Beyond Academics
As a graduate student, learning and research are a big part of day-to-day life. But a healthy work-life balance is something most graduate students try to prioritize. Our graduate students pride themselves in being a close knit bunch who often will spend lots of time together outside of work. Below highlights some of the activities our graduate students like to partake in.
Regularly Scheduled Group Activities
Sports
Our grad students like to stay active, whether that be individually or as a part of a group. Weekly racquetball was started by a former grad student. You'll still find a group of grad students at the racquetball courts at IM West once a week whacking those racquetball. The grad students have also organized a soccer team that plays for fun on the weekends and plays in the intramural league over the school year. This team has even become interdisciplinary with students from other graduate programs! It's always nice to make new friends.
Pictured on the left is a portions of the MSU Astronomy soccer team, the Celestial Strikers. Included in the image are some of our graduate students and post docs after a tough soccer game with a sign made by the supportive friends of our graduate students.
Board Game Nights
The grad students not only enjoy sporty games but also board games. Various students will often host board games nights! Pictured on the right is one of our grad students who was granted the winners hat at one of these game nights after winning a few rounds of Uno!
Group Outings
Leave it to the grad students to find fun activities in the area and around the state. Below is a gallery of the different activities students have attended and enjoyed. Some are now annual outings! Some of these outings include going to the renaissance fair, hitting up the cider mill in the fall, running/walking a 5k, and going to the movies.
Individual Hobbies
While the grad students in the department love hanging out together, they also have their own individual activities they enjoy doing. Below some of our students tell us about they like to do when they're on their own.