As you know, Nerdify reviews only the most interesting and helpful stuff. And this time it’s all about leisure!

Summer is the best season to visit some outdoor music events and, with the increasing amount of music festivals all around, the possibilities are endless. If you haven’t attended any yet, it’s not too late to jump on a wagon! So if you live for music, sun and enjoying both with other music lovers, then this list may set up your itinerary for this summer vacation!

Some festivals have won their reputation throughout the years while the others are just starting to gain their followers, overall, Nerdify has compiled the best of them!

 

Folk on the Rocks (July 20 to 22. City of Yellowknife, Spectacular Northwest Territories)

Folk on the Rocks is an adventure worth to live for! Yellowknife welcomes thousands from all over Canada to Long Lake each year since 1980. Just imagine a perfect combination of amazing landscapes, a true beer garden and more than 24-hour music program not even mentioning the children’s area. Here is all the information you need: https://bit.ly/2Mdawka

 

Panorama (July 27 to 29. Randall’s Island, NYC)

This festival comes from the hand and mind of Coachella’s producers. It’s just one more reason to take a closer look at this newbie. This year’s line-up includes The Weeknd, Janet Jackson, The Killers, St. Vincent, David Byrne, and many others. Panorama also brings THE LAB, which places experiential digital art that combines technology, artistry, and design, created exclusively by New York-based artists. An experience exclusively brought to this festival. More info: https://bit.ly/2iYVpPd

 

Osheaga (August 3 to 5. Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal)

Every year Osheaga proves to be one of the best festivals in Canada. Its line-up is amazing and full of artists well known worldwide! From Arctic Monkeys, St. Vincent, Chromeo to Florence and the Machine, Franz Ferdinand, and it goes on and on with three days of non-stop music! Just click here and be amazed too: https://bit.ly/2l8oiLz

 

Lollapalooza  (August 2 to 5. Grant Park, Chicago)

Truth to be said, this one is one of Nerdify’s favorite festivals, no wonder it appears in Nerdify reviews. It was created in 1991 and quickly grew into the legendary music event of US. Although it almost ended in 1997, it came back a few years later in 2003. Grant Park in the city of Chicago! Different genres of music (rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, etc.), eight different stages, endless food stands, and the most beautiful scenery with the Chicago Skyline on one side and Lake Michigan on the other side, make Lollapalooza one of the most powerful stages in the world. The line-up for this year includes The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, The National, and many more. For tickets and more info follow the link: https://bit.ly/2erRyWP

 

Arise Music Festival (August 3 to 5. Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, Colorado)

This festival is best described as a movement, where yoga, art installations, workshops, performances, sustainability, social responsibility merge with tons of music for 3 days in the mountain valley of Colorado. An eclectic line up with some reggae, EDM, and folk. A huge variety of organic food in food trucks. And the best part is that every ticket sold funds a tree planting and honestly, in Nerdify, we think this only reason is enough to go there! Here you can get more info: https://bit.ly/1OltGyI

 

Outside Lands (August 10 to 12. San Francisco, California)

Food, wine, beer and all the sights surrounding the San Francisco area, make this festival really unique. Every August the Golden Gate Park turns into one of the biggest music events of the West Coast. With artists such as Janet Jackson, Florence and the Machine and  The Weeknd, this year Outside Lands will make a lot of people very happy. Get all the info for this one here: https://bit.ly/2odMU3r

 

Mutek (August 22 to 26. Montreal, Canada)

Mutek is listed in Nerdify reviews for a reason. This multicultural and international festival sets place the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, unifying electronic music and audiovisual performances. The splendid female artist is the one in charge of this year’s line-up. For more information click here: https://bit.ly/2teDLfa

 

Burning Man (August 26 to September 3. Black Rock, Nevada)

Nerdify reviews Burning Man as well, though many people will not consider it as the one dedicated to music. We needed to include it in the coolest festivals because it is indeed one of the coolest! It sets up in an inhabited part of the Nevada desert that transforms into the Black Rock City for the next 7 days. A place where people are the part of an artistic community, surrounded by futuristic sculptures and surreal art, everything in the festival comes alive when the last minute surprised DJ starts to play. It ends with burning THE man. More info: https://bit.ly/2ppRVJe

 

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival  (September 22 and 23. Franklin, Tennessee)

With a 3-year history, this festival has already gained a fame of the place to find all the best bands in every genre on its 6 stages: rock’n’roll, country, bluegrass, jazz, indie, gospel, pop, and blues. Its creators have thought every single aspect through to make this festival the best experience ever – everything is kept on the highest level of performance.  This year’s line-up includes Lionel Richie, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Jack White, and many more. Check all artists here: https://bit.ly/2ywqsM5

We admit, there’s a great number of music festivals all the year round, so probably these Nerdify reviews are just a start. We will definitely have to post similar entries for the other season’s music fests. But for now, summer is the sunny season that’s just too perfect to enjoy music outdoors all day and all night long! So go ahead and start filling the agenda!

 

 

 

Halloween is so old, we are not even sure who started celebrating it first. It probably began in Celtic speaking countries (modern United Kingdom) and has originated from ancient harvest rituals and the celebration of the Celtic New Year, which Celts believed to be a magical time, when the dead would “sneak in” from the spirit-realm and wander around the Earth, like so 😉 Celts used to lit huge bonfires to drive the dead spirits away.

When Romans invaded Britain, roughly 2000 years ago, they’ve merged this holiday with their own – Feralia (Roman festival celebrating the dead and deceased). It is interesting to note that other cultures, halfway around the globe, also celebrated their dead at this time of the year. For example – Day of the Dead in Mexico (Dia de Muertos). Last Bond movie portrays this holiday in the opening scene.

Merging these two traditions (evil spirits walking the streets and celebrating the dead) has given the modern Halloween such a colorful and playful character.

 

What is “trick or treat”?

Again, several versions on this one. Probably comes from a tradition from the medieval times, when poor would go from door to door asking for food or money in exchange for prayers honoring the dead (since Halloween was about celebrating the people who passed away).

Another version comes from an ancient belief that souls of the dead were wondering around in the night and needed to be appeased. Giving gifts and/or food was a way of doing that.

Halloween came to the USA during the immigration wave from Ireland and England in the late nineteenth century. It quickly became a popular holiday all across the USA.

Today, we celebrate Halloween as an opportunity to unwind and laugh, play jokes on our colleagues and have a good time. That’s precisely why Halloween has spread across the world – everyone can have fun in their own way.

Since sweet treats are such a big part of Halloween, we’d like to share an absolutely insane looking witch finger cookies recipe with you. It blew our minds at the office, made our celebrations that tiny bit more exciting 🙂 Enjoy!

P.S. Oh, right! We wanted to show you the real monster living at Nerdify 🙂 Well, here it is:

Yep, we have a giant spider living inside our office! This adorable beauty is called Nick (weird name for a spider, I know). That’s a tarantula and, theoretically, it can eat a small bird or a mouse! In reality, though, Nick is really shy and actually quite lazy. Pretty much sits all day in the corner and kills an unfortunate bug once a week (that part is exciting to watch). We have him in the office to keep our Nerds “on the edge” if you know what I mean 😛

Happy Halloween everyone!

If you’re looking for the best hobby for you as a college student, you’ve come to the right place. Nerdify reviews team wants to help turn your free time into an exciting and useful activity!

Which will be your pick? Will you choose to explore the world or let your creativity blossom? This blog post reveals the pros and cons of the most popular hobbies for college students and will help you make the right choice.

1. Geocaching

If you aren’t familiar with geocaching, it’s basically an outdoor hide-and-seek game using GPS. It’ll make you go to the places you’ve never been before, feel that treasure hunt rush, and have fresh air.

Pros

• Costs nothing, except maybe bus or train fare
• Will make you go outside
• You’ll feel like a treasure hunter
• Cool activity to do with friends and family
• Explore nature
• You’ll see your usual environment from a new perspective

Cons

• Easy to get sucked in, if that can be considered a con

Geocaching is fun and exciting, costs nearly nothing, and promotes physical activity – what’s not to love?

2. Blogging

If you have ideas to write about, thoughts you’d like to save forever, or just practice writing, start your own blog. Plus, your blog can become a part of your professional portfolio.

Pros

• Free
• No limitations – you do you
• Will help you improve your writing skills tremendously
• You’ll learn a lot along the way
• Can potentially help you build a career
• You can make a difference in any field
• You can make money from it
• Connect with new people

Cons

• Requires regular updates
• You can get into writer’s block
• Trolling can get in your way

If you start a blog, your writing will live on, that’s for sure. If you’re willing to invest time and effort in it, you’ll surely get the benefits described above.

3. Crafting and Artistry

This is an awesome talent that you should absolutely embrace in your free time. It absolutely doesn’t matter what you can do – knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, carving, drawing, painting, or DYI-ing things – all of it goes.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• You can let your imagination run wild
• You can create original, one-of-a-kind things
• You’ll always have awesome gifts to give to friends and family
• You can sell stuff and earn money from your awesome hobby (try Etsy)
• Whoever you tell about your hobby, will be in awe

Cons

• Requires patience
• Some materials can be up there in price

Make sure to take a moment to consider this great option!

4. Thrifting

There’s nothing more exciting than finding a cool item in a thrift store at a bargain price. Remember that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

Pros

• Value is usually way higher than the price
• You can find unique and valuable things
• Great way to find collectibles
• By thrifting, you are giving a second life to things, which is good for the environment

Cons

• Requires a lot of time
• Sometimes you’ll fail to find what you want, but don’t get discouraged.

Thrifting is a great idea however you look at it, so happy hunting!

5. Exercise

If you’re already exercising on the regular basis, hats off to you. If you don’t – consider making it your hobby because it’s right for pretty much anyone.  

Pros

• Increase energy
• Look younger and feel better
• Overcome the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle
• Maintain healthy weight
• Improve body strength and posture

Cons

• Depending on what you do, there’s risk of injury, so make sure you know what you’re doing
• If you choose to go to the gym, it can be expensive

You don’t need gym membership to go for a run every morning, so invest your time in yourself!

6. Playing an instrument

This is a hobby that always makes people go, “Wow!”  when you tell about it. If you already can play an instrument, use your free time to perfect your skill. If not, you can spend your time learning how to play an instrument.

Pros

• It’s awesome and cool
• Makes you stand out
• Trains your brain
• Can become a source of income one day

Cons

• Instruments are expensive, but you’ll rarely have to buy a new instrument

If you play for your own enjoyment or want to finally learn to play an instrument, it’s the perfect time to start!

7. Photography

Being good at taking pictures is a great skill you’ll be able to use your whole life and you don’t need an expensive camera to be an awesome photographer.

Pros

• Experience pleasure in photography
• People will ask you to take pictures
• Keeping precious moments forever
• Requires no investment (who said you can’t use your smartphone camera?)
• Can become a career

Cons

• If you decide to invest in a camera and gear, be prepared to spend a lot

Photography is a beautiful hobby and requires only one thing – your passion.

8. Cooking

Cooking is an essential skill to have in life. We live in the world of processed foods that aren’t that great for us, so why not learn how to cook yourself?

Pros

• You’ll eat tasty foods
• People will praise your cooking skills
• You’ll learn how to save money on food
• You won’t want to return to McDonald’s ever again after making your own chicken nuggets

Cons

• Ingredients might be expensive depending on the recipe

Cooking is a great hobby to treat yourself, literally.

9. Urban exploration

You probably think you know the area you live in pretty well, but often there’s a lot more to discover. Exploring your environment is an exciting hobby that will become a source of never-ending topics to discuss with friends!

Pros

• Learn to find your bearings on the ground
• Find fun and interesting places to spend time
• Find what to share with friends and family
• Find great places to study (cafés, libraries, etc)
• Take lots of great pictures if you want to

Cons

• Might require some research
• Time-consuming

Become a tourist in your own city for one day – it might just be the coolest hobby you can find as a college student!

10. Origami

Most people who have tried origami, have probably tossed it after failing to fold a crane. If you’re a tough cookie, you’ll nail even the hardest tasks! P.S. We have a very passionate origami-fan in our Nerdify reviews team too!
Pros

• Unique
• Easy to find tutorials
• Helps focus
• Entertaining
• Very low cost

Cons

• Might be frustrating when it gets too challenging

For a college student, origami is a cool hobby that is cheap and fun, so give it a try!

11. Learn about art

If some of the best places you’ve been to is the art museum, you might consider making learning about art your hobby. You can watch retro movies, learn about the history of fashion, or focus on specific periods in art history.

Pros

• Broadens your horizons
• Free
• Can make for a long-term hobby

Cons

• Isn’t a too relaxing hobby for a busy student

Make learning about what you love about your hobby!

12. Learn a new skill that pays

It’s always great to do what you love for money. You can learn how to do manicure, cut and style hair, do makeup, or carve wood. All these hobbies can help you earn money as a college student.

Pros

• You get to improve your skills
• You can earn from a hobby

Cons

• Requires having good skills, to begin with

Hobbies that pay are among the most popular hobbies for college students!

Whichever hobby you pick, remember that the best one will be the one that you are passionate about. Nerdify reviews team agrees on one thing: pick whatever puts a smile on your face and you’re golden!