Fun Things to Try at JMU This Semester

By Tyler Nicol on August 20, 2018

Summer is coming to an end and we will all be back at school soon. You may be wondering about what fun things you can get out and do this year to get a break from classes. If you go to JMU, there are some fun things you can try in the Harrisonburg area or on campus. If you are at another campus, your local area might have similar options. Here’s a list of things you can do in your spare time, either after class or on the weekends:

photo via unsplash

Golf

While the weather is still nice, hitting the golf course can be a fun thing to do with friends. You can either play a round of 9 holes, the whole 18 or just go hit balls at the driving range. If you don’t have your own set of clubs, you might be able to rent some for the day or you can look online to find some cheaper used ones.

Your two main options for courses in the Harrisonburg area are Heritage Oaks and Lakeview Golf Club. I have personally only played at Lakeview before. It offers 4 different styles of courses and you play 2 at a time if you are playing a full 18 holes. Heritage Oaks is even closer to campus and is a reputable golf course too.

If golfing isn’t your thing, consider trying mini golf. Mini golf is typically played for fun and you can get a big group of friends together to go play. There are also a few different options around the Harrisonburg area.

Skiing

When winter comes around, skiing or snowboarding are fun activities that you can do without traveling too far away from Harrisonburg. Massanutten Ski Resort is only 20 minutes away from JMU and it offers ski rentals and lodging. Wintergreen Resort is pretty popular also and it is about an hour away. After deciding where to go and calculating costs, plan a weekend to go skiing with some friends.

There is a great amount of interest for skiing and snowboarding among JMU students. There is even a club for skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor sports that you could check out if you are more seriously interested. They plan ski trips throughout the semester with people in the club.

photo via unsplash


Downtown events

Downtown Harrisonburg has many different opportunities to do fun things. Some events are organized downtown by the local community and others are specifically for JMU students. Check the events page to see the upcoming activities that are happening downtown. There are often community events when the weather is nice, as well as local concerts and live music at bars.

Many of the local bars offer fun experiences, with nightly specials and live music. There are a few notable bars downtown that I would recommend going to. Ruby’s Arcade is a bar and restaurant that has bowling, pool, and other games to play. It is in the middle of downtown so you could easily go do a few different things in the area on the same night. Golden Pony is another bar and restaurant that is a little further down Main Street. Below the restaurant, they have a bar and a basement that often has live music and DJs. They have had popular artists come to play live shows in the past, and the tickets are fairly cheap. JMU student organizations have even rented out the basement and students will sometimes play live music.

Clubs and other student organizations

Clubs are a great way to meet people and explore your interests. They are often referred to as student organizations because most of them are completely run by students. Being involved in student organizations is more important than some people realize. USA Today reports that “becoming passionately involved in campus activities can get your resume into that ‘yes’ pile.” Employers will look at work experience, but they will also incorporate your involvement with extracurricular activities into their decision making.

If you are not sure what clubs you want to try, consider going to Student Org Night on August 31. Student Org Night is an event that occurs once at the beginning of every semester where student organizations recruit and inform other students about their organization. It is helpful to connect you with others and allow you to get familiar with the clubs before joining.

There are a variety of organizations that go to Student Org Night so chances are, you can find something that you like. They have everything from club sports to academic clubs, cultural clubs, and Greek organizations. You may even want to try a little bit of everything. If you have time in your schedule, get involved with as much as you can!

With school coming up quick, it is about time that we all start thinking about what fun things to do when we get back. There are a lot of different options for things to do with friends in the Harrisonburg area. Try some outdoor activities, such as golfing or skiing (depending on the weather). You can also attend some local events and spend some time downtown. If you are looking to get involved on campus, check out the various student organizations JMU has to offer. Putting yourself out there and trying new things will allow you to have a great experience next semester.

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