Here’s some advice: My number one, top-dog, gold-nugget of a tip for students who want to take full advantage of their Cedarville experience is to structure their day by the hour. Considering you already have classes that are (nearly always) within increments of hours, and daily chapel (which fills that 10 a.m. slot), and even a plethora of planners available at your local Walmart that outline your day by the hour, it just makes sense to view a day as 24 hours. My personal favorite is the app Google Calendar –– you’ll see lots of people using it and sending you invites to group lunches, study meet-ups, or coffee chats, all hallmarks of Cedarville’s “Intentional Community!”
Acknowledging this spirit that fills campus, I encourage you to look through my list of favorite activities to fill those 50 random minutes you may have to spare between lunch and/or classes. Rather than going back to your room to nap or play video games (which are better suited for weekends in my opinion), or trying to tackle a homework assignment that may take much longer than an hour (and could easily be done later), consider expanding your hobbies and perhaps…
- Go hammock!
Whether alone or with friends, I often find this activity to be a relief — and literally a breath of fresh air –– in my day. From the Engineering and Science Building (ENS for short) hillside to Maddox’s backyard, there are trees littered across campus where colorful hammocks tend to appear throughout the afternoon.
While you are on your way past the ENS, might as well stop in the Stevens Student Center, (SSC for short), and…
2. Hang out at Rinnova
Let’s get something straight. Coffee dates are cool –– especially at Cedarville. Entering the lower SSC for a coffee chat is like entering a wormhole –– time truly flies by. I often find myself wishing I had blocked off more than one hour for my coffee dates. But do you know what’s even cooler than having a good conversation over some chai lattes? Taking your open attitude and conversation up to the Rinnova counter with you. Those baristas (myself included!) live and breathe coffee grounds to be a positive influence in the hearts (and the adrenal systems) of the students.
While experiencing that caffeine buzz…
3. Play a sport
For those with more athletic inclinations –– YOU HAVE TO PLAY CAMPUS GOLF! It is so fun –– borrow a golf club, and go play a round with someone who knows their way around the course that spans across campus. I am not even a fan of golf myself, but I love this game. My favorite will always be sand volleyball (yes, Cedarville has that, too!), but campus golf is a close second.
After a good game, milkshakes from Mom and Dad’s are always a hit…
4. Support your local businesses
I can’t count the number of times I have dashed to Village Market at the Shell gas station (affectionately called the RIP) or Dollar General (DG), both across the street from campus, between classes and meetings. It’s fun to embrace town life. Fond memories include driving in circles in the DG parking lot, snacking on yummy cookies from Church Street Cookies, running into literally EVERYONE I know at Orion and Beans, laughing till I cry over Lola’s mexican food, and buying a whole new outfit at Cedarville Second Act Thrift Store for $5! I am 100% people oriented, so all these fond memories are made with close friends, but I imagine they would be enjoyable in solitude as well … except maybe the driving in circles one. That’s a little scary. Don’t do that.
But, speaking of spending time with friends…
5. Check in on your pals
Last school year, when COVID-19 precautious had friends locked away for weeks and even months, and everyone who still had their freedom was extremely on edge and stressed out –– I mean, imagine adding quarantines and isolations to the pressures of a college schedule –– I began to notice just how much people can spiral. More importantly, I made it a point to start doing small things for friends (i.e., delivering them a coffee while they are studying, writing them a note, dropping off a snack, or just really taking the time to ask how they are) and began to notice how much one small act could flip around someone’s downward spiral.
Whether making good memories with them, checking in on them, or even recharging alone to better serve others later, be encouraged to focus on peers and professors while you spend your fun free time at Cedarville –– maybe by using a few of my suggestions. Cedarville isn’t just about doing fun things to fill time –– it’s about encouraging and “filling up” the people around you who make it so fun to live, study, and follow God at the ‘Ville.
Student Life Blogger
- Year & Major: Senior, Allied Health
- Favorite Bible Verse: Hebrews 6:19
- Favorite Class at CU: Neurophysiological Psychology
- Favorite Artist: LANY
Tags: #campusactivities, #freetime, #fun
Posted in: Student Life