There are a lot of things to do at Rutgers over the course of your college career. Whether it's an event, a football game, or finding somewhere to eat, your weekends will be filled with things to do and new things to try.
To make sure you have the ultimate Rutgers experience, make sure you do these 30 things before you graduate!
1. Attend a football game
A very obvious must-do. Most of the time, students can get tickets for free, and maybe the next season will be better than before.
2. Visit the farm on Cook campus
Do you want to show your friends a cool feature on campus? Check out the farm on Cook Campus! It's free, an easy walk from the food-science bus stop, and is the home to a few sheep, goats, cows, pigs, and the barn's cat!
3. Have a picnic at Passion Puddle
Located on Cook, the Passion Puddle is a great place to enjoy the breeze while having some lunch. Great for the spring or fall, plus there's always an annual picnic there at the end of the year.
4. See the stars at the Astronomy Tower
Located on Busch, you can take a look into space Thursday nights!
5. Dance in the Dance Marathon
Looking to help raise money for a great cause while having fun? Check out this 24-hour dance marathon! This is the university's largest event and it helps raise funds and awareness for the Embrace Kids Foundation.
6. Run in the Big Chill
Another event for charity, participants bring a toy worth $15 and up to donate for a child between the ages 3 and 14. Run this 5K in December and become apart of the biggest 5K in New Jersey!
7. Stay up all night during HackRU
With events in both the fall and spring semester, HackRU is a 24-hour hackathon where students are able to meet with mentors, build amazing software, and hardware projects. This is open to beginners and experts!
8. Attend the Masquerade Ball
The Masquerade Ball is an event inside the Zimmerli Museum during the spring semester. There's a different theme every year but bring a guest and enjoy dancing, music, games, and fun!
9. Visit the Zimmerli Museum
Located on College Ave, the Zimmerli Museum brings in different exhibits all the time, so you can truly experience different kinds of art from all over the world. Every Tuesday the Zimmerli also holds their "Art After Hours," a free event featuring great music, refreshments, and a look at the new exhibits.
10. Attend Rutgers Day
In the springtime, the admission is free, everyone is welcome, and there are TONS of activities to participate in on EVERY campus! Plant sales to reading events to hands-on-learning experiences, Rutgers Day is fun for everyone, no matter what age.
11. Participate in Homecoming Weekend
Participate in decorating the beds used in the Bed Races, an annual race down Sicard Street with fellow students and organizations. And if there's any football game you gotta go to, it's the homecoming one.
12. Write on The Wall
The Wall comes around early in the fall semester to every campus, allowing you to write what you want to do before you die.
13. Attend the Involvement Fair
Rutgers has over 700 clubs and organizations to join. Where is the best place to explore all these clubs? The fall semester involvement fair! All of College Ave will have clubs lined up around the whole street. Check it out to learn more about the great clubs and organizations you can join, and get some free stuff!
14. Attend the Career and Internship Mega Fair
Grab your suit, resume, confidence and practice that handshake! The Mega fair is one of the most diverse recruiting opportunities in the country and comes around in both the fall and spring semesters. It's a great way to find a job, internship, or simply practice for future opportunities.
15. Take a pic with the Scarlet Knight
You have to! You'll find him walking around any football game or major event.
16. Eat at every dining hall event
From King Neptune's Night to MidKnight Breakfast, there are a few special dining hall events throughout the year, all offering different meals from the usual pizza and chicken nuggets. Make sure to try them all, no matter how long the lines are!
17. Eat at Henry's Diner
Henry's Diner just recently began accepting meal swipes. And with so much to choose from, there's a reason why this place has become a fan favorite, especially with their awesome shakes.
18. Eat a "fat sandwich"
Another major Rutgers tradition? Eating a fat sandwich from RU Hungry. There are dozens of choices, including veggie fat sandwiches, to choose from. And if you're up to the challenge, eat 5 sandwiches in 45 minutes to have a fat sandwich named after you! Many have tried, few have succeeded. Do you have what it takes?
19. Volunteer for the Scarlet Day of Service
This is one of the largest service events of the year at Rutgers. On this day, both students and alumni come together to clean up communities, working with youth and senior citizens, and more. You'll get a free t-shirt to prove you served New Jersey.
20. Eat at hot dog at the Hot Dog Day event
Free hot dogs, corn dogs, veggie dogs, and fun activities, Hot Dog takes over part of College Ave for a few hours in the spring. What's not to like?
21. Attend a "Writers at Rutgers Reading Series"
With several events throughout the year, Rutgers brings in multiple distinguished authors from diverse backgrounds, such as George Saunders, Temple Grandin, and Junot Diaz to read from their books. It's a great way to expand your reading list, ask questions, meet authors, and even get your books signed.
22. See a movie at the Rutgers Cinema
Around 4 p.m. during the week, and as early as 1 p.m. on the weekends, you can see some of the most recent movies at the Rutgers Cinema on Livi. Students get discounted tickets, plus there are weekday deals such as $1.50 candy on Mondays, $3 small popcorn and soda on Tuesdays, and free slushies on Wednesday. It's a good way to catch up on some recent movies in a nice theatre without leaving campus.
23. Visit the Rutgers Gardens
Located near Cook campus, take a walk through this beautiful garden that's open 365 days a year for free!
24. Try every place that takes meal swipes
For that part in your college career where you become sick of the dining hall, make sure you check out what other places around Rutgers accepts meal swipes. From the Starbucks truck to Sbarro to the Cook and Douglass cafes, there are plenty of places to use meal swipes on campus that isn't just the dining halls.
25. Go to every library
You'll have to use them eventually! There are several libraries throughout Rutgers, and each holds its own unique stash of materials and decoration, too. A terrible place to be during midterms or finals, but throughout the rest of the year, most are pretty nice places to study in.
26. Find a favorite restaurant on Easton Ave
Stuff Yer Face, Wings Over Rutgers, Cookie Rush, and Hansel and Griddle are only some of the top favorites at Rutgers. The only way to find yours is to get out there and try yourself!
27. Check out the Mason Gross Exhibit
It's free admission to check out awesome artwork done by students.
28. Finish a Fish Bowl at Stuff Yer Face
60 ounces of fun on Easton Ave, there are four fish bowls for you to try!
29. Play in the Rutgers Zone
Located on Livingston, play in this arcade with a snack and ice cream bar. You can stop by and eat as you play!
30. Visit every campus
No matter what campus you live on or what campus you have class on the most, each campus has its own special features. Even if you never live or have class on a certain campus, make sure you check it out anyway, whether it's for an event or on your own time.
