I know what you’re thinking. “Reading period is for studying. I don’t have time to go do all these things.” Believe me, I know how you feel. But let me remind you of two things.
First, you only get four years in Boston. And while it always seems like you’ll have more time when you’re in the thick of things, suddenly you’ll be graduating, and moving straight to NYC or San Fran, and you'll realize that in four years you never really got to know this city.
Second, reading period is a whole week. That’s 168 hours, or 96 waking hours (for those of us who need our 8 hours of beauty sleep every night). Which is a lot of time, and certainly more than you need to finish all of your work. But here’s what happens: every time you think about doing something fun in Boston, your conscience reprimands you, reminding you that you could spend those three hours writing your essay instead. When you finally need a break from all the work, you’ll binge watch Netflix, and then wonder where the last five hours went and why you didn’t do something more fun with them. This reading period, try something new: plan ahead of time to do a super fun activity during your downtime, and then study around that block of time. You can even put it in your calendar, if that helps you!
So grab the blockmates, and get planning!
1. Fenway Park
Image courtesy of boston.redsox.mlb.com
Baseball season is upon us, so go see a game in the oldest ballpark in the MLB! Check out the schedule to see if they’re playing your home team. Don’t have a team you’re particularly into? The Red Sox play their rivals, the NY Yankees, during the first weekend of reading period (April 29-May 1). It’s one of the biggest rivalries in Major League sports; you’ll probably see someone get punched!Seated tickets start at $32.
Total time: 4hr (games are approx. 3 hours)
Directions: Take the Red Line to Park Street, then take the Green Line B, C or D to Kenmore; Fenway park is 5 minutes from the station.
More info: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=bos#y=2016&calendar=DEFAULT&m=4
2. New England Aquarium
Image courtesy of capecodchamber.org
At $27 for an admission ticket, this one is definitely pricey, but definitely worth it. The NE Aquarium has one of the largest aquatic animal collections in the country, including a Giant Pacific Octopus in a brand new exhibit. They also have penguins, sea lions, and even a Right Whale, a species of which fewer than 500 whales are alive today!
Total time: 2hr50min (for a 2-hour visit)
Directions: Take the Red Line to Downtown Crossing; the Aquarium is a 10-minute walk towards the waterfront.
More info: http://www.neaq.org/visit_planning/index.php
3. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Image courtesy of gardnermuseum.org
Doesn’t that beautiful garden look inviting? That’s inside the museum. And for the actual art fans: the Gardner Museum is currently having an exhibit called “Off the Wall: Gardner and Her Masterpieces” where 25 of the masterpieces in their collection are meant to be seen from very close up. They describe it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition, featuring works by Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, and others.
Entrance $5 with Student ID.
Total time: 3hr20min (for recommended 2-hour museum visit)
Directions: Take the Red Line to Park Street; Take the Green Line E towards Heath Street to the Museum of Fine Arts stop; the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a three minute walk from there.
More Info: http://offthewall.gardnermuseum.org/?utm_source=web&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=otw
4. Sam Adams Brewery Tour (For the 21+)
Image courtesy of: broketourist.net
This one needs no explaining, it’s a beer tasting in one of the oldest breweries in the country! The best part: the tour is totally free! They do take donations at the end of the tour, all of which benefit local charities; but the suggested donation is still only $2.
Total time: 2hr20min
Directions: take the Red Line to Downtown Crossing; the Orange Line towards Forest Hills to Stony Brook. The brewery is less than a 5-minute walk from the station.
More info: https://www.samueladams.com/boston-brewery/brewery...
