I am fairly certain that it is impossible to run out of things to do at New Mexico State University; there is quite literally something for everyone. There are over 200 Student Organization on campus including cultural, departmental, professional, academic, religious, political, social, governing, and sports clubs. When I first arrived at NMSU I was overwhelmed by the amount of organizations to choose from and I wasn’t entirely sure which ones were right for me. Luckily all organizations are inviting and enthusiastic about involvement. I am now personally a member of the PreVet Club and I am the President of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at NMSU. I am also involved in many other extra-curricular activities off-campus.
If Greek life is your thing, the sororities and fraternities at NMSU are extremely active on-campus and in their philanthropy. My roommate is the President of the Panhellenic Council here at NMSU and there is not a day that goes by that she isn’t doing something fun within Greek life.
As for off-campus activities, there is even more to choose from. I don’t think it is a big secret that NMSU is known as a party school, so I won’t try to deny it. The truth is parties are a big part of college life, and NMSU is no different. Something that really stands out to me about NMSU is their promotion of safe and responsible partying and drinking. Our WAVE (Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education) program is constantly offering information about being responsible in social situations NMSU also offers the “Crimson Cab” which is a free taxi service that will pick you up from a party and take you home for free with your student ID. The service used to only run on weekends, but now it is available every day of the week. It is a lot of fun to party and be social in college; the trick is knowing your limits, having friends you can trust, and always putting school first. NMSU offers you all the tools to achieve this balance successfully.
Besides drinking and going to parties, there are plenty of things to do around town and on campus to keep you busy. My favorite thing to do on the weekends is hike. Some of the best hiking I have ever experienced has taken place here in Las Cruces. The Organ Mountains offer many different hikes of varying difficulty levels and the scenery is unbelievable.
There are also a few theaters here in town that offer plays most nights of the week as well as a Farmer’s Market. There are even things like “The Whole Enchilada”…a festival that happens every year where the world’s largest enchilada is made and served to the people at the festival. One of my favorite places to eat is Ump-88 on Taco Tuesday’s, where you can get unlimited tacos for 50 cents each.
You can always visit El Paso, Texas which is just a 40 minute drive from Las Cruces; the shopping there is excellent! They have a great outlet mall with stores like Guess, Nike, and Coach. I spend most of my time in El Paso at concerts. Last semester I got to see two of my favorite bands perform.
Honestly, I could probably take up ten pages just talking about all the things I love to do on and off campus. The options are seemingly endless.