The Fun Stuff

There's plenty of stuff to do beyond your work. Make time to have fun and explore new things!

Hobbies and Activities

Living in this urban area means there's plenty of stuff to do, including

  • Biking (trail list coming soon)

  • Rock climbing: we recommend Eppley, UMD's gym, as well as Movement, a gym with locations in Rockville and Columbia

  • Disc golf

  • Hiking (trail list coming soon); you can consult this Fall Foliage Map for best times for fall color viewing!

  • Board games

    • Various UMD physics grad orgs host semi-regular board game nights in the PSC after the workday

    • Board and Brew in College Park lets you eat and choose from tons of different board games

  • Fantasy sports (football, soccer, basketball): typically there are at least one or two leagues in the physics department each year. Ask around!

  • Student clubs: although clubs are advertised for undergrads, many clubs accept grad students. The UMD Archery Club is an example.


DC Club Sports:

  • Club Field Hockey: There are two field hockey clubs in the DC area Washington Field Hockey Club and DC Dragons. WFH club has pick up and a seasonal league, DC Dragons also has a seasonal league that includes travel games.

Intramural Sports

IM sports are a great way to meet new people, both inside and outside the department!

Teams and Leagues

  • For most sports, there will be a physics graduate team that will compete in the co-ed "grad-fac-staff" league. As the name suggests, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and other staff are all welcome to join.

  • There are other leagues, such as Men's/Women's A/B (typically a bit more competitive), but these only allow students.

  • Occasionally there are other leagues for single/doubles (i.e. tennis, rocket league, etc.)

  • If there doesn't seem to be a team for the sport you want to play, reach out to the grad student Slack or email the department! There's a good chance others will join.

Other Tips

  • IM Leagues has the worst website in the world and many ad-blockers don't work. The most successful one is "UBlock Origin".

Exploring DC

UMD is lucky to be close to one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Washington, D.C. There are all sorts of fun activities.

Food: There's so many restaurants in DC. Talk to older grad students to find their favorites. Also note that for one week each January and August DC has "restaurant week" where many restaurants offer limited cheaper menus, so you can go places you might not normally want to splurge on.

Sports: Nationals (baseball), Wizards (basketball), Capitals (hockey) and D.C. United (soccer) are all accessible via metro! Wizards and Capitals play at Gallery Place (Green + Yellow). D.C. United and Nationals play at Navy Yard (Green). Tickets to all (besides maybe Capitals who are the most successful) are usually pretty cheap.

Museums: There are a huge number of museums, both private and public. Highlights include the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (free), the National Portrait Gallery (free), and the National Museum of Natural History (yes, free!). If you're looking for an adventure, check out the Air and Space Museum's huge extra hangar in Chantilly, Virginia.

Music: There are many different music places in DC. The most popular one is the Kennedy Center. Others include the 9:30 Club.

Theater: There are plays put on all the time in many theaters in DC. In October DC has a roughly month-long "theater week" where tickets are a bit cheaper and plays more common.

Library of Congress: It is absolutely free, with a driver's license or passport, to get a library card to the Library of Congress. From there you can access the famed public reading rooms as well as a huge variety of materials.

Cultural Events: Among the many activities available for experiencing new things is the Around the World Embassy Tour. In May, embassies in DC open their doors to tourists to experience the food, art, and culture of other countries!

Other fun spots:

  • Crumbs and Whiskers, a cat cafe in Georgetown

  • Boardroom, a board game bar north of Dupont Circle

  • The National Zoo, north of downtown

  • Rock Creek Park, a nature park with several miles of trails, in north DC (note that you can bike all the way to the Rock Creek Park in Rockville from the Rock Creek Park in DC; they're connected by bike paths!)