As a senior, I’ve lately found myself looking back at the last four years and thinking about all the great times I’ve had with the friends I’ve made here at RPI. As I prepare to take that next step into “real life,” I think the thing I’ll miss the most about college is the road trips.
During my tenure in Troy, my friends and I have spanned the globe (well, the Northeast, anyway) traveling to Potsdam to watch the hockey team take on Clarkson, to Utica to watch the men’s basketball team battle Hamilton for the Liberty League crown, and to Schenectady to watch RPI beat Union in anything (okay, that’s not really a “road trip” per se, but you get the idea). And that’s just to name a few.
The point is nothing beats spending the weekend on the road with a group of your buddies traveling to places that you otherwise would never visit. And what better way to guide your travels than where your favorite RPI sports team happens to be playing. Not only can you broaden your horizons, enjoy the camaraderie of your friends, and get off campus for a weekend, but you can also show your support for your classmates as they compete far from the friendly confines of Troy.
It’s easy to make it happen. First of all, every college’s website contains information on lodging options in the area. And if you’re worried that a motel room is far too extravagant for a college student’s budget, just remember: one room + five college buddies = cheap rate per person. Second, directions. Mapquest, Expedia, and Google maps (not to mention the college’s website) will tell you how to get anywhere you need to go. Third, tickets. For most RPI sporting events, tickets aren’t even necessary. Just show up and start shouting “Let’s go Red!” But for those games that do require tickets, the home college’s website will conveniently provide you with the appropriate number to call.
Okay, so now what do you do with the rest of the weekend besides when the games are being played? The possibilities are endless. Check out some sights that are unique to the area, play cards, find an open field and play touch football—whatever floats your boat. The point is that you’re there with your friends and anything you do will be fun.
And while I can’t promise you that the weather will always be perfect or that the team will always play well or that everything will always go according to plan, I can promise you that no matter how far from RPI my life takes me, I will never forget the weekends I spent on the road traveling with my buddies... and neither will you.
