Everyone knows Quad Day is the day to get involved with the 1,800 (and counting!) RSOs here at the University. It’s basically an entire Sunday where students walk around the Main Quad, meet some chill people and see what interests them — academically, socially or professionally.

But that’s all the boring stuff. Quad Day also remains the sole day where these same 1,800 RSOs are trying to get you to join them. What better way to entice freshmen than by giving them a bunch of free stuff? 

From an old, decaying senior to the class of 2023, here’s a few pointers on all the free stuff handed out on Quad Day.

The cream of the crop: T-shirts and cups

In the past, I’ve gotten free shirts from Orange Krush and Block I, our school’s very own sports hype sections for basketball and football, respectively. And last year, WPGU 107.1, our school’s student-run radio station, also gave out some gnarly T-shirts in exchange for a social media follow. Of all free things handed out on Quad Day, T-shirts (or any article of clothing for that matter) remain the toughest to get. Not many RSOs do this anymore — but if you see it, snag it!

During my sophomore year, I went to Quad Day with my two roommates. One of them disappeared immediately, saying he had to do some fraternity booth stuff. Little did I know, the madman came back to our apartment hours later holding 30 plastic, neon orange cups. These cups were then used for the rest of the school year. To this day, I’m a firm believer in cups being the underdog freebie of Quad Day. You could honestly get away with bringing no cups whatsoever as an incoming freshman because Quad Day will provide you with more than enough.

The OK stuff: Pens and coupons

Pens remain a Quad Day freebie staple, mainly because they’re cheap and expendable. Getting a pen or two on Quad Day isn’t exactly the coolest thing, but hey, we’re all students. Having an extra pen can definitely come in handy in class.

It’s also worth it to grab some coupons if you spot them. A good amount of the coupons I’ve gotten in previous years hooked me up with some pretty decent, worthwhile discounts or BOGOs. Typically, most of the coupons apply to coffee shops or quick bites around campus, like Espresso Royale, Blaze Pizza and Einstein Bros. Bagels. 

Might as well recycle

Did you know there are over 30 different names for a koozie? We’ve got some great ones, like coldy-holdy, bottle buddy and my personal favorite: candom. And yet they are still useless. Who even uses these things anymore? Just hold your drink. I’ve probably gotten 10 of these foam beverage holders over the course of college. Not once have I thought, “Hey, let me use this koozie to hold my drink!” 

Recycle those flyers, but only because we should keep the Main Quad clean and actually recycle them. No one’s going to want to carry around 20 flyers. Take a picture of it or write down the important stuff regarding info nights or deadlines, and recycle away. Do your part, Illini!

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