As a freshman in Auburn, days will be filled maneuvering campus, navigating through the maze that is the Haley Center, waiting in line for 30 minutes at the busiest Chick-fil-A in the country and learning to appreciate ratemyprofessor.com.
Nights will be spent in dorms and various hot spots on campus.
All of this time on campus can be tiresome and bursting through the Auburn University bubble will be necessary.
Luckily, Auburn and the surrounding Opelika area offer plenty of diversions to break the monotony of campus life.
Chewacla State Park is only a few miles from campus, but is home to waterfalls, biking and hiking trails, is dog accessible and full of lakes and streams.
Chewacla allows boat rentals for pedal boats and canoes for $5 an hour. Fishing is also allowed at the 26-acre lake. The park rents out cabins to further enhance the camping experience.
"I love going on the trails leading to the back waterfalls," said Sam Parker, junior in sociology. "They have the best view."
Auburn is also home to its own bowling alley, where University bowling classes are taught.
Downtown Auburn offers many different boutiques for students to shop at for different occasions. One of the newer downtown boutiques, U&I, offers an edgier style for students and residents to choose from.
"The clothes are a lot different from what you would find at some of the boutiques here," said Anna Claire Terry, junior in journalism. "They've got some awesome jewelry and shorts so there's something there for multiple styles. "
College students are notorious for loving coffee. Caffeine consumption, coupled with studying, becomes routine.
Opelika offers a place where students can enjoy a good cup of coffee and study in a quiet environment.
Opelika is also home to a budding downtown area full of bars, clothing stores and even a place to play laser tag.
Tiger Town is located on the line between Auburn and Opelika. Chains such as Target, Hobby Lobby and Books-A-Million are all situated in the Tiger Town shopping center, minutes from campus.
Though it may seem like a small town, Auburn is full of locally-owned stores. Students are able to benefit the local economy while sampling different restaurants, boutiques and nature.
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