The unofficial college bucket list: 30 things before you graduate

College has a way of feeling endless until suddenly it's over. If you don't want to graduate with a list of "I should have done that" regrets, here's a starting point. Not everything will apply to you. Some of it is silly. All of it is optional. But if you check off even half, you'll have some good stories.

The academic ones

1. Take a class outside your major just because it sounds interesting.
2. Go to a professor's office hours at least once and actually have a conversation.
3. Pull one legendary all-nighter (and then never do it again, because it's terrible for you).
4. Study abroad, even if it's just a short program.
5. Take a class that scares you a little.
6. Go to a lecture or talk on something you know nothing about.
7. Make the Dean's List at least once, or at least try.
8. Thank a professor who made a difference.

The social ones

9. Make a friend in a completely random way: waiting in line, sitting next to someone, showing up alone to something.
10. Host something. A movie night, a game night, a study session, anything.
11. Stay up talking with friends until the sun comes up.
12. Go to a sports game, even if you don't care about sports.
13. Join a club or organization you'd never have considered in high school.
14. Attend a cultural or diversity event outside your own background.
15. Go to a party. Or don't. Either way, make it a choice.
16. Road trip with friends, even if it's just a day trip.

The explore-your-campus ones

17. Find your favorite hidden study spot that nobody else knows about.
18. Walk around campus at 2 AM at least once.
19. Eat at every dining hall on campus.
20. Explore the library's weird collections: old archives, special editions, the stuff nobody looks at.
21. Find the best view on campus and sit there for a while.
22. Visit every building, even the ones you have no reason to enter.

The personal growth ones

23. Do something alone that you'd normally do with friends: a movie, a meal, a concert.
24. Learn to cook at least three meals that aren't instant noodles.
25. Start a habit you want to keep for life: exercise, journaling, reading, whatever works.
26. Have a real conversation with someone whose views are completely different from yours.
27. Say yes to something you'd normally say no to.
28. Get involved in something that helps other people.

The sentimental ones

29. Take a photo in the same spot on campus once a year.
30. Write a letter to your future self and open it after graduation.

What's the point?

You're not going to remember the Tuesday you watched videos in your room. You're going to remember the time you stayed up until 4 AM talking, or the class that changed how you think, or the random trip you almost didn't take.

If you've already done half of these, nice. If you haven't, you've got time. And if you want a more immediate challenge, take the Rice Purity Test and compare notes with your friends, or run through our freshman year bingo to see where you stand.