Very often, teenagers feel they have nothing to do. Many students also feel that this issue is amplified by the fact that we live in Charlottesville, where there’s seemingly nothing to do for people our age. However, over the course of my career at Charlottesville High School, I have found that this isn’t the case. 

Summertime, in particular, is a time when lots of high schoolers are bored, sitting at home with nothing to do. However, I have come to find that this is the best time to be going out and doing stuff around Charlottesville. Going to the Rivanna, having bonfires at your friend’s house, watching movies at the downtown mall, and going to parties make the summer feel like it’s flying by, and it’s much more fun than sitting at home on your couch and binge-watching The Office for the fourth time. Many times I even find myself going out with friends with no plans and virtually nothing to do, but we end up having a good time anyways. 

Weekends are the other big time when high schoolers are looking for something to do, but there are just as many options on weekends as there are during the summer. You should always go to school sporting events because there’s nothing more exciting than basketball and football games on a Friday night. Even if your team loses, going to Cook Out afterward is always a viable option; just don’t make the security guard mad. On Saturdays, U.V.A. football games are a great place to go, especially now that they don’t suck, and everyone goes. Also, there’s always something to do on the Corner after the football games, especially if they win. 

After football season though, it can seem as though there is a lot less to do in town, and that it is too cold to go outside and do stuff with your friends. UVA basketball games are great to go to, at least when they don’t suck, and there always seems to be parties at that time of year. Not only this but also going skiing or snowboarding up at wintergreen or at Massanutten is always a good time, especially if you are able to go with a few of your buddies over the weekend. CHS basketball games are also very enjoyable, and it never gets old seeing Jake Bowling raining down threes on Albemarle on a Friday night. 

If you are not as into sports, however, there are many other options in the Charlottesville area as well. CHS has a wide variety of great theater programs year-round, and now that the Alamo has been put in, we have a really good movie theater in Cville as well. Another productive and satisfying way to spend your free time is by volunteering for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or the SPCA. If you aren’t planning on doing anything productive with your day, there’s no better way to spend it than by giving back to your community. 

Stay safe and have a good time. You’re only in high school once and you’ve got to make the most of it, so don’t just tell yourself that there’s nothing to do in this town as an excuse to be lazy. Once you’re out of here, you’re an adult with actual responsibilities, so have fun while you can.