There are even versions with activities for kids if you brought your family with you during your studies.
- We know that youre careful about how you spend money because you have to eventually pay back your student loans. Try using Groupon, LivingSocial, or other websites that offer special deals on thousands of events, things to do, restaurants, etc. But make sure to read the fine print of every deal before purchasing!
The fun stuff
- If your school is in a medium-sized or big city, go see a play. Everyone knows that New York City has Broadway shows, but many other cities put on plays and musicals as well. Theaters do exist outside New York! But if youre desperate to see one of the fancy Broadway shows in your college town, you might be in luck many of them tour around the USA.
- Feel like laughing your socks off? Go see a comedy show or a stand-up comedian. That way you can fulfill your lifelong dream of being made fun of by a stranger in public.
- You can fulfill a different dream by seeing your favorite band perform. Find a nearby concert and rock out!
- Although Americans love different sports than you may be used to, we definitely love sports. Many cities across the USA have professional baseball, hockey, (American) football, soccer (everyone elses football), and basketball leagues for both men and womens teams, and there are tournaments for tennis and golf. You might have to work hard to find cricket, though, as it barely exists in the USA. And dont forget that should always cheer on your schools teams!
- If watching sports isnt active enough for you, you can join a sports team. Check if your school has clubs (for non-official athletes) or if there are other local teams. And these arent just your basic sports you might be able to find frisbee, quidditch, dance, karate, and tons of other teams, groups, or classes where you can make friends while getting a good workout.
- Actually, your school is probably full of groups you can join that arent at all athletic. Most schools offer all kinds of groups to keep you busy study groups, sponsored events, parties, language or culture groups, volunteer groups, religious groups, and so on.