The student activities that I notice the most are sponsored by TAB. TAB is a student organization that basically holds social events for students to attend just for fun. They put together movie nights at the Student Union Building (SUB), charity events, and little get togethers that have a holiday theme. Like for Christmas this year, they held an ornament making party. I went and it was so much fun! These events are always free and always at the SUB, which is a pretty local place, especially if you live in Horn/Knapp (the best dorm hall ever!) or Wall/Gates.
Frequently, there are guest speakers that come. I think there was someone from the Chelsea Lately show this past semester, people that we've seen on YouTube or on MTV. I haven't been to any of the guest speaker events, so I don't have much feedback on that aspect.
I just got involved with the rock climbing club. I didn't even know that Tech had a rock climbing club. A friend that I've become really close with invited me to try it out one time. She and I met in the swimming class we took together and then I figured out she was in the same American Government class as I was, and it went from there. She practically had to beg me the entire semester to even go try rock climbing, because between you and I, I'm not a huge fan of people staring at my butt! I mean, come on, wearing tight climbing pants and strapped in a harness? Weird. But I tried it and I liked it. A lot. So I went back and I went to a meeting and then I signed up for a camping trip...pure awesomeness!! It's such a thrill and it works every muscle in my body. Oh, and not to mention the fact that everyone at the climbing wall is majorly fit. That's a sign that tells you it's good for you!
There are tons of other clubs to join or look into as well. Just showing up and the Rec Center, you can learn a lot and gather a lot of information.
Most nights, I am up until 12a.m or 1a.m either doing homework, coming back from studying, or simply talking with my roommate, relaxing and down-winding from a long day's work. Needless to say, 8a.m classes come very early. It's hard not to be up that late because there is always someone else walking around the hallways or having an audible conversation on the other side of the dorm wall.
One of Texas Tech's traditions that I got to participate in for the first time this year is Carol of the Lights. Every year at Christmas, over 20,000 people, including students and residents from surrounding cities, join in the Science Quad to listen to the choir sing, the band play, and watch the burst of Christmas lights light up the night as a switch is flipped on the last note that the band plays. Electric Christmas music played as people gathered in the Quad and around Memorial Circle, waiting for seven o'clock to get there. A small parade also walked through the crowd to the front of the Quad, to my surprise. After the concert and the lights, tons of people just walked around to enjoy the chilly night with their Starbucks in their hands, and lines formed to get pictures in front of the huge lighted Christmas tree in front of Memorial Circle, right off of Broadway Street.