Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter.

Sometimes in college it can be hard to come up with affordable date ideas while also having busy schedules. Thankfully, the USF area offers numerous date ideas and opportunities to explore the area with your loved ones. 

Local Restaurants

The USF area offers a wide variety of local restaurants to try! I like to visit restaurants that aren’t chains, supporting local businesses, and try foods from different cultures. For instance, there’s a delicious Russian restaurant right by campus called Babushka’s, or grandma in Russian. Babushka’s offers a wide variety of Russian cuisine such as Beef Stroganoff, Pelmeni (Russian Dumplings), and so much more. The Temple Terrace location also offers USF students a 10% discount.  

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens is conveniently located less than 2 miles away from campus. In fact, the Bull Runner can take students to the theme park on the G route! Busch Gardens offers fun for everyone, being both a zoo and a theme park. Busch Gardens does numerous deals throughout the year, offering pass members free passes for guests. Busch Gardens also has several affordable passes, including a fun pass deal which also includes Adventure Island, the waterpark.

Lightning Games

Lightning games are always an exciting time to root on the hometown team in a comfortable, indoor space. Amalie Arena is in the heart of downtown, surrounded by other attractions like the Florida Aquarium. The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the best teams in hockey, winning the Stanley Cup the past two years. As a hockey aficionado, I recommend everyone to at least go to one Lightning game while attending USF. Even though the Lightning are so talented, the tickets are still affordable for students. In fact, the Lightning offers Student Rush tickets, which are twenty dollars with a student ID!

Overall, there is always something to do in the USF area with your loved ones.

Hi! My name is Penelope, but everyone calls me Penny. I am an undergraduate student at the University of South Florida majoring in marketing and integrated PR and advertising. I'm a proud, communicative Gemini, who is excited to share on Her Campus! Some of my interests include watching movies (I consider myself an 80's movie aficionado), listening to music, going to concerts, and following hockey.