This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter.
Though be it some of the best four years of our lives, college can also be stressful. Between school deadlines, work obligations, balancing relationships with friends and family, and the rest of the never-ending list, we as college students rarely take the time to mindlessly do things we enjoy.
Last year, on the first day of class, my professor was getting to know his new students and asked each of us to share our favorite hobby. I thought for awhile while the rest of the class was sharing. Sometimes, when I have a free moment, I fire up Netflix. Sometimes I invite my friend to dinner. Occasionally I online shop. At this moment I realized, “wow…I really do not have any hobbies.” I realized it was important for me to create an outlet for myself so my whole life was not school, school, school, Netflix, more school.
If you find yourself in a similar position, I suggest trying some of these hobbies. You might fall in love with some of them.
1. DIY Crafts – If you are creative and looking for a big-time stress reliever, crafting could be for you. There are so many ideas on Pinterest, and many of them are extremely inexpensive. You could even begin to craft useful items for around the house as well as decorations to save money, as these things can add up very quickly.
2. Ballroom Dancing – Have you ever watched an episode of Dancing with the Stars and thought, “wow I’d really like to try that one day.” No? Just me? Okay, well personally, I believe ballroom dancing is a fun way to stay active while learning about other cultures and taking your mind off of homework and exams. The benefits are really endless. Many universities have ballroom dancing clubs that welcome students of all experience levels. We could all learn a thing or two!
3. Trivia – If you’re like me and full of completely useless information, trivia is a way to make this information a little less useless. Many organizations have trivia nights on campus, as do some off-campus bars. Some also offer prizes, which is always a bonus. This is a great way to get your girl gang together for some educational fun.
4. Nail Art – So many women these days spend countless dollars on expensive manicures and pedicures at nail salons. If this isn’t in your budget, why not practice yourself? There is always cheap nail polish at stores like Target and Walmart and some super cool and cute design ideas and tutorials on YouTube.
5. Pickling – Okay hear me out. According to Wikipedia, pickling is the process of preserving or expanding the lifespan of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. You can pickle pretty much any vegetable. It’s a fun and yummy (if you’re a pickle fan, of course) way to increase the lifespan of your veggies. Who is out here trying to let all of the food in the fridge go bad after a week? Not me!
6. Hiking – Especially as Clemson students, we have so many gorgeous trails nearby, and hiking is a great way to blow off some steam and really appreciate nature. It’s a peaceful Saturday morning activity that’s rewarding in many ways.
7. Learning New Languages – Most of us took a foreign language in high school – and unless you continued with it in college – lost almost all knowledge of said language. There are some free apps out there to teach languages, and you never know when you may use them. Maybe you’re planning on studying abroad, or maybe you just want to put “bilingual” on your resume. Either way, it is a fun and beneficial hobby.
