Bored of sitting around campus? Want to get out and enjoy the city? Lucky for us, our nation’s capital is just a few metro stops away.
Be a tourist.
If you don’t know where to start, take a ride on a Hop-on, Hop-off tour bus. With a one or two day pass, passengers of the double-decker bus can choose their own itinerary from a list of 50 stops and visit all of the hot spots of the nation’s capital.
Be cultured.
There are countless art museums and expositions to choose from in D.C. Whether you enjoy modern art, impressionist art, or you really have no idea, but are interested nonetheless, the city can provide hours of entertainment to quench your artistic cravings.
“I can hop on a metro and go see the only da Vinci in the western hemisphere,” said freshman Liora Miller. Even if you aren’t too learned in the realm of art, everyone can appreciate such a unique opportunity.
Last Sunday, Miller and friends took a day trip to D.C. to see the Ai Weiwei exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum.
“It showed how complex the relationship is with Chinese heritage and the Chinese government,” said Miller. The artist was not present at the exhibit’s opening because he was detained in China.
Be spontaneous.
The city provides countless opportunity to do something slightly out of your comfort zone.
For sophomores Hannah Kaiser and Sara Cygler, one Sunday adventure in the city led them to getting some more ear piercings. “I had been thinking about doing it for a while, and then I realized that college was the time to try new things,” said Kaiser.
There are countless spontaneous activities to be found throughout the city. Get off the metro, wander the city, find something you want to try, and do it! Heed the wisdom of Kaiser’s words: “It’s fun to make memories in a new city with your best friends.”
Be an intern.
It would be a lost opportunity for students at the University of Maryland to not consider an internship in our nations capital. The opportunities are endless, the location is unbeatable, and the line on your resume could be the one that leads to future career opportunities. “I have an opportunity to get experience while others are just taking classes,” said Ariel Rogoff, a sophomore Business major at UMD interning for Sirius XM.
Internships are available for students in almost every major and, as Rogoff put it, are a great way to “get ahead and maximize credibility by taking advantage of the fact that our campus is near a city.”
Be on the lookout for internships, often available for credit through your major.
Be a kid again.
Who doesn’t enjoy a carousel ride on the National Mall? Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old to enjoy a ride on a fake pony.
Go alone or bring a group, but whatever you do, make sure you take advantage of the opportunities provided by the nation’s capital.