The weekend is over and all you can see is a week full of lectures ahead of you – or there’s way too much work this weekend so you decided to study all day on campus instead of going to cool places in Vancouver to have fun. Guess what? There are so many ways to have the same amount of fun without leaving campus – so make your ordinary class schedule or study day an awesome day! Here are my favorite events on campus that you might not know about:
Paint the next masterpiece
Join a painting session on campus! Paint on canvas, glass bottles, or even tote bags. These events are hosted by many UBC clubs and organizations, from the AMS Paint Club to different student associations. AMS Events also hosts a Pastels and Pinot event a few times every year where you paint a canvas and there is usually wine and live jazz music too. The best way to stay up to date about upcoming events is to follow clubs and organizations on social media and sign up for their email newsletters.
Dance the stress away
Dancing is a great form of self-expression. There are many dancing activities happening on campus, often hosted by the AMS dance clubs. Did you know that the UBC Dance Club has existed for over 70 years? Most dance clubs allow drop-ins for their dancing classes. Look for dance clubs on AMS CampusBase. There are also dance classes hosted by UBC Rec.
Challenge your friends to a game of badminton
Take a break after class and head to the Student Recreation Centre for a free drop-in. Badminton is more energy-intensive and fast-paced than most people think – it is so exciting to play! Wanna beat your friends at another sport? UBC Recreation also has drop-ins for volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, and more. Pro Tip: If you live in residence, there are usually game rooms, and you can borrow equipment from the Front Desk. Play pool, table tennis, or even foosball (table soccer)!
Sing your heart out at a karaoke event
It feels amazing to sing one of those iconic 2000s hits that makes you nostalgic or that one new song that you have been listening to on repeat. Check out Koerner’s Pub since they have many karaoke events. Sometimes UBC clubs and organizations host them too. Keep an eye out for upcoming events, especially music-related clubs.
Have a good laugh at a UBC Improv show
Need to cheer up after a few busy days of studying? UBC Improv Team has shows throughout the year. Treat yourself to some brilliant comedy time!
Celebrate winter (or pretend it is winter) with ice skating
No need to go off campus; have a fun time ice skating at a free drop-in session offered by UBC Recreation. Didn’t bring skates to university? No problem – you can rent them at the rink!
Watch the beautiful sunset
A classic: go down to Wreck or Tower Beach and truly take advantage of being a student in a university that is next to the beach. Pro Tip: If you want to avoid the hundreds of stairs and crowds, some great spots are the fence facing the sea that is near the Haida House outside the Museum of Anthropology and around Foreshore Park (it is a few minutes from Tower Beach). At the other end of campus, check out the Marine Drive Lookout and this trail for fantastic sunset views.
These are just a few of my favorite things to do around campus! I would love to hear any of your suggestions in the comments below.
