30 Things to Do Before You Graduate from CSULB
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Student Life

30 Things to Do Before You Graduate from CSULB

A bucket list by a senior in denial that she's (almost) out of college.

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30 Things to Do Before You Graduate from CSULB
Megan Crayne Beall

Okay, so I guess this doesn't just have to be for seniors, but if you're a fourth year (or fifth or sixth or whatever), you really need to start crossing things off, because it may be your last chance (sniff sniff).

  1. Give your favorite professor a cheesy teacher gift to say thank you. If even ONE professor has impacted your life, or even an advisor or CSULB staff, make sure to thank them before they forget your face in the next few years. Even a nicely worded email about how they've changed your life will literally make their career.
  2. Actually use the Rec center, since our tuition pays for it anyway. There's even yoga class and rock climbing.
  3. Roll down that one grass hill your SOAR advisor told you about. Isn’t it supposed to give you A’s? Who knows. I think it's the hill by the Hall of Science building, but I'm sure any hill you find will do.
  4. Actually talk to someone in your class and make a friend instead of being anti-social and only talking to the people you've met before.
  5. Drink a beer or wine at the Nugget. This one isn’t for me, but for any other legal student that has been lagging. I’ve crossed this off my list a long time ago, as displayed here (the beer is green because it was St. Patrick's Day):
  6. Make friends with a professor. And by friends, I mean to the level where you have at least one inside joke and they've added you on Facebook. This is a plea to my professor Norbert Schurer - you're the bomb!
  7. Go to a sports game that isn’t basketball. Unless you have friends who are athletes, it's tough to be motivated to go to events, but I guarantee that our student athletes will surprise you with their energy and skill. STILL go to basketball games, but make some time to see women's volleyball or even baseball!
  8. Buy an alumni shirt for yourself. Or maybe a shot glass. Do they have those?
  9. Find out where you can use your student ID to get a discount, and go there while you still can. I don't want to be a real adult yet. Maybe I'll go to school one more year so I can keep getting a measly discount at some places...who could turn down this messy-bunned blonde?
  10. Go bowling at the USU. Why haven't I done this yet?
  11. Explore the library. Find a secluded spot for some...ahem...private studying with that one guy from your chem class that smells like AXE but has really cute dimples.
  12. Go to the University Art Museum. That little tucked away place next to the Horn Center needs some extra loving!
  13. Study at the Horn Center for once instead of the Library. The chairs alone make me dream about taking naps there between classes.
  14. Do all the fun things that CSULB offers during finals week, like massages and henna.
  15. Lay in the hammocks whenever they’re up. They are actually super comfy and surprisingly big. I suggest sharing with a BFF and avoid running into the professor of the class you ditched that morning.
  16. Get your face painted by Dave, the guy who paints on the grass during the day on the commencement lawn. Go follow him on Instagram, too @ davetherainbow.
  17. Go to a show at the Carpenter Center. They're always having events there like musicals, concerts, lectures, and student performances. Some are even free if you're a student!
  18. Take a class I would never take in a million years just to challenge yourself. I suggest Love, Life, and the World, or a class that is the total opposite of your major.
  19. Pull a finals week all-nighter. Like, a legit all-nighter with NO sleeping. Push some library tables together, drink a Monster, pile up pillows and blankets to stay comfy, and study until the sun rises the next day. But no camping, I guess...
  20. Juggle something with the juggling club. Man, they always look like they're having fun when I walk by them.
  21. Go through Fall or Spring sorority recruitment or rush a fraternity. Hey, don’t knock it till you try it! Even if you don’t join, you can end up making a few friends and realizing a bit about yourself on the way. I ended up making lifetime friends and memories with some amazing Alpha Omicron Pis! But don't let me convince you. Sign up for Formal 2015 Sorority recruitment here and learn more about fraternity recruitment here.
  22. Eat a meal at the Outpost. If you're a Liberal Arts major like me, you may not have even heard of this place. It's just like the Nugget, but it's by the Engineering buildings. The breakfast is the bomb, and it's usually less crowded with obnoxious people, unlike its counterpart.
  23. Become involved with your major department. Actually go to events they put on like the mixers, apply for a scholarship, maybe even join one of their clubs if you haven't already.
  24. Go to the Japanese Garden. Look up the hours beforehand, or even go during a break in classes. Bring a friend or go alone - either way, it's beautiful and relaxing. You can even feed the koi fish!
  25. Eat at a dorm dining hall. Befriend a student who lives in the dorms so they can swipe you in, or go and pay per meal with card or cash. I suggest the off-campus dorms at Beachside, but they've finished construction on the Parkside dining hall and it's gorgeous. Sure, it's not restaurant quality (believe me, I used to work there), but you gotta do it once, especially if you're a transfer or never lived in the dorms.
  26. Befriend an international student! Help them with English, and maybe learn a few phrases from their country. Who knows, if you ever do end up in Germany, you could have a place to crash!
  27. Leave a big tip for your favorite Starbucks or Coffee Bean barista. C’mon, they make us coffee to get through all those midterms, suffer the sighs and requests and complaints from bitchy professors and students, and do it all with a smile. Yeah, they may not always spell our name right, but they’re literally college students just like you, so tip ‘em really nicely after you get your paycheck.
  28. Study abroad, if you haven’t already. Go to Brotman Hall and pick up a flyer, or stop by their office and look into programs with international universities. Expand your horizons! Traveling abroad always looks good on your resume, especially if it has to do with your field of study. I recommend doing volunteer work in an underprivileged country, but visiting a touristy European city can be worthwhile, too. There are always scholarships available to help sponsor your tuition, and even trips that happen during Winter Session or Summer Session. You can even earn college credit while you're away! I personally went to India for three weeks, and was so glad I did.
  29. Vote in the ASI elections. Actually research candidates and VOTE! These students lobby for us on our behalf in order to make CSULB a better place for us and future students.
  30. And last, but not least, jump into the Brotman Hall fountain. Snap a few selfies while you’re at it, too, to memorialize your senior year. Brownie points if you jump in with your grad gown.



Anything you'd add to this CSULB student bucket list? I'd love to hear from you in the comments before they send me my diploma and kick me out!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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