Abstract: the presented article addresses the problem of leisure and leisure time of students studying at a pedagogical university. The appeal to this problem is not accidental, as the student youth is one of the most active social groups of people, which is most susceptible to social, economic, social and cultural innovations. The relevance of the topic of our research is to answer the questions of how leisure allows students of pedagogical university to realize their urgent needs, develop existing opportunities, potential, integrate into the modern public space, how leisure forms the norms and values of a young person. The article reflects such problems as the structure of students’ leisure time preferences in the conduct of student activities. An attempt is made to analyze what activities in free time are preferable for students, how they prefer to spend their free time-alone or in the company of friends. The study cnducted by the authors helped to identify the preferences of students in spending time free from classes. The concepts of “leisure” and “free time” are differentiated. The socializing function of leisure in the life of students is shown. The article may be of interest to teachers, parents, any interested persons.
Keywords: leisure, value orientations, socio-cultural activities, personality formation, leisure activities, organization of free time, students, socio-cultural forecasting, forms and types of leisure