As my time on campus winds down, I find myself nostalgically reminiscing about the experiences that have defined my time here. In order of imperativeness:

1. Road trip

No experience allows for self-discovery more than a long road trip with friends. Cramming a couple of buddies in a small car, driving hours through no-man’s land and crashing in a dirty hotel, or on a friend’s floor, is a quintessentially American and collegial event. The memories will last longer than the drive, and you might learn something about your friends’ lives during the interminable miles of boredom.

2. Have a beer at The Blind Pig Co.

Ranked 26th nationally on the Beer Advocate list of “Top 50 Places to Have a Beer in America” in 2006, The Blind Pig is the best watering hole in the area. The Pig has a continually changing selection of beers, both bottled and on tap, while the helpful staff will find a beer even non-beer drinkers will like.

3. Enjoy a milkshake at the Courier Café

This charming little restaurant in Urbana is an icon. The food is good, the atmosphere is nice, and the price is accessible. For an informal meal and an amazing milkshake, the Courier Café is the place to go.

4. Attend a tailgate and Illinois football game

In the interest of full disclosure, I have only been to one football game, but the Illini did win AND it was during the Turner era. Attending a Big Ten school without going to at least one tailgate and the accompanying game, though, is like going to the Caribbean without a bathing suit.

5. Visit Allerton Park

About 30 minutes west of Champaign is the University-owned Allerton Park. Located in Monticello, Allerton is 1,500 acres of an old estate filled with sculptures, an impressive mansion and attractive landscaping. The park is like a smaller, less snobby version of Versailles and serves as an escape from the monotony of corn that subsumes Chambana.

6. Go to the Hall for B-Dub

The tailgate makes attending a football game more necessary, but there can never be enough love for Bruce Weber. Basketball is the most entertaining major sport to watch, and Illinois has the foundation of a great program. While Weber and his team had a rough year, remember that he was going to the NCAA tournament with the Salukis. Give the man some time.

7. Pull an all-nighter

Nobody actually likes doing the work or not sleeping, but there is something endearing about pouring your heart and caffeine distorted mind into a project or paper at 4 a.m. The sense of achievement alone makes pulling an all-nighter worthwhile. Once.

8. Spring break

The destination need not be Panama City or Acapulco, but taking a spring vacation with friends and without homework is necessary. The warmer the climate, the better, especially after a winter like this year’s, but simply getting out of Illinois will make the remainder of the semester that much more palatable.

9. Sweet Corn Festival

It is hokey and overrated, but a college degree from a Midwestern school is incomplete without some agricultural festival experience. The Urbana Sweet Corn Festival, held every fall, is that little bit of Midwest that people from other parts of the country imagine when they think of Illinois. And the corn is, unsurprisingly, quite good.

10. Join a club/student organization

At some point, studying and hanging out in the residence halls become boring. Find one of the hundreds of student organizations that fits your interests. If you cannot find one, you’re either not trying or lack a personality.

11. Befriend an engineer

For the most part, engineers are smart and “a-social.” They don’t bite and are actually quite friendly. They require minimal care and are fairly self-sufficient. Basically, they are like dogs that do calculus. What’s not to love?

12. Go to a fraternity party

I do not really love them either, but frats are a defining part of college and the fraternity party is a staple of Illinois student life. If you already have done No. 11, you and the engineer can discuss physics equations using the host fraternity’s letters while sipping Natty Lights.

Lee is a senior in mechanical engineering and ran out of word space for numbers 13-15 (Concert at Canopy Club, Irish Illini Bar Scramble, Unofficial).