Ames is a great place to live.

People say that Ames is a boring city. Many students like to go home for the weekends and not get to know their city.

But there is so much to do and experience in Ames, you just have to look for it. Iowa State alone has an enormous amount of activities and opportunities for students.

If you’re bored on a Friday night, you could go to ISU AfterDark, which has a ton of free and fun activities. There are also great performers and acts, like Steve-O and T.J Miller, at the Memorial Union.

If you’re looking to stay busy, you can join one of Iowa State’s 850 clubs or create your own. If you like art, The Workspace has plenty of crafts and art events happening all year. Or you could go see the Christian Petersen Art Museum, which is right on campus.

There are always events happening at Hilton Coliseum. You could catch a women’s volleyball game or a men’s basketball game. It is up to you. Stephens Auditorium also has a wide range of exciting and interesting shows going on all year.

There are also great things to do off campus. You could go see the beautiful Reiman Gardens or go to Perfect Games for some bowling and mini golf. If it’s nice outside, you could go spend time in one of Ames’s 37 parks. Yes, there are really 37 parks in Ames.

There is plenty to do in Ames. This is just a short list of things people would probably enjoy. It’s up to you to go out and see what you like to do.

You know those cheesy commercials where they whisper, “Choose your adventure at Iowa State?” Well, they are right. You need to get involved and actually become invested in living in Ames.

Seeing your family and old friends is important, but by having one foot back in the place you used to live, you miss out on so much that is happening here in Ames, now. You will miss out on connecting with new people, experiencing new cultures, finding a new passion and growing as a person. You come to college for an education, but you should also come to grow as an individual, too.

Iowa State and the city of Ames do a great job of providing fun, cheap things for students to do outside of school. People need to take advantage of those things and get out of their comfort zones.

Who knows, you might just like what you find.