DMACC Student’s Bucket List of 100 things to do before we graduate
1. Crash a party where you don’t know anyone and make a friend.
You know those parties; the ones in Campus View, Prairie Pointe and Campus Town. Yeah, those ones. We know you have always wanted to crash one. While you are at it make a new friend. It will create a great memory.
2. Read the Campus Chronicle
It is where DMACC get’s its news! Why not pick up a copy and see what is happening on campus? You’re reading it now, so this is an easy one to check off.
3. Attend a production of the DMACC Huff Theatre
The Huff Theatre puts on regular productions every year, so check them out. At only one dollar a ticket, it is a reasonably priced show!
4. Audition for a production for the DMACC Huff Theatre
Have you ever wanted to be at the center of the stage, have all of the lights on you? Well how about auditioning for one of the productions put on by the Huff Theatre?
5. Have a picnic at the DMACC lake with a few of your friends.
Enjoy all of the beauty the DMACC lake has to offer! Lake Future has just had a massive makeover. With paths, picnic tables, a dock and grassy areas, there is plenty of space for that perfect picnic.
6. Eat lunch in the DMACC Bistro.
Nowhere else will you find a gourmet lunch as tasty as you will find at the Bistro for one low price! The Bistro is the best place for quality food on campus and will have you coming back for more!
7. Try something new in the Café.
The Café is a one-stop-shop for convenience food. A doughnut in the morning, a cheeseburger or slice of pizza for lunch. Make sure to try out one of the daily specials offered. There is always something new to try in the Café!
8. Attend a random speaker’s presentation.
There are many different speakers that come to campus and many different topics are discussed. Find a speaker that peaks your interest and go to the presentation just for the fun of it!
9. Dip your feet into the fountain in the Courtyard outside Building 5.
Playing in the fountain may get you in a little trouble, but who cares!? If playing in the fountain is not your cup of tea just dip your feet in it. It will be a great way to cool off during the warmer days on campus.
10. Participate in SAC- sponsored activities.
SAC offers many activities for students every semester. Make sure to take advantage of all of the activities they have to offer!
11. Use a discounted ticket through the SAC for an event.
Are you wanting to visit the Storm Chaser, the new ride at Adventureland this Summer? How about a show at the Civic Center? Stop by the SAC office and get a discounted ticket!
12. Give the mascot a hug.
The Boone Bear makes his way over to the Ankeny campus every once in a while. When he does, give him a hug. It is always nice to hug your mascot, it is like when you went to Chuck E. Cheese’s as a kid!
13.Take pride in DMACC and show of the campus to a prospective student.
You have spent some time on campus and you know the best places around campus to show off. Take a little pride in your college and share that pride with a student!
14. Go streaking through the middle of campus.
You know you have thought about doing it! Do it already! Strip off your clothes and run naked down the middle of campus. We do not endorse this act of expressing yourself, but we might just print an article about it if you do it!
15. Organize a day of ‘Free Hugs’ on campus during Finals.
The stresses of finals make many of us fall into a depression. Offer free hugs for some of your peers during this stressful time!
16. Take a ‘selfie’ with the DMACC bear statue between Buildings 2 and 4.
We know your Instagram is full of selfies. So why not get one with the bear at DMACC? The bear sculpture has become an icon on campus since it was added to campus in the spring of 2013.
17. Pet the DMACC Building 6 cats.
You know those annoying fat cats outside of Building 6. Yeah the ones that come up and beg you to feed them. Be careful, they might just start tweeting you!
18. Apply to your dream internship even if it is out of reach.
We all have dream internships, some bigger than others. Whether it is in New York City or right here in Des Moines apply for that internship. You will never get the internship if you never apply!
19. Write for the Campus Chronicle!
We want you to help us! Do you enjoy laying out and designing a newspaper? Do you like taking pictures? How about writing? If you are interested in any of this sign up for the newspaper class, JOU 122. Work study, editor and volunteer positions are open! Contact us for more information. We also accept submissions, send them to us at chronicle@dmacc.edu!
20. Start a campus-wide tradition.
Whether it is just a simple little tradition, or something big like DMACC’s own version of VEISHEA, do something that catches on and lasts until after you are gone.
21.During the welcome back activities sponsored by the SAC, do a dance to get half off a hot dog meal.
Every August SAC has activities and lunch deals for students as a welcome back to campus event. The already inexpensive hot dog meal sometimes is reduced even more if you do a little dance.
22. Tweet at your favorite celebrity, actor, singer, author or Kardashian while on Twitter during a class.
We know that you’re not supposed to be on twitter while in class, but everyone does it!
23. Go on a camping trip with your closest friends over the summer at Saylorville Lake.
As the weather heats up there is no better place near by to go than Saylorville Lake. Take a camping trip with your “besties” and enjoy the beauty of Iowa!
24. Write snail-mail to your school friends over the summer to keep in touch.
With modern technology it is easier to be able to send a text, email or Facebook message. Be more personable and send a thoughtful letter. Isn’t it nice to get a letter in the mail?
25. Donate blood at the campus blood drive.
Donating blood is something that can help save a life. So why not roll up your sleeve and let the blood flow out of your body for a good cause. Plus you can get free cookies and juice!
26. Pull an all-nighter
You have been there, an important presentation, or two, or three and you waited until the last minute. Pull an all-nighter and make sure to keep a lot of caffeine on hand.
27. Resist hook-up culture and go on a real date with someone who attends DMACC.
You can always “hook-up” with someone, or date someone in the Des Moines area, but DMACC has some diamonds here. Yes, you might have to dig, but there are good people here to date.
28. Take advantage of the Campus Wellness Center.
It may be smaller than a YMCA, but we have a nice indoor track, gymnasium and weight room. Take advantage of the free facilities that DMACC offers. You might not have to get a gym membership!
29. Go on the Study Abroad trip to London
Where else can you study abroad in London for around $10,000? The DMACC program has a small group of students that travel around the United Kingdom and Europe while getting a semester done at DMACC.
30. Take pictures of all of the little moments in college.
Carry around a camera, or your phone. You can post the pictures on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Flickr. If you are really creative get the pictures printed off and make a scrapbook of your college memories.
31. Take a nap on a couch in Building 6.
You have probably walked by the couch and have seen the “nappers.” The comfortable couches are just calling your name! Take a load off of your feet and take little naps on the couches.
32. Take advantage of the DMACC Library sources and staff for a research project
The information is endless when you go to the library. The services in the library and the on-line resources section range from academic journals to archived newspapers to help citing sources.
33. Join a club or organization on campus.
There are dozens of clubs and organizations that you can be a part of. Join one to meet new friends that have similar interests. If you are ambitious take a leadership position!
34. Don’t procrastinate on homework!
We have all been there. We thought we had enough time to get it done and now that project is due. For once get the project done when you get it assigned and sit back and relax until it is time to turn it in and you will get the relief of knowing that it is already done and no last minute panicking!
35. Get into a debate with a professor on campus.
There has been that one professor that their views have been totally out there and that you cannot stand. Start a debate with that professor that is professional and respectful. Take the high road; the professor will probably slip up and act in an unprofessional manner. Then you have instantly won the debate!
36. Forget to pull an all-nighter.
You have been there, an important presentation, or two, or three and you waited until the last minute. You decide to pull an all-nighter but you fall asleep by midnight or 1 a.m.
37. Practice freedom of speech outside Building 5.
Is there something that you do not like that DMACC is doing? Express your freedom of speech in a respectful manner outside of Building 5.
38. “Abuse” all the perks and discounts you can get from being a DMACC student.
There are many benefits of being a DMACC student. Discounted tickets, discounts on Amazon and more! Make sure to take advantage of these cost savers while you have the chance. You pay the tuition, take advantage of it!
39. Send a response letter to an article in the school paper.
Is there something that you liked or did not like in an issue of the Campus Chronicle? Send us a response and maybe we will print it! We love to hear from our readers and all opinions are welcome!
40. Make a playlist of your favorite songs from your college years.
Make a playlist of your favorite songs from your time at DMACC. Then five, ten or 20 years from now you can play those songs. Maybe your future kids will laugh at the music we think is totally “epic.”
41. Take a strange class that has nothing to do with your major because it sounds fun.
There are many interesting classes that have nothing to do with your major. So take one of them just for the fun of it.
42. Plan a road trip with your friends.
There’s almost an unlimited amount of places that you can go on a road trip. Go on a trip somewhere in the Midwest with a friend. There is Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City, Fargo and many more!
43. Sing at karaoke in Building 5.
You will find all levels of singing ability on karaoke day. You can always be sure that it will not be quiet in the student center on these days, so why not just get up there and sing?!
44. Play Grocery Bingo in Building 5.
Why not play a fun game of bingo and get free food? Grocery bingo is full of prizes and fun and is a must for all DMACC students.
45. Make a fun YouTube video doing something different on campus.
Get some friends together and create a video doing fun things on campus. Who knows maybe your video will go viral, or you can create something like the Interlude at UNI. You can become famous!
46. Learn a new language. Take a unique foreign language class that isn’t Spanish.
There are many languages you can learn. Spanish is probably the most common so take something a little more difficult. Prenez une classe comme le français. C’est une belle langue!
47. Attend an athletic event at the Boone Campus.
All of the athletic events are held on the Boone campus so gather a few friends and take a road trip up to Boone and cheer on the DMACC Bears!
48. Sunbathe in the Courtyard outside Building 5.
Soak in some of the rays lying out in the courtyard outside of Building 5. You are be able to get a nice tan while you are at it and you can show off those nice abs as well!
49. Watch the sunrise on Campus.
It might be a little early in the morning, but why not head down to the lake and watch the sun rise over Lake Future? Not many people can say they have watched the sun rise at DMACC, so pull your self out of bed and get to campus early and watch it happen!
50. Go to a part of Campus that you’ve never been before.
Most likely there is a place or building you have never been to on campus. So before you leave, make a point to go there and look around. See what these “mysterious” places are like!
51. Make a snow angel outside of the library on campus.
On a snowy day in between classes make the most of the cold wet stuff all over the ground and make a snow angel. It will brighten your day and maybe a few others who pass by.
52.) Go 24 hours social media free.
Challenge yourself and your friends over who can stay off their social media site the longest. The person who checks Facebook first has to buy lunch, or just do it for the sense of pride so you know that if you have to ever go longer than 24 hours you can!
53.) Bring a little happiness and fool around in the bookshelves.
See a student that looks like she or he is about to have a nervous breakdown over the 20 page term paper due the next day that they aren’t done with yet? Bring a little happiness and do something random that people really don’t expect to see people in the library doing; like dancing to their iPods.
54.) Smile at everyone you see.
A smile goes a long way. Challenge yourself to go a whole day smiling at everyone you see, and try not to be creepy about it. It will give them something for both of you to smile about for a while to come, because believe it or not one smile can change a whole day.
55.) Say ‘Thank you’ to any DMACC staff member you see in a day.
Let’s face it. DMACC’s staff does a lot, and they are the reason the school runs smoothly. Next time you see one of these dedicated members in the hall, so thank you for all that you do.
56.) Say ‘Hi’ to all DMACC staff member you see in a day.
Say ‘Hi’ to any staff members you see during the school day. A hello could make their whole day.
57.) Visit a professor in their office.
Ever have questions about a homework assignment or an assignment in general? There is a reason many professors offer office hours, whether it is just to talk to go over the last assignment to see what you did wrong. Professors feel that students are intimidated by the offices but stop by and you may see that it is not that scary of a place.
58.) Ask your favorite professor for advice.
Besides being professionals in their subjects, DMACC professors also give good advice, and they are always willing to talk to students. Stop by sometime and ask them about anything, and we guarantee they will not bite and give pretty decent advice. We recommend Ronn Newby for advice about anything!
59.) Promote college pride. Wear something DMACC-related!
DMACC has tons of shirts and sweatshirts available for good prices at the Bookstore. Show your Bear Pride today and buy a DMACC shirt! You never know how many compliments you will get on the fact that you’re proud of your school! Stop by the Campus Bookstore today!
60.) Make up a little white lie to get free food.
Admit it. You’ve been jealous of the freshmen at some point in time who got to have that cookie because they were freshmen. While we do not promote lying, stretch the truth a little and try to see how many people you can convince that you are indeed a freshman or whatever you are pretending to be in order to get that free food.
61.) Play Cards against Humanity in the student center.
A totally college -appropriate game, get a gaggle of your closest friends together and play this hilarious and strange game in the Student Center; just be warned that it might not be a good game to play with professors.
62.) Go dancing in the rain.
Want to get wet and make a memory that will last forever? Go dancing out in the rain! Sure you will get a little wet, or drenched depending on the shower but at least it will be something that you will remember forever.
63.) Watch ‘Mean Girls’ for the 100th time on Netflix while sitting in the quiet lounge.
Take advantage of the quiet and enjoy some you time in the quiet lounge and your headphones while sitting on the couch in the Student Center’s Quiet Room. Also enjoy watching the movie that you memorized a few 20 times earlier since it is that good of a movie!
64.) Tell your favorite professor about their impact on your life.
It means a lot to a professor to hear how much difference they made on a student’s life. If you want closure in your life tell that favorite professor or professors thank you, because if you don’t they may never know how much of an impact that they made.
65.) Tell your favorite professor ‘Thank you’
Professors spend numerous hours a day to prepare an entire lecture and extra time to help their students to succeed both in and out of the classroom. So be a leader and let our favorite professor know just how much they mean to you.
66.) Participate in ‘No-Shave’ November, and get your friends to not shave during the month of November.
While in high school, or at least mine, it was all the rage continue the tradition of ‘No-Shave’ November and let the fun continue on by coaxing friends of yours into not shaving for the entire month. However at the end of the month let them go back to shaving.
67.) Go on spring break outside of Iowa.
You’d be surprised how many students never leave the state. Discover some place new over spring break that isn’t in the state of Iowa. You never know what you’re missing elsewhere. Go to Disneyland with your family, or visit the Ozark Lakes. You never know what it is you are missing. Go on a different spring break!
68.) Write a book while at DMACC (although it doesn’t matter if its published or not)
If you’ve ever wanted to become a writer then this one is for you! Write a book sometime, but you don’t have to publish it if you don’t want to. Get a little creative and maybe you’ll find that writing is a much better stress reliever.
69.) Thank your favorite administrator.
Among those that usually ignored are the administrators. Say ‘Thank you’ to your favorite administrators after all they’re the reason that you have the professors you like and also have a school like DMACC to attend.
70.) Forgive someone who hurt your feelings or you during your career at DMACC
You will always make friends and enemies; and you will hurt people or people will hurt you. DMACC is a time where you are starting over and beginning alive, so if someone hurts you do something that is hard: forgive them. You never know why they did what they did, so try forgiving them the next time you see them.
71.) Say ‘Yes’ to everything (within reason) for one day
To add a little spice to your life, say ‘yes’ to everything for a whole day (within reason).You can say no to things that are super outside your comfort zone. Just make sure you know kind of what you are getting yourself into first.
72.) Dance on a table; just because it’s really fun.
What’s more fun than dancing? How about dancing on a table? There is nothing like the feeling of doing the world’s wackiest dance and being the center of attention. So combine the two, and you will be the YouTube star for the entirety of DMACC.
73.) Create your resume.
In college, it is important to have a good resume, so while you are at DMACC take advantage of your resources and create one! It doesn’t have to be extravagant.
74.) If you’re professor’s an author have them autograph your copy of the book.
If you know someone in any of their classes who has a book then have them sign that book copy that you own that they have written. That way you have an unique copy of a piece of DMACC history.
75.) Talk in a foreign language for an entire day.
We’ve all had to take the dreaded four years of a foreign language in high school. Here is your chance to see if you can remember anything of what you learned, or currently are learning.
76.) Learn something unique about the history of your school.
We might not all be history majors but DMACC is cool enough as a school. Learn something unusual at the history of our school. You never know what you’ll discover when you get interested in something.
77.) Convince your professor to teach outside on a sunny day.
Let’s face it. For those who have taken summer semester. It get’s hot in those classrooms. Or for those who are stuck inside on that actually beautiful spring day; convince your professor to teach outside. Get the whole class involved and then who is learning about teamwork then?
78.) Take a trip off campus and explore Ankeny.
There’s many things to discover about Ankeny, the town that DMACC is located in. Whether you go check out the local Wal-Mart or go into ‘town’ for ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery. Start an adventure around Ankeny and you might find a hangout.
79.) Get quoted by the Chronicle.
Seeing your name in the paper is something that is exciting. If you are graduating from the Ankeny Campus, find your name on page 16 or 17. But what is more exciting than seeing your name in the paper is seeing something you have said being printed next to your name!
80.) Throw an impromptu dance party in the Student Center.
What’s more fun than a dance party? How about an impromptu dance party in the Student Center? Bring some happiness in the student center when you blast the tunes and enjoy a little bit of randomness to get you out of the Monday,Tuesday, or Wednesday blues. Side effects though may include a few bruised prides and toes.
81.) Befriend a professor.
Having trouble on that one subject that it seems everyone else is also clueless in? Make friends with your professor and maybe they can help you out. While you are at it; professors are always willing to offer advice on everyday situations, or even about academic problems. Talk to one of your professors today!
82.) Write a letter for your future self and stow it away for a later date.
Ever want to wish advice on something, or to talk about what your hopes are for the future. In a version of a time capsule without the digging of any ground, write a letter to your future self as you look to your goals and dreams of what you hope your future self will do. Then date it for a significant time into the future (we’re guessing 30 or 40 years into the future is good). Then when you look back try to see what has happened since then.
83.) Break a bad study habit.
Admit it. We all have them, and sometimes they can be annoying (i.e. procrastination) or just plain embarrassing (i.e. reading everything out loud). Try to find unique ways to break your unique habit. Then you’ll feel proud that you accomplished something along with getting your degree, or certificate.
84.) Get a picture of yourself on DMACC’s website.
This one is a little harder, and requires inside sources, but getting your picture on the DMACC website is a huge accomplishment for anyone. Whether it be for advertised program or just something that involves getting your face on DMACC’s website. Go a little out of your comfort zone and get your face on the website, if its possible.
85.) Get creative for an “Anything but Clothes” party.
Have you ever needed an outfit for an ‘Anything but Clothes’ party? Want to know what an ‘Anything but Clothes’ party is? Try to find one in your local area and find anything but actual clothes and use those items to make an outfit. It beats a prom dress made out of duct tape.
86.) After getting comfortable on campus shadow a prospective student’s tour.
Have you ever been on a prospective student tour? If you have or even if you haven’t take one, you might see the campus in a different way, plus its another way to learn about your school.
87.) Live through a blizzard.
Have you lived in Iowa all your life? If the answer is yes, then you can automatically cross this off because you live in Iowa or lived in Iowa the past two years? After all what’s an Iowa winter without at least one blizzard?
88.) Try 3 different food items at the Iowa State Fair and convince your friends to eat those foods as well.
We all know that the state fair has unique food items. Instead of sticking to the favorites that you always get; try three things that are new. To make the challenge unique also get your friends to eat them as well. We recommend the deep-fried Snicker’s bar on a stick; its delicious.
89.) Get re-tweeted by a celebrity or get re-tweeted by someone.
Have you ever been on Twitter, or do you own a Twitter? The hardest thing to do, unless your a celebrity is to get your tweet re-tweeted. So for a challenge, try to get at least one person to retweet a tweet. You will not regret the experience, and the excitement of knowing at least one person pays attention.
90.) Go to a drive-in movie theater in Newton, IA.
This may be a little old fashioned but they still exist such as the one located in Newton, IA. This is a fun place to go for a date, or even to just find something to do over the summer. So check out the Valle Drive In theater over the summer to see a good movie from the comfort of your front seat.
91.) Play an intramural sport sponsored by the SAC.
Ever wanted to get interested in something on campus? Are you a sporty type of person? Then try an intramural sport sponsored by the SAC! This is a great way to make friends and find an interest in a sport that you may not typically play. So get involved with the SAC intramural sports.
92.) Get a walking taco from the SAC.
Have you ever wanted a cheap food item that is also tasty? Try a Walking Taco from the SAC, we guarantee it will be the best dollar you have ever spent, and it is also unbelievably tasty.
93.) Learn to do your own laundry.
Have you ever wanted to spend a couple of hours doing homework? Try learning to do your own laundry! Not to sound harsh but this is an exciting investment of time, and it gives you that feeling of wanting to be self-accomplished so try learning this exciting new skill!
94.) Get on the Dean’s list.
Ever wanted to feel self-accomplished for academic achievements? Then try to get on the Dean’s List! This list is only reserved for those who have a really made an impact with their grades while at DMACC. So please study responsibly.
95.) Create a masterpiece on a whiteboard in one of the classrooms.
We admit it. We want to write and draw on the whiteboards too, and sometimes its hard to suppress that need to want to write on something. So go ahead and let your inner Picasso out on a whiteboard.
96.) Snapchat in one of your classes without being caught.
Don’t worry, we’ve all done it too even though it’s technically not supposed to be done. Try to Snapchat one of your friends while in class to make it an adventure. This is an exciting opportunity and one will we guarantee will make that one dull class in your schedule more entertaining for at least six seconds.
97.) Get re-tweeted by the Campus Chronicle.
Have you ever wanted to show off your wonderful tweet about DMACC that appears on Twitter? Well if its good enough the Campus Chronicle we will show it off to our fan base and maybe it will increase that feeling of self-accomplishment.
98.) Get re-tweeted by a professor.
Have that one tweet that you think your professors will like. Tag them into that tweet and see if they will re-tweet it to add a little spice to your Twitter page. Get a Twitter today if you don’t already have one!
99.) Purposely come to school on a snow day.
We all have those moments where we nearly end up at school on a snow day. Now try to come purposely to see what the campus is like. Also get some of your friends involved and have an impromptu snowball fight down by the lake.
100.) Go to your Monday classes even though its a Tuesday.
We also have had all those moments where things don’t go exactly as planned and we forget what day it is. So purposely go to your Monday classes, if you have Monday classes, on a totally different day of the week ( i.e. Tuesday). Then you’ll see a different time of the day as you purposely mix up up your week.
Comments