Oh the college life!

As a college student, I am blessed with the wonderful opportunity to take advantage of all the things a college offers. Whether it is free printing, free doctor visits, free entertainment, free networking opportunities; college really provides a lot of great FREE (or cheap) opportunities. The even cooler thing is that these opportunities are typically open to the public for free or cheap. I know I don't attend nearly enough events, but I do try to go to all of them that I can, and when I've gone, I've been shocked at the low number of non-college students at these events.

It may be hard for the public to initially get involved, but trust me, once you get involved you'll wish you had sooner. One of my favorite activities on campus is the Arts, seeing vocal performances, or theater performances, or touring the on campus museum! Almost all of these are free and open to the public. Look online for any colleges near you, community colleges or bigger state schools; look at their websites for events coming up. Typically bigger schools offer more than smaller schools, but that's not to say that small schools should be overlooked. When on the schools website look up their calendar of events, if you can't find anything that specifically says open to the public, call the box office, or the general number and ask them for help. Most instances the college specifies if it is open to the public and if there are any costs for the public to attend.

There are ballets, student ensembles, junior and senior recitals, and even Broadway productions. Last year Avenue Q, and Legally Blonde came to campus. While not all of these may be your cup of tea, there are so many opportunities to take advantage of, and most of them are kid friendly too! So if you're looking for a good field trip, a cheap date, or just an adventure, I'd recommend looking up colleges near you and seeing what they have to offer.

Things generally offered at most colleges to the public:

• Library use and tours (great for kids!)
  
• Student performances, vocal, theatrical, galleries (call ahead to get an idea of content)
  
• Lecture Series from Distinguished members of the community
  
• Sporting Events (Football, Baseball, Volleyball, Bowling, Tennis…etc)
  
• Cheap entertainment (BSU has a mini bowling alley that's cheaper than public alleys, and a party room that can be rented, and you don't have to be a student or faculty to do so)
  
• Ballet or dance recitals
  
• Touring Artists
  
• Workshops
  

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a good baseline. So look online, call the college, and take advantage of these awesome opportunities!

If you're in the Muncie area, go here to see some upcoming events!