Story by Ronnie Kaufman
As an out of state student, exploring Southern California has been a highlight of my experience at Chapman, and I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of really cool things. Here are my favorite tips to explore on a budget.
- Carpool and have everyone pitch in for parking to avoid having to pay an extreme parking fee yourself – plus, you get to take the carpool lane!
- When signing up to attend TV show tapings, try to sign up for multiple days – it greatly increases your chances, especially on popular shows like Ellen or The Big Bang Theory.
- Park a little further from the beach on crowded weekend days. It ends up being a little bit more of a walk, but you don’t have to circle around parking lots waiting for someone to leave.
- Check websites to attend live TV shows often. Sometimes your favorite celebrity might be on one of the talk shows, but tickets go fast!
- Save money by packing your own food, or looking up cheap food beforehand, so that way you don’t go to a pricey restaurant out of convenience.
- MetroLink offers a lot of discounts to students, which can be a good option to look into without a car or if you’re looking to save money on gas and parking.
- It helps to wait and see where University Program Board (UPB) is taking students for their Explore SoCal trips. There’s generally a trip every weekend, and they’re usually free (or low cost) and provide transportation, and sometimes lunch.
