The paper presents the results of a theoretical analysis of the problems of students’ preferred leisure activities. The socio-psychological importance of how these preferences are realized is defined as one of the factors of personality’s development and self-realization in the context of interaction between social and cultural groups of students. It is demonstrated that students who prefer going to shopping malls, do so to get positive emotional experiences: for them is not only a place for shopping but also a convenient (reasonable, optimal) leisure activity.