Campus events you'll actually show up to

The hardest part of campus events usually isn't finding one. It's going. The flyer on the dining hall wall, the Instagram story from a club you sort of follow, the email you skim and forget — there's plenty happening. What's missing is a reason to actually walk over when none of your friends are free. Tide is built to fix exactly that.

What does "campus events" mean on Tide?

It's a feed of what's happening at your school, scoped to your campus by your .edu email. Not a national list of concerts three hours away — the free salsa night in the rec center, the econ club info session, the dorm movie screening, the 9pm intramural game that needs two more people. The stuff that's close enough that the only thing standing between you and going is momentum.

Because Tide already knows your campus and a little about what you're into (the same interests that power your daily match), the events you see lean toward things you'd actually want to be at, instead of a firehose of everything on a 30,000-person calendar.

How is this different from my school's events calendar?

Your university calendar tells you an event exists. It can't tell you you'll know anyone there. Tide's whole reason to exist is the second part. Every account is tied to a verified .edu address, so the people browsing the same event are real students at your school — no bots, no randos, no off-campus strangers. That's the same trust model behind everything in the app; you can read more on our trust page.

So instead of "there's a thing at 7," you get "there's a thing at 7, and here's a person from my chem section who's also thinking about it." That changes whether you go.

Why does this matter?

Loneliness on big campuses is real and well-documented. In a 2021 Harvard Graduate School of Education "Making Caring Common" survey, 36% of respondents reported serious loneliness, with young adults among the hardest hit. Cigna's national loneliness research has repeatedly found 18-to-22-year-olds to be the loneliest age group in America. The cruel irony is that these are people surrounded by thousands of peers. The events are happening. The connection isn't, because nobody wants to show up somewhere alone.

Tide's founder felt this firsthand at UC San Diego — a school of more than 30,000 students that still managed to feel isolating. The events were on every bulletin board. What was missing was a low-stakes way to go with someone. That's the gap campus events on Tide is meant to close.

How do I find and go to events?

• Browse what's on your campus. Open the events feed and see what's happening this week, filtered to your school.
• Find people already going. Tide is built for meeting people, so events tie into the rest of the app — your class group chats and a verified, real-but-optional identity make it natural to ask "anyone going to this?"
• Message before you commit. Use a 5-digit friend code or a class chat to find one person to walk in with. Going from zero to one person you sort of know is the entire battle.
• Show up. That's it. You don't need a crew. You need one familiar face, and a campus full of verified students to find it among.

Is it really free?

Yes. Tide is free for students. No premium tier gating events, no paywall to message someone going. You sign in with your school email, and you're in. You can open the web app right now or grab the iOS beta on TestFlight.

Where does Tide work?

Tide is live at UC campuses including UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Davis, and is expanding across US colleges. You can check whether your school is on yet from the campuses page. If it's early at your school, the events feed grows as more verified students join — which is also the fastest way to make it good, so bring people.

The honest version

Tide isn't a magic crowd generator. If your campus just joined, the feed reflects who's here so far. What we can promise is the part that's broken everywhere else: events you can reach on foot, surrounded by people who actually attend your school, with a built-in way to not go alone. That's the whole pitch, and it's free.

Curious how the rest of it fits together? Start with what Tide is, then jump into the app and see what's happening on your campus this week.

Frequently asked questions

what events are happening on campus today?

Tide shows you what's happening on your campus in one feed, scoped to your school by your .edu email — club meetings, free food, intramurals, study nights, parties, and guest speakers. Open the web app or the iOS app, sign in with your school email, and the events feed shows this week filtered to your campus. It's free.

how do I find events at my college?

Sign in to Tide with your school email and open the events feed. Because every user is a verified student at your school, you can also see and message people going, so you don't have to show up alone. Tide is live at UC campuses and expanding across US colleges — check the campuses page to see if your school is on.

is Tide free for students?

Yes. Tide is completely free for students. There's no premium tier and no paywall to browse campus events or message someone who's going. You just sign in with your .edu email. Get it on the web app or the iOS TestFlight beta.

how is Tide different from my school's events calendar?

Your school's calendar tells you an event exists. Tide tells you who you might know there. Every account is .edu-verified, so the people browsing the same event are real students at your school, and Tide is built so you can message someone going and walk in together. That's the difference between knowing about an event and actually attending it.

can I go to a campus event if I don't know anyone?

That's exactly what Tide is for. The events feed connects to the rest of the app — class group chats, a daily match, and 5-digit friend codes — so you can find one verified student who's also going before you commit. Going from nobody to one familiar face is usually the whole reason people skip events, and Tide is designed to remove it.