We\u2019ve all been there \u2014 typing desperate last-minute queries into Google, TikTok or anything else that might promise a solution as our bank accounts dip into the single digits. \u201cThings to do for free in the Bay Area.\u201d \u201cFree things this weekend.\u201d You\u2019re also probably tired of only eating out with friends and seeking something more engaging and interactive, but on a budget, of course. In a world where everything now seems to cost a pretty penny, you might find it increasingly difficult to spend quality time alone or with friends without whipping out your wallet every two seconds.<\/p>\n
So here I am, ready to offer you something truly free. Drum roll, please \u2026 curiosity! Satiate yourself with new knowledge, experiences and memories \u2014 all for free and from the comfort of your own home, Berkeley. Using your brain after a long week of classes might not sound like the most exciting use of your time. But, consider all of the cool, random and niche knowledge you have the potential to acquire should you choose to stay curious outside of those classes. Learning has no limits and definitely doesn\u2019t have to end when you exit campus. In fact, you could even stay on campus for some extra learning time!<\/p>\n
Visit campus museums<\/p>\n
UC Berkeley\u2019s campus is home to several wonderful collections and museums, including the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive downtown, the UC Museum of Paleontology in the Valley Life Sciences Building and the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in the Anthropology and Art Practice Building. Check out any or all of these museums on a rainy weekend and soak up some new knowledge about art, film and history. All three are free to students. If you\u2019re looking for a more laid-back night or weekend, head to BAMPFA for world-class cinema. Free movie night? Count me in.<\/p>\n
Sit in on a friend\u2019s class<\/p>\n
Have you ever envied a friend\u2019s class experience or entire major? While you\u2019re sitting in your 400-person lecture, she\u2019s sharing her thoughts with 12 people in a seminar class. Or maybe it\u2019s the opposite. As an English major, I\u2019m one of the lucky few who gets to take those smaller and more intimate classes. However, I do often wonder what my friends taking data science or computer science classes are up to. And I\u2019ve actually attended one of each. While I wasn\u2019t very focused and wound up taking photos of my friends and their unwelcome guest (me) on my laptop\u2019s Photo Booth app the entire time, I did find it cool to pretend to immerse myself in talks of structures, systems and numbers. Audit a class for an hour and walk out with new knowledge. Or just use it as time to bond with your friends.<\/p>\n
Attend a Cal Performances event<\/p>\n
Okay, confession: I\u2019ve never actually attended a program put on by Cal Performances. The last time I found myself at Zellerbach Hall was freshman-year sorority orientation. Does that count as performance art? Nevertheless, I am well aware of the abundance of talent among my fellow Golden Bears, as well as the visiting performers that grace our stages. So why not round up your friends or paramour for a cheeky date night? The 2026-27 season calendar can be found online. I\u2019m personally eyeing The Australian Ballet\u2019s \u201cOscar\u201d at the end of September. UC Berkeley students have a 50% discount and can sign up for the Student Flex Pass, which offers bulk tickets at significantly reduced rates. It\u2019s time to get artsy.<\/p>\n
Sign up for a library card<\/p>\n
Did you know there\u2019s more to this world than Doe Library? Sign up for a free Berkeley Public Library card online! With five branches to choose from, the possibilities are endless. One of those five is the Tool Lending Library! For those over the age of 18, the Tool Lending Library provides a variety of tools and resources, ranging from cookie cutters to saws \u2014 I don\u2019t even know where to start. Grab your craftiest friends for the DIY weekend of your dreams. I\u2019m envisioning you all upcycling a piece of furniture found on the street using various Berkeley Public Library power tools, then celebrating in the kitchen with some ice cream served up from the borrowed ice cream maker and closing the night with my next suggestion. Read on for your day\u2019s grand finale!<\/p>\n
Kanopy movie night<\/p>\n
Tap into your free UC Berkeley student resources and throw a movie night! After a long day of woodworking, confectioning and resource-using, I\u2019m sure all you and your friends could ever desire is to collapse upon your stiff IKEA couch for some much-needed TV time. Oh, I forgot to add. The Tool Lending Library also lends popcorn makers. I told you \u2014 they\u2019ve truly got you covered. From intellectual documentaries to classic cinema, streaming platform Kanopy offers students a wide range of choices \u2014 all for free through your UC Berkeley student account.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m getting giddy writing about all of these free educational resources, and I hope you are, too! Learning can be fun and learning can be cheap. So, use that Cal 1 Card, adorned with a less-than-favorable photo from your senior year of high school, tattered at the edges and often forgotten in the depths of your backpack, and put it to work. Stay curious and stay cheap!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019ve all been there \u2014 typing desperate last-minute queries into Google, TikTok or anything else that might promise…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":435379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[5242,49110,184,58029,2076,164198,109758,20299,14624,172808,143,145,144,3808,172807,30727],"class_list":["post-435378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-affordable","tag-bampfa","tag-bay-area","tag-berkeley-public-library","tag-budget","tag-cal-performances","tag-cheap","tag-free","tag-google","tag-kanopy","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-tiktok","tag-uc-museums","tag-zellerbach-hall"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=435378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/435379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=435378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=435378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=435378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}