Time is all we have, so use it wisely.

Explore Your Surroundings

Finding fun requires a Google search as simple as “free things to do in [city name],” because the best things in life are free, aren’t they?

Always having been more comfortable far away from the hoards of people who flock together, I still cannot deny my love for cities because there, with so many things to do and countless numbers of people to meet, life seems to buzz with the audacity of human life, as terrifyingly beautiful as that may be. Having recently spent a few weeks in Miami where there are numerous local activities offered, I have become accustomed to keeping an endless list of food truck and music festivals, art walks, free yoga classes, farmer’s markets, restaurant specials, and museum exhibits.

For all my USF Tampa friends there is always, always something happening nearby:

1. Markets, all of the markets

The only challenge will be choosing one. Free to see but bring some change in case you feel inclined to consume a tasty treat or bring an artifact home with you.

2. Tour the Yuengling Brewery

With free admission (with identification indicating you are 21+) and samples, how could you ever go wrong?

3. Florida Botanical Gardens

Open almost everyday and admission costs nothing but respect for the flora and fauna.

4. Fort de Soto Park

Three miles of beach complete with a dog park, nature trails, a fishing pier, and two forts to explore. Oh, and it is free to get in. What more could you want?

5. Yoga

Here are just a few of the many free classes offered around the area:

• Yoga Downtown Tampa: Yoga in the park, 6 to 7 p.m. Sundays; Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa; yogadowntowntampa.com; (813) 944-2291.
• Lululemon: Rise and Shine yoga, 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays; Hyde Park Village, 727 S Dakota Ave., Tampa; lululemon.com/tampa/hydeparkvillage; (813) 251-2640.
• Yoga Loft: Yoga in the park, 9:30 a.m. Saturdays during the Ybor City Saturday Market; Ybor City Museum garden, 1818 E Ninth Ave., Ybor City; yogalofttampa.com; (813) 248-9642.

6. The Dali Museum

Because it is surreal in more ways than one.

7. Tinder

Because who doesn’t enjoy free dinner from a stranger? Ha ha, just kidding... I mean, unless you're into that sort of thing, which is cool, too.

Read A Classic

Yes, you can read one in just a day, some in only a few hours.

The Huffington Post and Goodreads both have extensive lists worth checking out.

My top five:

1. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Pearl by John Steinbeck
4. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Watch a Film

All, except for one, are available on Amazon Prime (as a student you should have this because it is free for a time—trust me it's the only reason I have it now).

1. "Pulp Fiction" - (A classic, you have not fully lived if you haven’t seen this masterpiece. I only urge you to be aware of the age/maturity level of your fellow audience members while making this decision if you intend to view in a group. I was shown this film when I was much too young, eight years old, and from having watched it in more recent times I am now convinced it might be a factor in some personal issues. Ffor those of you have seen it, you know what I’mtalking about. Some scenes seriously messed with my young malleable mind, and I still have an occasional nightmare about the Gimp. This consideration goes for any of these choices, be smart—don't scar anyone too deeply.don't
2. "Reservoir Dogs"- If you enjoy gangster gore and a thick twisted plot)
3. Kill Bill (because who doesn’t like a quest for vengeance laden with quick wit and Kung Fu)
4. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (because who doesn’t like a sequel that doesn’t disappoint)
5. Jackie Brown (even if solely for Samuel L. Jackson's hairstyle)
6. Django Unchained (If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who has a Netflix account, or the password to a close friend’s or ex-lover’s, because this scene might be the best in cinematic history)
7. Seven Psychopaths (because we all need a little crazy on occasion)
8. The Wolf of Wall Street (even if just for this scene alone)

Paint, Sketch, Doodle, Write

There’s a certain importance to exercising your creative mind whether you think you are creative or artistic or not (I think we all are).

I have two older sisters who are both insanely talented in all mediums. Having grown up alongside them and constantly put to shame when my drawings/paintings/et cetera were showcased next to theirs took a toll on the budding creator within. Being told I was the least artistic of the three hindered my thought processes because I believed I wasn’t good enough to even try. I swallowed every insult and misunderstanding that was addressed to me, and I began to accept that I shouldn’t even begin to try because any piece I created wouldn’t be as beautiful as theirs.

When someone casts a negative shadow on an expression of yourself it’s hard not to take personally. This isn’t about being overly sensitive to constructive criticism, for criticism that offers a way to grow from another’s perspective is appreciated while frank statements of dislike serve no purpose. I know it can be daunting to delve into something that you might not be good at, but remember there is no way you can’t be good at art for it is an expression of yourself at your very core. It took me a long time to realize that not everyone will like what you create because not everyone will like you.

Don’t let anyone tell you you aren’t good enough, don’t let anyone tell you you aren’t an artist because I promise you you are. We all see things differently, and being “good enough” doesn’t actually exist, it is simply a construct created by others who have preconceptions of what life should be when life can be whatever you would like it to be. It took me a while to understand it is not a competition. Art is not meant to always be accepted by others. It will not always be appreciated. It is from you and for you. If someone happens to feel something when they come across it then you have connected with another being on one of the most wondrous levels, you have made them feel something.

Pick up a pen and a sheet of paper, open a word document and start typing, take a pair of scissors to a stack of already-read magazines, grab a four-dollar watercolor set and a cup of tap water, imagine, create, and love what happens when you release your mind and free yourself from any bonds created by yourself and others.

Do something, do anything, make life worthwhile and interesting.

Only boring people get bored. It is too easy not to not have fun.