How to See All New Orleans Has to Offer When You Feel Like You Don't Have Time - The Crescent Magazine: Tulane's Online Lifestyle Publication

Last semester, I felt like I was busy all the time. Between all the commitments we have as college students, it is hard to cut out even an hour or two to get off campus. Some of the time, I am too tired or too stressed on weekends to get out of my dorm and see everything New Orleans has to offer. Here’s how you can get motivated to get out there and just do it.

Go out and make it a night.

Going out on campus is great, but there are only so many nights a week you can go to the Boot without getting bored. The French Quarter is only 15 minutes away and holds the opportunity to do and see so much more. Grab dinner at Avo and then head to Tipitina’s for more live music. Maybe walk around the French Quarter and have fun with it. Bacchanal, Preservation Hall, and Maple Leaf Bar are also fun live music places to check out.

Plan. Plan. Plan!

Plan your adventure far enough in advance; either you’ll forget about it and it’ll be a nice surprise or you just won’t make up an excuse if it’s already in your calendar. Go to an art show or walk Magazine Street and shop. It doesn’t have to take up the whole day, but it will get you out of the house and make you feel accomplished. If you know it’s going to happen, then get homework and other responsibilities done in advance. Schedule it out and get excited for when you get to go—it’ll make all the difference.

Use Yelp or TimeOut to see what’s happening that week.

I assure you that there will be a lot going on, especially with the impending Mardi Gras celebrations. It is also so easy to reserve tickets for shows or check out art exhibits on these sites. Look at different New Orleans online guides, like Condé Nast Traveler or Eater New Orleans regularly and you too will get excited about your next hot spot to try out.

Use getting off campus as a study break!

The weather in New Orleans never gets to the point where you can’t really walk around. Take advantage of this and walk to Audubon Park or visit a coffee shop (Mojo Coffee House is my favorite). Another study break could be walking from campus to Magazine Street and grabbing a snack at Whole Foods, or heading to a costume shop and looking for Mardi Gras inspiration. Taking advantage of the city of New Orleans is the reason many of us came to Tulane. I know I have been slacking recently in that department and I can’t wait to make time to check out new places and learn more about the city that I am beginning to call home.

Some more suggestions from me are: