Life as a graduate student can be busy and demanding. Juggling classes, research goals and advisor expectations can bring with it rigors that make living up to every benchmark tough and draining. In times like these, I find it extremely rewarding to give myself some wiggle room to just relax and involve myself in activities that help me recharge. Different people find solace in different activities. Some like sleeping in, hanging out with friends, etc. If, like me, you enjoy spending time outdoors, here are some ideas for things to do, given that I believe College Station actually does affords us ample avenues to enjoy:

Cycling:

There are some beautiful routes around the College Station area that afford breathtaking views of the Texas countryside. In fact, you don’t even need a car to get to these areas. An easy route is along the Blue Ridge Drive and Hope’s Creek Road in College Station, especially in spring when the bluebonnets and other flowers are in full bloom. There are a lot of other routes, and I would definitely

recommend reaching out to the biking club on campus for more guidance.

Fishing:

Fishing is an easy hobby to learn and enjoy and the license in and of itself pays off if you like eating fish. The equipment is not too expensive and can easily be bought from any sports shop or general retail store in town. One can easily get a license from the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) website. Some nice places to go fish around town are Lake Bryan and Central Park Pond (when they stock it with trout). One can easily find a list of other nearby areas in the booklet of public lands distributed by TPWD.

Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddling:

This can be a great workout and a nice way to spend the day. One doesn’t even need to buy any equipment for this, as all are available for rent at a very nominal rate in the Texas A&M Outdoor Adventures Office. Nice locations include Galveston, Sam Houston National Park, etc. In case you are not confident enough to go by yourself or want to engage in it with other people, I would definitely consider looking at the schedule put up by the Texas A&M outdoor adventures, as they regularly organize trips and programs for students (albeit due to the current pandemic it has been limited).

These are just a few options. There are numerous other things you can do in places not far from College Station. This includes locations for camping, hiking, bouldering or even hunting. Licenses and permits are easy to get online and there is always some group on campus you can reach out to for guidance.

I do hope I was able to provide some ideas to you, and I would love to hear what you guys do to spend time outdoors.