When summertime hits the campus horizon and students think they have no place to stay and nothing fun to do, have no fear. The Georgia State University Commons is here to offer a place to crash and some of the best suggestions for places to let loose and have a little summer fun during your stay.
Campus chilling & campus living
University Commons resident assistant Marquez Harris knows firsthand what living on campus is like, both during regular and summer semesters.
Harris is a resident assistant during the regular school semesters, but when it comes to housing in the summer he chooses the pathway of being a summer conference assistant. This means he delivers five star hospitality and advice on great local hang outs, which Harris says makes the environment similar to a regular hotel.
“A lot of ways that we go about trying to make people at home here at the Commons is giving them excellent customer service. We try to greet them and show them the utmost respect. We also try to notify them of different events happening around Atlanta, or the general area, so they can possibly participate. So, if my clients have kids with them we’ll say you should go to Centennial Park or they might be having a parade or something,” Harris said.
What happens on campus doesn’t have to stay on campus!
Harris explains that on-campus living isn’t just about staying on campus, in fact it’s about getting off campus, getting out and having fun.
Harris goes on to say that one of the main priorities in the housing community is to make sure the environment is as ‘homey’ as possible for their summer residents. One of the keys to that is keeping everyone updated on places to go out and enjoy.
“We try to find different activities like the Jazz festival, which is coming up. That could be an option if we know our clients like Jazz you know…we try to just find activities that fit the needs of each group we have,” Harris said.
According to Harris, other college fun makers and city shakers occupy Sky Zone, which is essentially a giant trampoline park that is an effective stress reliever full of fun times. Harris even recommends water and amusement parks, such as White Water and Six Flags.
“One place I really heard people want to go to is Sky Zone. I know it’s near the Atlanta area… another place is White Waters, which is a part of Six Flags and they offer different water activities and rides. It’s basically an amusement park, and you know people love riding roller coasters…except for me,” Harris said.
Summertime fun in the city’s backyard
At the end of the day Harris’ message is to get out and explore the many places that downtown and Midtown have to offer. He expresses that Midtown has so much to do and is full of diversity, it’s almost impossible to cover it all in one day. It invites exploration, fun and enjoyment.
“Most of the time I hear college students talking about Midtown. Midtown seems to be the place to be for everything. If you want to find clothes, if you want to find food, if you want to find a relationship, it always seems to be the place to go for people. There’s a lot of different shops, different eateries, little ice cream places, tea places, and cupcake places where you can just go, sit down and hang out with your friends and meet people,” Harris said.
No matter where home is or what sparks interest in the soul, Harris made it very clear that students won’t be bored in Atlanta. Just open the door and go explore.
Check out more in and around town …
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