Check out other social-networking sites in cyberspace.

What about when class is out? For loads of suburban and small-town kids who are going to college in major cities for the first time, the sheer volume of social options can seem overwhelming. Going, a relatively new site devoted to things to do and places to go, offers comprehensive social calendars for New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The events are both user- and partner-generated, and the social features surrounding each event are extensive enough (profiles of members who've said they're going, photos of previous events, etc.) so that you can get a good idea of what you're getting into--and maybe even meet some new people in the process.

You can also sort Going events by whether they're free. College students familiar with the ramen noodle diet will see why this is important.

Upcoming, which was purchased by Yahoo awhile back, is conceptually similar to Going--it's a big directory of events. There are, however, several important differences. First, it's not city-centric: users can submit events regardless of where they are on the globe. As a result, plenty of college towns have event listings. Upcoming also tends to skew less toward the hipster set; there are fewer wacky karaoke parties and flash mobs, but on the other hand, you're much more likely to find interesting university lectures and professional events (hint: internship opportunities).

The social-networking features aren't as robust as Going's, even though Upcoming is tied to Yahoo. Still, this is a cool site for finding a very diverse range of off-campus (and some on-campus) options.