The ultimate University of Michigan bucket list

As another year at Michigan begins, it can be tempting to get caught up in the destructive cycle of constant work and weekend binge drinking, leaving little time for self-care and reflecting on what makes Michigan so great. Whether you’re a baby Wolverine just getting used to your Markley double or a senior prematurely mourning your last game day, it’s important to push yourself to try new things and enjoy experiences that will make your four years memorable.

Here’s a list of things you need to do before you leave Ann Arbor behind:

Hang out in the Big House after hours

I know there’s a fair share of you who have really done this ~after hours~ but guys, there are plenty of opportunities to do this legally, and not by hopping a fence in the middle of the night. Big House tours are easy to organize and can be fairly priced if you go in with a big group. Take a walk around the same hallowed ground that’s played host to famous football legends like Tom Brady, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson and so many more.

Stay out all night and watch the sun rise in the Arb

Or just wake up early, you overachiever.

Stay the length of an entire football game

Probably not a huge achievement for some people, but for others, spending a day hungover/drunk and standing for several hours watching a sport that can best be described as confusing is a major feat. But those who stay and all that, right?

Two words: Friends. Karaoke.

Try every pizza place in Ann Arbor and pick your favorite

Disclaimer: If that favorite isn’t South U, you’re wrong. 

Spend a day hanging out on a hammock in the Diag

Go on a spring break trip with your best friends

Or just head up North and camp out somewhere for the weekend just to get some time away from campus and recharge.

Win an intramural sports championship

…or just a game.

Go to a sporting event that’s not hockey, basketball or football

Have you ever been to a Michigan gymnastics meet? It’s insane and totally fun to watch. Take a break from the huge crowds and come cheer on the rest of our Michigan athletes.

See a production by a Michigan performing arts group

Pull an all-nighter in the Ugli

When you do this, it probably won’t be by choice, but it’s still a quintessential part of the Michigan experience. There’s a sense of camaraderie that comes out of being surrounded by other red-eyed, coffee-addicted students doing their best to finish a paper at 4am, and there’s nothing like that post ten hour study nap.

Go sledding in the Arb

Bonus points if you use a tray from the dining hall.

Go ice skating at Yost

See a show by one of Michigan’s improv groups

Go to Zingerman’s

…once, when your parents are visiting, because you can’t afford to spend $14 on a sandwich.

Participate in Ann Arbor Restaurant Week

Go somewhere besides Sava’s, you guys.

Go to Benny’s and enjoy the ultimate hangover breakfast

Then grab some crayons and see if your drawing is good enough to go on the wall.

See a reading by an author you love at Literati

Participate in Dance Marathon 

Go to Wiard’s Apple Orchard

Pet some llamas, eat some donuts, have a generally fun, autumnal time.

Take a class for no other reason except that it sounds genuinely interesting

Have a Friendsgiving

Go to a UMix event

And do it sober, you delinquents. We tend to think that UMixes are just for freshmen who don’t know any better, but don’t knock it till you try it. Movies, games and a free pasta bar? What’s not to love?

See something interesting at the Michigan Theatre

Explore the UMMA for an afternoon

Find the thing you’re passionate about

Maybe it’s astrophysics. Maybe it’s slacklining. Find it, hone it, and find a way to do it as often as possible.

Make friendships that will outlast your four years at Michigan

And do all of these things with them. The time we have at this wonderful school is such an incredibly short portion of our lives, and yet quite possibly the most important. Make friendships, and memories, that will shape you and comfort you years after you take that walk across the Big House.