Like it or not, the end of spring semester is upon us, which means warm weather, Block Party, Easter and graduation. Something about this time of year has everyone more than ready for summer which can often lead to spontaneous road trips and visits from friends! Hopefully, these tips will help you make the most of their time in Bloomsburg!
Don’t forget to check with your roommates. Whether you’re cramped in a dorm or sharing a spacious apartment, it’s always nice to ask your roommates if they mind having visitors and make sure you tell your friends to keep the noise down, ask before they take things from the fridge and keep reasonable sleeping hours.
Ask what your friends are interested in doing. Maybe they’re really into nature and fitness and you know they’ll love Rickett’s Glen or maybe they like to relax on the weekends, in which case checking out the Digiplex’s movie show times would come in handy. Keeping a rough idea of what you’d like to do will help you take traffic and weather into account.
Don’t be afraid to plan ahead. We all know how crowded Marley’s can get on the weekends and how long the lines can be at Bloomin’ around brunch time. While you don’t have to have an iron-clad schedule, keep an idea of your days plans so you can try call-ahead seating and other time-saving measures to help you make the most of your time together.
Find out how visitor parking works! Bloomsburg isn’t the most accommodative when it comes to parking so make sure you secure a parking pass for your friends or find safe spots that won’t tow. It’s one of the more annoying aspects of being a hostess but your friends will thank you when they don’t have a $50 parking ticket.
Take advantage of your meal plan. If you have a meal plan, definitely take advantage of your guest meal swipes! We all had those times when you would guest meal a roommate who forgot their ID but it turns out that those meal swipes can be a huge money saver when friends come to visit! Instead of going out to eat every night of the weekend, treat your friends to a good ole’ meal at the Commons. They’ll love the unlimited free food and they’ll get a real sense of life at Bloomsburg!
Don’t ignore your homework. In a perfect world, our friends would visit on the weekends we have a light workload but as the calendar slowly crawls to mid-April, those weekends are few and far between. Try to get ahead throughout the week so if you want to do dinner at Balzano’s or grab froyo on Sunday afternoon, you’re not consulting your assignment book for what’s due on Monday. Also, don’t be afraid to tell your friends you need some library time – you don’t want a damper on your whole weekend due to your Econ test.
So, next time you have friends in town, keep these tips in mind! We promise they’ll help you keep the weekend all about fun instead of worrying about getting a table at Marley’s!