Picnic
Obviously, food isn't free except for events on campus like Student Senate's Meet and Greets and Fireside chats with the Bishop and various after-mass brunches and such, but with your meal plan, it sort of feels free. So you and your sweetie can go grab some snacks from Panther Plaza or the SubConnection or even smuggle some stuff from Hamilton and head to any one of the many romantic spots on campus to picnic. If you want seating, there are benches all over- near the library by that stone-pond, near the MotherHouse, in the oval, down by the baseball field, or even the bleachers will do! But if you want a more authentic picnic, you can also bring a blanket from your dorm and sit down in the oval, in the field near the baseball field, behind the football field, in that grassy area near Guzman House and Las Casa, or on the hill in front of the MotherHouse.
Go for a Walk
Grab a couple cups of coffee for you and your lover and maybe an MP3 player to share, or just bring yourselves, and go for a stroll around campus. If you want some privacy or a change of scenery, I highly recommend the bike trail across the street past the MotherHouse or even just the driveway around the MotherHouse. It's all especially lovely in Fall, in my opinion at least. I had this guy friend who I was kind of sort of into my last semester and he and I went on walks early Winter mornings sometimes and talked before going to breakfast and then, walking each other to class. It's a really sweet start to the day and early mornings are very quiet and pretty. Or if you're a more active couple, you could also run the bike trail together while sharing stories of your childhood and such or whatever it is you kids do these days.
Have a Movie Night
Open up your Netflix or Hulu account or check some movies out from the library or through OhioLink, ask your roommate for some alone time, and snuggle up with your honey in your dorm with some microwave popcorn your mom bought you and some drinks and candy from Panther Plaza.
Get Dressed Up and go to Events on Campus
ODU ALWAYS has free events going on on campus. Whether it's a play, a concert, a movie showing, a magic show, a comedian, a dance, a magician, etc., use the free events to your dating advantage! Get dressed up just as you would if you were going out on a date off campus and have a planned date night on campus. Go have dinner alone in the quiet room in Hamilton Hall followed by the Panther Players Spring Play or The Dave Matthews Cover Band performance. And afterwards, grab some coffee at Panther Plaza and sit at one of the cafe tables down there and talk about the movie, play, concert, etc. My ex-boyfriend and I used to do stuff like that all the time.
Check out the Local Art
There are always art shows going on in Wehrle's art gallery, but even between shows, they usually leave some pieces up in there or in the classrooms and the art studio in the basement. Walk around the building to scope out the pieces and talk about what you like about them and try to guess if any of the pieces were done by your own artsy buddies. There are, also, a few pieces in the little gallery on the second floor of the Student Center.
Have a Game Night
Go grab some fries and drinks from the Grill or SubConnection and check out some pool equipment or ping pong paddles with your ODU ID and spend a few hours playing each other. There are also a few board games in Student Development and, usually, on the bookshelf near the bulletin board by the fireplace in the Student Center. Or stay in and play board games and cards or videogames in your dorm if you have them.
Go to a Game Together
Obviously, school spirit is a must for the Double Dominican couple. After all, it's the alma mater of your love! So an easy fun free date is going to the game together. Get super dressed up in matching outfits to show your Panther pride and cheer on the teams, whether it's football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.
Get Your Read On
Go to the Library and check out a short story, children's book, book of poems, or whatever strikes your literary fancy. Get together over a meal or some coffee and read each other an excerpt from your favorite childhood book, or a poem and talk about what they mean to you. It's a great way to get to know one another and it's always good brain exercise to read and analyze, right?
Explore Easton
Hop on the Shuttle for free and make a trip to the Mall. You don't have to buy anything. You can just wander around window-shopping, trying on clothes, picking up interesting books at Barnes and Nobles, trying samples at Teavanna, etc. I especially recommend taking a stroll through the mall during Christmas season when all the lights are strung up. It's pretty magical!
Have a Homework Date
Sometimes, it's hard to find time for fun, so why not make homework a little more fun by doing it together. You can help each other out in your individual areas of expertise and doodle in each other's notebooks and reward each other with kisses or cuddling time for making significant progress. It's a great way to spend time together and the rewards system might even be the motivation you need to get stuff done and keep off of Facebook.
Check Your ODU Calendar and Email
ODU often has lots of free events going on such as Movie Nights where ODU gives out free movie tickets for movies of your choice at Easton. There's also game nights at the KDB where ODU will give game cards to students to play a certain amount of games and get an appetizer. There's definitely some cool stuff going on for students to keep on the lookout for!
Whatever you do, have fun and make great memories, because college is some of the best years of your life and ODU is a fantastic place to spend them!
Sometimes, it's hard to find time for fun, so why not make homework a little more fun by doing it together. You can help each other out in your individual areas of expertise and doodle in each other's notebooks and reward each other with kisses or cuddling time for making significant progress. It's a great way to spend time together and the rewards system might even be the motivation you need to get stuff done and keep off of Facebook.
Check Your ODU Calendar and Email
ODU often has lots of free events going on such as Movie Nights where ODU gives out free movie tickets for movies of your choice at Easton. There's also game nights at the KDB where ODU will give game cards to students to play a certain amount of games and get an appetizer. There's definitely some cool stuff going on for students to keep on the lookout for!
Whatever you do, have fun and make great memories, because college is some of the best years of your life and ODU is a fantastic place to spend them!