We all know (and if you don't know, you will soon know) that midterms can be a VERY stressful time of the year---which is why you should always take some time out to have fun and take your mind off of the tests and papers and presentations that you have to do.  I promise it is not as bad as it sounds.

Two great things that I was able to do were got to a Pitt basketball game and attend a Point Park ballet.

One of the great things about Pittsburgh is that it is a huge college town. In fact, we are the third largest college town in the country.  With 10 other colleges and universities in the area, we have a plethora of extra-curricular activities to take part in.  The first event that I went to was a University of Pittsburgh men's basketball game.  If you are unlucky like me and you do not have friends at the University of Pittsburgh to get free tickets from, you can sign up for the Pitt basketball mailing list.  Pitt e-mails the mailing list to let people know when extra tickets are available.  Once you sign up to get the tickets you can usually get them for about 20-30 dollars a piece.  It was a really cool thing to take part in especially since Pitt's team is seeded so high in NCAA Division I athletics. 

The second great event that I attended was a Point Park ballet.  Point Park is a leading performing arts university in downtown Pittsburgh.  Through a LivingSocial Deal, I was able to get discounted tickets to their performance of Dance at the Byham.  The performance took place at the Byham Theater located in downtown Pittsburgh and with a 20 minute bus ride from campus, I was able to see a high quality performance.  

Pittsburgh has a lot of to offer from food, to shopping to wonderful cultural districts and as a student, it is important not to forget to take advantage of all that is around you.