College students share what they like to do when they have a moment to themselves.

WAFFLE HOUSE WAS A GREAT WAY to wind down the evening before heading home for the night. My friends and I would always seem to end up there after a long night of going out at the bars. Upon arrival, we would always head straight for the jukebox. Once the quarters were in, the other Waffle House patrons were definitely in for a treat. We would sing mostly 1980s hits, ranging from “Jessie’s Girl” to “867-5309.” Depending on the crowd, we could sometimes get others to participate. It was definitely a sight to see.
—JIMMY LYNCH
AUBURN UNIVERSITY

WHEN YOU HAVE FREE TIME, enjoy things that are non-school-related and healthy: Join a really random club, be in a play, volunteer, run a marathon,
become a film noir enthusiast. Your free time can really give you a chance to meet people of similar mind-set and interest, and can also expose you to
interests and ideas you can’t find in the lecture hall. Also, make sure you watch a little bit of TV now and then, to prevent college “bubble” syndrome.
—AMY
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

IT’S REALLY HARD TO FIND TIME to be alone in college. You’re always surrounded by people: your roommates, your friends, your classmates. In high school you have your own room; in college I always shared a room. It’s important to find time to be alone so that you can reflect on everything you’re going through. Go on walks, and write in a journal. If you go through your routine every day, the days pass so fast; if you don’t think back on your day, it doesn’t seem as meaningful. You don’t treasure the memories that you make if you don’t record them in a journal. In the future you’ll be able to look back and see how your freshman year was. Try to find yourself and think about your experiences.
—MEGHAN
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

I PLAYED A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING in college. I had never played water polo in my life and I played that in intramurals and it was great. I played flag football, softball, volleyball; all that stuff. Sports are a great release. I played competitive sports in high school but I wasn’t good enough to play on the college level, so it was a good way for a frustrated athlete to get out there and keep alive and be active. Intramurals were a way to be competitive, but it wasn’t so competitive that you had to deal with the pressures.
—JOHN BENTLEY
TRINITY UNIVERSITY

I WOULD RECOMMEND DRIVING your parents’ van, with a nice bed in back, coast to coast, 3,000 miles. It doesn’t take too long. I did that with my girlfriend. I learned to surf once I got to California. My parents didn’t know I had taken the van until I was in another state. But when I called them, they said, “We’ve been waiting for you to do something like that.” It was great.
—STEVE BAKER
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY