School Pride: Visiting College Towns

One of my favorite travel activities is attending local sporting events. Whether it’s an FC Barcelona soccer match in Spain...

...the US Open tennis tournament or NBA basketball draft in New York...

...or even a Dallas Cowboys football training camp in California, the roar of the crowds, the addictive stadium food and the thrill of competition are universal!

And you don’t even need to understand the rules of the sport or the local language to have a great time! My parents still rank horse racing at the Naadam Festival in Mongolia and cholita wrestling in Bolivia as two of their most entertaining travel experiences.

But there’s a special place in my heart for college sports, which makes the college town visit a must! Colleges each have their own character, and the pageantry of team colors, local food faves, and school pride are infectious.

Although I started attending college sporting events at a young age, my interest in college towns intensified when I started my own higher education research. Before hitting the road to visit a university, I always start with the following checklist:

1. Is there a tour available? If not, I take a pre-visit virtual tour and download a campus map.

2. What are the bookstore hours? You can’t leave without a souvenir!

3. Is there a local event happening during your visit (music performance, film festival, sporting event, etc.)—either on or off campus.

4. Where do the locals dine? When in Rome, eat like a starving student😊

5. Should you stay near campus or are there other nearby towns or activities worth enjoying during your visit?

6. What’s the best transportation to provide you with a true “local” experience?

7. Can you combine multiple college visits in one trip?

With a little advance planning, I’ve been able to enjoy so many weekend getaways and road trips that included:

Student “open mic” nights at Berklee College of Music in Boston, along with a football game at Boston College...

...exploring the campuses and surrounding towns of Auburn, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Tennessee, and Ole Miss (they love their Chik-fil-A and BBQ) and loading up on college couture! As a musician, I loved the opportunity to visit Nashville and Memphis along the way...

• ...attending rivalry football games at TCU, USC, and Alabama and a baseball game at Clemson...

...exploring the Dallas dining scene during a visit to SMU...

...attending a Twiddle show (one of my favorite bands) after a tour of UT Austin...

...hitting the beach after a tour of Loyola Marymount and hitting the MTV Movie Awards after visiting USC in Los Angeles.

And if you’re interested in a specific major or social organization (like Greek life), make sure to visit fraternity/sorority row or make an appointment with a professor. Personally, I enjoy running so I always check out the athletic center and running trails.

Whether you’re planning to enroll or just passing through, colleges and their surrounding towns provide a great preview of the next generation of Americans—the hope of a brighter future (mixed in with tailgating, Greek letters, and skateboards, lol).

And speaking of brighter futures, I’ll be spending my next four years in Tuscaloosa, Alabama! #rolltide #wherelegendsaremade.

But don’t worry, this blog will continue to provide plenty of content, I’m already planning travel adventures during school holidays, summer break, and a study abroad program.