100 Things to Do Before You Graduate UIUC

Whether you’re an avid purveyor of all that Urbana-Champaign has to offer or an eager new arrival looking to ensure you get the most out of your time at the university, we’ve got plenty of options for you. Check out the following list for our best suggestions on things to do before you graduate UIUC!

1. Join a registered student organization.
2. Take a photo with Alma Mater (it’s tradition to do so both on your very first day of class and graduation day!).
3. Feed a squirrel.
4. Take a class in Foellinger Auditorium.
5. Visit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
6. Go to Quad Day.
7. Introduce yourself to someone new.

8. Cheer on your favorite Fighting Illini sport in person.
9. Admire the cherry blossoms at the Japan House.
10. Volunteer for a good cause.
11. Eat in every dining hall at least once.
12. Explore the Champaign-Urbana community.
13. Have a picnic at Illini Grove.
14. Seek out or become a mentor.
15. Invite a family member to Moms or Dads Weekend.
16. Listen to an Altgeld Chimes concert.
17. Get involved in research.

18. Take a class just for fun—ice skating, flower arranging, or chocolate tasting, anyone?
19. Enjoy fall foliage at the Arboretum.
20. Attend a career fair.
21. Buy some Illini gear!

22. Study in one of our many beautiful libraries.
23. Watch your talented engineering peers race a concrete canoe.
24. Find a favorite study spot.
25. Attend a performance at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
26. Enjoy a quiet moment on the South Quad.
27. Check out your artsy fellow Illini’s creations at the annual School of Art + Design exhibition.
28. Play an intramural sport.
29. Get a part-time job.
30. Study abroad (short-term options are available, too!).
31. Take a cooking class through ARC’s instructional kitchen.
32. Get an internship.
33. Join or form a study group.
34. Eat at the student-run restaurant Bevier Café.

35. Attend a Marching Illini band performance.
36. Spruce up your resume or do a mock interview at the Career Center.
37. Climb the rock wall at the ARC.
38. Catch an outdoor summer movie on the Quad.
39. Hear the world’s most talented guitarists at ELLNORA. 
40. Go bowling in the Illini Union.
41. Hone your leadership skills through the Illinois Leadership Center.
42. Host a watch party for a Fighting Illini away game.
43. Attend the annual Insect Fear Film Festival, hosted by our Department of Entomology since 1984.

44. Visit Krannert Art Museum.
45. Say hello to the orange and blue fish in the Illini Union fish tanks.
46. Go skating at the Ice Arena.
47. Go into every single building on campus at least once.
48. Enjoy international and local acts at Pygmalion Festival.
49. Tour the Sousa Archives at the Center for American Music.
50.  Attend a lecture by a visiting special guest speaker.
51. Visit the Spurlock Museum.
52. Karaoke your heart out at the Illini Union.
53. Go sledding next to Orchard Downs.
54. See a fistulated cow (or, if that’s not your thing, pet cute animals) at the Vet Med Open House.

55. Check out the night sky at the Observatory.
56. Watch national acts at the State Farm Center.
57. Rub Lincoln’s nose for good luck before an exam in Lincoln Hall.
58. Take a nap on the Quad.

59. Attend Homecoming.
60. Go to office hours.
61. Lace up your racing shoes for the annual Illinois Marathon.
62. Count the beautiful murals from independent artists on campus.
63. Dial-A-Carol for some holiday cheer (it’s the longest-running University Housing tradition!).
64. Take a gamble on your love life with a visit to the Eternal Flame.
65. Partake in a spur-of-the-moment snowball fight or build a snowman on the Quad.
66. Grab coffee at the Illini Union and listen to fellow students rock out on the piano (seriously, they’re amazing).
67. Watch the Tesla Coil Concert at Engineering Open House.

68. Score some locally grown produce at the Student Sustainable Farm stand.
69. Make a late-night snack run.
70. Check out Cotton Club, the Central Black Student Union’s annual fashion and variety show.
71. Take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

72. Visit the Morrow Plots to see some historic corn.
73. Catch some of the year’s best flicks at Ebertfest, Roger Ebert’s annual film festival.
74. Make a reservation at Spice Box to try the tasty creations of UIUC students.
75. Take a group fitness class through Campus Recreation.
76. Fall asleep on a comfy chair in a UIUC building. 
77. Watch a student performance at the Lincoln Hall Theater.
78. Visit the MRI Exhibit at the Beckman Institute. 
79. Play frisbee on the Quad the first warm day of spring. 
80. Laugh it up at Friday Funnies, a comedy show hosted by the Illini Union. 
81. Take a study break with Yoga at Beckman.

82. Visit the Round Barns.
83. Take a picture of a pretty sunset—even the sky loves wearing orange and blue!
84. Be amazed by the Holiday Magic Chemistry Demonstration Show.
85. Help save energy by turning off lights with Illini Lights Out. 
86. Attend the Spring Jam concert on the Quad.
87. Schedule an appointment with the Writer’s Workshop to get feedback on a paper. 
88. Stop and smile at a cute dog wearing Illini gear.
89. Watch a show at the Staerkel Planetarium.
90. Visit Grange Grove before an Illini football game. 
91. Take a photo in front of the Hallene Gateway (and the fountain, which is dyed orange for Homecoming!).
92. Have a staredown with a squirrel on your way to class. 
93.  Test out the famous “echo spot” in front of Foellinger Hall.
94.  Test your knowledge at Tuesday Night Trivia in the Illini Union, and maybe even win a prize!

95. Run, walk, skip, or hop the Illinois Homecoming 5K Race.
96. Scout for statues around campus, like the North Quad’s Quintessential Engineer, Quinn.
97.  Learn the words to “Hail to the Orange.”
98.   Explore the labyrinth that is Altgeld Hall (and maybe even find the hidden DQ!).
99.  Say hello to the Ambassador Animals at the Wildlife Medical Clinic.
100. Shout “I-L-L” at the top of your lungs! 

Campus is brimming with things to do before you graduate UIUC, from quick activities to long-term involvements; take part in running traditions, or form your own with your peers. Either way, have fun and make the most of your time here. There’s so much waiting for you!