Summer side quests
Students used time away from academics to pursue summer hobbies
By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org
With academic demands cast to the side, summer is often a time for students to spend their extra time exploring personal interests and finding new hobbies to dive into. While summer jobs, family time and volunteering may occupy a good portion of students’ free time, many Aggies set aside parts of their break for more recreational pursuits.
Nico Costanzo, a third-year mechanical engineering major, is the vice president of Guitar Club, which provides lessons, coordinates performances and builds community among both beginner and experienced guitar players. Costanzo found his musical passion growing up, when his father gifted him a guitar and taught him to play. Since then, he’s continued to dedicate more time to playing guitar, especially when school is out of session.
“I got to take some time off to play guitar, experiment, learn some songs that I wanted to learn that I didn't have the chance to during the school year because of homework and studying,” Costanzo said.
Having the time to learn new skills outside of school and find ways to express himself was a highlight of summer break, according to Costanzo.
“That was a nice opportunity to be able to set some time aside for myself to explore the songs I wanted to explore and have some opportunities to do some creative songwriting too,” Costanzo said.
While creative activities can be a great use of the summer break, physical activities are another favorite pastime among Aggies.
Katherine Peay, a fourth-year biotechnology major, is president of Aggie Skate Club, a student organization for skateboarding and roller-skating enthusiasts on campus.
Peay has enjoyed taking advantage of the warmer months to skateboard, a sport that can be highly weather-dependent because it takes place outdoors.
“It’s definitely nice when the sun's outside [...] when there's water on the ground, that can be really tough on the bearings,” Peay said.
In addition to the weather being favorable to skateboarders over the summer, last month saw the opening of a $1.2 million skatepark downtown, further making this an ideal time for skateboarding.
Summer has been a key time for Peay to not only spend more time on her own interest, but also on the interests of her fellow students in the club, as the summer months have given Peay more time to plan for Aggie Skate Club’s 2026-27 school year.
“We’ve been getting some new materials; we just got a new skate rail, [...] and we're always working on our boards, making sure they're in order to help students learn to skateboard,” Peay said.
Peay is not alone in spending her summer outdoors — Camille Conrad, a second-year American studies major, also worked on recharging from the school year through nature.
Serving as the social planner for the Outdoor Crew (ODC), a club that organizes hiking and camping trips for UC Davis students, Conrad took the summer as an opportunity to explore hiking trails that are difficult to fit into her busy schedule during the school year.
“Even though I'm an officer, [summer is] a great time to get more experience and get out in the outdoors,” Conrad said.
On her road trip, Conrad was able to stop at multiple parks, including Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith State Park. The time she spent outdoors benefitted her beyond her summer memories, helping her prepare for upcoming academic demands as well.
“[Nature is] this space to mentally recharge and get all your priorities realigned before the school year,” Conrad said.
Whether students spent their summers pursuing music, sports, outdoor activities or a variety of other hobbies, summer has allowed many Aggies to follow their passions and learn more about the things they love. However, even with a busy college schedule, students don’t have to pause their hobbies until the next break, with an abundance of clubs and organizations on campus dedicated to nearly every interest and hobby. Students searching for ways to delve deeper into their interests can look forward to the upcoming Involvement Fair on Oct. 13, 2026, at the Memorial Union Quad and Patio from noon to 3 p.m.
Written by: Amber Warnke — features@theaggie.org