Is it your final semester at college? Are you mere months away from graduating and wanting to savor every minute you’ve got left? Wanting to make the most of the final time you’ll be in the place you’ve called home for the past couple years? Then it’s time to make a bucket list of all the things you need to do before moving on to what comes after you walk across the stage in your cap and gown. More specifically, a list of all the food experiences you need to have, as there’s no better way to enjoy your last semester than to eat and drink your way through it with friends. After all, a place is often defined by its food and college is really no different. Treat this as your final semester foodie bucket list, and get to checking off the entries.
1. Hit the local staples.
Every college town has its staple restaurants, and it would be a crime to graduate without sampling the local cuisine. If you’ve already got around to all of them, revisit your favorites. If you haven’t, it’s time to save up some weekend nights and eat your way through town. Catch me waking up at 8 am to grab fresh donuts from a beloved local spot before they sell out.
2. Revisit your favorite dining hall or two.
Freshman year may feel like an eternity ago, but there was a time when dining halls were your life. Before you throw your cap in the air, make sure to revisit your favorite on-campus dining spots, if not for the food (I’ve been spoiled with good dining hall food but that is not a universal experience) then for the nostalgia.
3. Have a picnic.
It sounds cheesy, and it just might be, but picnics are a great way to enjoy the scenery of campus and some good food. Chances are, after graduation, you won’t be back to enjoy the sights of the place you spent four or so years at for a while. So grab your friends, pick up some finger-foods and a blanket, and set up shop somewhere with a great view. Enjoy reminiscing over good eats and soak up the sights one last time. And maybe have a picnic photoshoot while you’re at it.
4. Have a wine & slideshow night.
Your final semester is the perfect time to stay in with your friends (preferably in cozy clothes), grab a bottle of wine (or champagne, since we’re graduating and why not celebrate?), and have a slideshow night. Your slideshows could be senior-themed — favorite/least favorite classes, favorite memories, most embarrassing college moments — or if you’re not ready to face the fact that you’re leaving, any topic will do.
5. Host a senior dinner potluck.
The best food experiences are the ones that are shared. That’s true of college memories too. A potluck is the best of both worlds, as you can share food and memories, something that can be hard to do when everyone is on conflicting schedules. But this is your last semester, so there’s no better time than now to organize a dinner. Have everyone bring a dish and sit down to enjoy a shared meal and time together.
6. Study (& nosh) in a local coffee shop.
You can’t get to graduation with cramming for exams and writing up long papers, but make an experience out of your last finals season of undergrad by bringing your workload to a local coffee shop. Try a new coffee or savor a longtime favorite, and don’t forget to sample pastries if they have them. After all, when will you get the chance to do that again? Probably not for a while, if ever.
7. Grab a late night treat with friends.
There’s something so quintessentially college about going out to grub late at night. It doesn’t matter if it’s a study break, or just a Wednesday night where you and your roommates are bored — pile into a car and head out for something sweet. Grab sweets from a gas station, pints of ice cream from the grocery store, hot cookies if you have an Insomnia Cookies or similar store around, or, for those going to college in the South, swing by a Cook Out for milkshakes.
8. Host a fridge clean out smorgasbord night.
At the end of the semester, everything in your apartment has to go, and that includes the contents of your fridge and freezer. Make a night out of your great fridge clean out by snacking on or cooking up the things that are still good with your roommates. You have a frozen pizza and pizza rolls? Throw them both in the oven. Half-eaten pints of ice cream? Dessert for dinner is always a good option. Leftover juice previously used for chasers? Pour everyone a cup.