A concern that many freshman have during and after their first year at UMBC is the "lack of activities on and off campus." I put quotation marks because I see this concern as a rather outdated description of the school. The Student Events Board, commonly known as SEB, throws multiple events during free hour, evenings during week days, and on weekends. Not only do they host these events, but said events are heavily advertised throughout the campus with posters, Facebook events and pamphlets with every SEB event. Not only does the SEB hold events, the 50 plus organizations on campus also hold public events with food, games, music, or cultural/religious activities. Besides these on-campus activities, many students have also complained about the lack of a "college town" or places to go off-campus to hang out with friends or have a fun time. The city of Arbutus, walking distance from campus, has many hidden gems that are little known in the UMBC community. If you have a car, have a friend who has a car, can afford an uber, or use public transportation, you can also explore other nearby cities, such as Ellicott City or Columbia.

1. R/C Hollywood Cinema 4.

This movie theatre boasts amazing seats for budget prices. The seats are adjustable so that you can raise the bottom portion to have a more comfortable position. Not only that, the seats are well padded to the point where you might fall asleep during the movie. Tuesdays are student nights where tickets are $5 (you will have to show your campus ID). These days, it costs at least $13 to watch a movie, and that is to just watch and not eat or drink anything during the movie. As a college student, you probably are on the lookout for great deals. And, $5 is a great deal considering you get to watch current movies, get seated in amazing chairs, and don't have to travel far to get there. It's an eight to nine minute drive from campus and it's a little over one mile of a walk.

2. Ice Cream Cottage.

The Ice Cream Cottage boasts handmade ice cream and is a community favorite in Arbutus. It is also only a six-minute drive from campus. Not only do they sell ice cream, but they also sell cakes and cookies. Ice cream flavors range from apple cinnamon to jelly ring fudge. You can access their menu here. If you are ever craving for ice cream, looking for places to hang out, or just snacks to bring back to your dorm, the Ice Cream Cottage is the place for you.

3. Sorrento of Arbutus.

Sorrento is a family restaurant in Arbutus. The restaurant sells New York-style pizza using fresh, daily made dough, submarines and sides. Although UMBC also serves pizza daily in the Commons and True Grit's, true pizza lovers will be able to taste the difference. Pizza baked with freshly made dough certainly has a more distinctive taste. These days, not many people carry cash due to credit or debit cards. Luckily, UMBC students can use their red cards to pay for their food. You can also order online. The restaurant also allows student organizations to hold fundraisers.

4. Kupcakes & Co.

Up to list number three, you could walk from the campus to these locations. Kupcakes and Co. is a little farther than these places because of its 10-minute drive. Kupcakes and Co. is a small family bakery that sells delicious cakes and cupcakes. Their signature cupcake flavors include salted caramel, key lime and birthday cake. Current specialty flavors include mint chocolate chip and peach cobbler. If a friend's birthday is coming up or you just crave cupcakes, this bakery is only 10 minutes away from campus.

5. Arundel Mills Mall.

The Arundel Mills Mall consists of stores, a movie theatre, restaurants and a recently built casino. Its interior is particularly interesting in that the walls are painted with interesting graphics and have an arcade-like theme. The movie theatre, Cinemark, has an Egyptian theme. The mall has a huge Forever 21 store along with Coach, Pacsun, American Eagle and other popular stores. The mall also has a Dave and Buster's with a huge arcade. If you're ever bored, want to see a movie, or want to shop, the Arundel Mills Mall is only a 14-minute drive from campus.