It’s officially springtime, and as we get closer to the end of the academic year, temperatures are beginning to rise. On April 1, the temperature was 73 degrees, a sign that a nice warm season is coming.
Within the next week, the temperatures are going to range between the 40s and the 60s. While they’re not going to reach the 70s, it’s guaranteed that temperatures will continue to rise throughout April. As that happens, we should begin to embrace the outdoors a little more.
#1: Play football or frisbee outside the Student Union
Whenever I walk by the Student Union on a warm day, I almost always see a group of students play football or frisbee on the expansive lawn in front of it. They’re always smiling and laughing, a sign of enjoyment and bliss.
If you like to play sports, you should spend some time getting together with your friends and throwing a football or frisbee around with one another. You don’t even have to play on the lawn in front of the Student Union. There are many other great places, including the Great Lawn near East Campus and the park in front of South Campus.
#2: Get out of the library and do your work outside
Are you sick of studying at the library? If so, you might want to pick a different place.
As the temperatures become warmer, you should consider working outdoors. Not only will you have a change of scenery, but you’ll have the opportunity to suntan while reading your physics textbook or working on your lab report. Plus, you’ll breathe in fresh air, spend a little bit of time with nature and maybe say hi to people who walk by you.
#3: Stop by the Dairy Bar and get a taste of the freshest ice cream in the world
Don’t you just love eating ice cream that’s so sweet you desperately want more? If so, you should stop by the Dairy Bar.
Consistently voted a favorite in local polls, the Dairy Bar is known for having some of the freshest ice cream in the area. Its menu contains a variety of flavors and toppings that customers can choose from. It also features ice cream cakes, waffle cones and monthly sundaes such as Chocolate Love Bomb and the Apple Harvest Sundae, all of which will make your taste buds ecstatic.
#4: Spend a little bit of time going on a walk, run or bike ride
If you have no homework or extracurriculars to take care of, then I recommend going on an outdoor run. Not only will you be able to relish the outdoors, but you’ll get some physical activity. And if you’re not a fan of running, then you can always walk or ride a bike if you own one.
The University of Connecticut has many different routes you can take. Whether you walk, run or ride a bike, you can go just about anywhere on campus. You can go from North Dining Hall to South Dining Hall, Towers to Garrigus, Buckley to the Gampel Pavilion — anywhere your heart desires! UConn is so huge you won’t have to worry about becoming bored as you travel. And if you get lost, you can always access the campus map.
#5: Go for a hike on Horsebarn Hill
If you’ve never been to Horsebarn Hill, you should explore it while the temperatures are warming up.
Horsebarn Hill has many different routes you can take, and while it might possibly smell like cow manure, it’ll still be a change of scenery from the many buildings you can see on campus. If you’re ever looking for a quiet and peaceful place to walk and hike on, Horsebarn Hill is a great option.
There are many more activities we can do, but these are the top five I recommend. We have one month left in the semester, and warmer weather awaits us. So, let’s enjoy this last month by going outside and having fun!