Before hot weather walks out on us and the “Why did I get out of bed?” cold weather comes, it dawned on me everything you do during Welcome Week won’t nearly be as enjoyable in a few weeks. So to help you out before it becomes jeans-and hoodie weather, I have taken my three years of being a student here to give you the best tips of what to do before summer leaves us for the fall.

1. Walk, bike, jog, scooter, etc. to class. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to enjoy rides on the CATA bus when winter and its sub-zero fury rolls around. Not only that, but you will see snow fall on the ground faster than your interest in your 8 a.m. class.

So why not take time to enjoy one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation? It’s warm out, a nice breeze comes off the Red Cedar River and you just might run into someone you know. It’s also a solid way to get exercise. Believe me on this one, because I’m the person who actually gained his freshman 15 in a single semester. Was it the semester I bought a bus pass? You bet your combo exchange it was.

2. Sit down and listen to the Well’s Hall preachers. Only if you have a simple sense of humor though. If you can’t help yourself and always feel the urge to get in a screaming battle with them, maybe this isn’t your best option.

But, if you’re like me and find it hilarious that there are people who believe they can convert an entire Big Ten campus merely by screaming their beliefs at them, then this is for you. I’m a Catholic, and I find it a tad embarrassing their rants happen in the heart of campus, but this is premium people watching. Don’t miss them before the cold weather steers them away, folks.

3. Hit the golf course with your friends. Are you painfully bad at golf? Well don’t worry, everyone who tries it is. As a matter of fact, some people who have golfed for decades still are terrible.

If you ever are looking to kill time on a weekend morning, travel south to the Forest Akers Golf Courses. For the best deal, play the Forest Akers East Golf Course to find crazy-low prices ($18 to walk 18 holes on weekdays for students). If you want a legendary, yet still affordable price, knock the ball around at the Forest Akers West Golf Course where famed golfer Jack Nicklaus was rumored to never break par when he golfed at Ohio State.

What if you’re not a novice golfer? Fear not, for Forest Akers has rental clubs and a driving range just in case you need to get your weeks worth of aggression out by smacking objects into the abyss.

4. Become a legend and paint the rock. For more than a century, generations of Spartans have painted the famed rock on Farm Lane. With greek advertisements, protests, vigils and even marriage proposals somewhere in those layers of paint, it’s the most you could do to (legally) make your mark at MSU.

However, you want to be sure to get there before the temperature drops. To smatter paint on the latest design, you need to stay up the night before and do your work in the wee hours of the day. If you already think the night is chilly now, imagine how brutal it will be when we are in the heart of fall. You will likely feel like you are embarking on a mission to the South Pole if you wait too long.

5. Go out of your way, if you have to, to go to the gardens. Likely, the most reasonable garden to take a walk through is Beal Botanical Garden. If you can, take the nature trail alongside the Red Cedar River for the full garden experience, as odd as that sounds.

I didn’t think much of it my freshman year, but after the fourth time I took that path to class I realized how relaxing it is to walk between a flawless garden and a flowing river. If you even have an hour or two to spend, take a seat next to the river and knock out your studying on the banks. If it was up to me, every calendar ever made should shoot photos there.

Matt Sheehan is the sports editor at The State News. Reach him at msheehan@statenews.com.