Things to accomplish before you graduate
It is my last semester in college and my friends and I have spent a lot of time reflecting on our college experience and everything we have loved to do and things we want to do but have not yet. I want to make a list of all the things I want to do before I finish my senior year. There are so many restaurants and foods to eat, events to go to and activities I want to do to make my college experience memorable.
One thing about senior year is that I have gotten a little tired of going to UU or KK every weekend, so instead of going to the same college bars all the time I want to switch up our going-out locations and activities some weekends. I think one fun thing to do instead is play card games with my friends because they are so fun and easy if you take the time to learn them and can be a great way to get competitive with your friends. I also want to try to go to more mature bars on State Street or near the capitol like Piano Bar. I think changing the location adds some spice to the weekend and it can be really fun exploring new places with your friends.
One other thing I want to do is go to the Comedy Club. I have been wanting to go since freshman year but somehow I have never been able to make it happen. I especially want to go to open mic night because I want to see different people’s takes on comedy and have a great time laughing with my friends. I also want to try a paint and sip class with my friends so we can be creative and de-stress while making fun of each other’s art skills or being amazed by my especially artistic friends.
All semester my friends have been talking about wanting to go to bingo at a casino. We think it would be a great experience and a change of pace. It is also a great way to prepare for playing bingo together in our old age. The last way I want to change up going out is by going to karaoke and singing fun songs. Last year I had a great time one day when we stumbled into a karaoke bar and sang all the songs from the Hannah Montana movie. It was so fun to be surrounded by people singing their hearts out even if no one had good pitch.
There are lots of great restaurants and dishes in Madison that I want to have at least one more time before I graduate. My favorite restaurant is Paul’s Pel’meni and their Russian dumplings. Other food I want to eat is sushi from Red and bacon, egg and cheese from Gotham Bagels and Kung Fu Tea’s classic milk tea with boba. I also love the bolognese from Cento, the chicken caesar wrap from Memorial Union and the Thai curry from the Globe. Finally, I want to go back to Gordon’s and get the stir fry and waffles I loved freshman year. I already went back to Liz’s market and took advantage of the ala carte menu to load up on a burrito, grilled cheese and tomato soup and lucky charms. My friends and I have a great time reliving the magic of freshman year.
There are lots of other activities to do in Madison, especially when the weather gets warm. I want to take long walks around the lakeshore path and picnic point like we did during covid sophomore year. I also love to play tennis with my friends in the summer because it is so beautiful by the lake and a great way to exercise. These activities help me relax and enjoy the beautiful nature Madison has to offer.
I also want to do and see more creative things before I leave. During freshman year I went to the ceramics club at the wheelhouse and it was such a fun way to be creative and work with your hands to learn a new skill. It is so cool to be able to learn how to use a pottery wheel and create your own art. I can explore others’ art too by going to the Chazen or the free movies at Union South. I have had a great time going to interesting movies like “Thoroughbred” there and it has crazy strange energy that is great. The last thing on my list is to go to more sporting events like basketball and hockey games; they are so fun and really get you into the school spirit.
Your last semester of college can be very bittersweet and it can be your last chance to do your favorite things or things you have never tried. So to make the most out of your senior year you should take advantage of every opportunity presented to you and try new things. Go to all the bar crawls, basketball games and restaurants you can, and have a great last semester before graduation!