This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montana chapter.
Graduation is just around the corner, and looking back on the last four years I can remember some pretty great times. There are also a few things I wish I’d done that I didn’t. Without further ado… things you should do before you graduate from UM—or anywhere else for that matter:
- Get out of your comfort zone. One of the best things I did in college was to move to Colorado for the summer without anyone I knew. I was lucky in that I moved into a house with a great group of people and it was by far the best summer I had during college. I lived with eight people, which would normally not be my style, but it was great.
- Study abroad. On the same leaving-of-the-comfort-zone note, I wish I had studied abroad. While I know it’s not for everyone, I don’t have a single friend that studied abroad that regretted it. If you aren’t willing to spend an entire semester away, or if it will interfere with your ability to graduate, you can always take a summer or winter session course abroad.
- Stay in Missoula for the summer. We all love going to college here, but Missoula is an entirely different town in the summer. Floating the river, barbequing and hanging out without the stress of school is amazing.
- Go to Maggotfest. Yes, it might be one of dirtiest gatherings that happens in Missoula, but it’s only once a year, and nothing says “school’s almost over” like this annual Rugby tournament.
- Hit the slopes at Snowbowl. It might not be huge, it might have sketchy chairlifts, but it’s what we’ve got. Go skiing or snowboarding at least once—especially if you’re not from a mountainous area.
- Join a club. This is something that I didn’t do, and I wish I’d been more involved in goings-on around campus now that I’m done at UM. There are a ton of activities, clubs and intramural teams that you can join. You’ll meet interesting people and maybe even beef up your resume if there’s volunteering involved. Win-win.