Cheap Ways to Have Fun on a Student Budget

Contrary to what college sitcom characters might have you believe, having fun doesn’t always come easy. Constantly going out with friends for dinner dates and shopping events, while great for your social life, can put a real (and real stressful) dent in your budget.

Thankfully, despite TAMU being located in one of Texas’s smaller cities, there are plenty of cheap ways to have fun and meet new people while staying within your student budget. Activities like:

Board game meet-ups.Forget everything you think you know about traditional games and related board game meet-up groups. Non-insiders don’t know, but the U.S. is in something of a board game renaissance with games designed to meet a spectrum of interests from team collaboration to intense competitive game play. It’s a new spin on an old concept that brings people together to get social and enjoy games together. Trust us, try the scene by joining the city’s weekly meet-up group or by dropping in at the Clockwork games store. Game enthusiasts are only too happy to share their favorites with others.

Pick up an outdoor hobby. Texas is downright gorgeous in the fall and city of College Station is uniquely poised to enjoy the best of the region. Before it gets too cool, grab your swimming suit and your new dorm mates and head to Lake Bryan for an afternoon dip. If you’re feeling overwhelmed on campus, this is also the ideal spot for a bit of R&R with camping and hiking. Or for some more regular outdoor activities, what about picking up a frisbee and joining a local Ultimate Frisbee group? With such minimal equipment involved, this is a great way to be active, meet new friends, and have fun whilst still saving money.

Get into student activities. Okay sure, fraternities and sororities are notoriously expensive (particularly the latter) with their requirements of special outfits and costly activities (although they worthy of a second look), but they aren’t the only student activity worth joining at TAMU. The university has over 1,000 registered student organizations. So no matter your interests, whether it’s networking with other women in tech, organizing politics, getting competitive with indoor climbers, or playing quidditch (yes, the muggle kind), TAMU has a group ready for you. Joining one of these style organizations offers you a quick, cheap, and fun way to spend your free time and meet and engage with friends.