Best places to cry on campus

Photo: Taelar Pollmann • The Sentry
Boldest and coziest places to cry

Get the tissues ready

It’s happened to everyone. An exam just doesn’t go to plan. A major assignment has been completely forgotten and now the overall class grade will tank. That one annoying guy who won’t stop talking about cars breaks the final thread of sanity at this point in the semester. The tears are coming and there’s no stopping them. Where is the best place to beeline toward to cry in peace?

Yes, the bathroom stalls are the quickest option for crying on campus, but it is also the worst place to cry on campus. Cry smarter than that.

Serious answer first: the reflection rooms at the Wellness Center. There are private meditation rooms with dimmable lights and comfy pillows. Lay down and become one with mother earth as you melt into a river of tears.

But what if that’s too far, and the tears are happening right now? There are some intermediaries.

The middle of the Tivoli quad. Walk right out there into the middle of the lawn, be enveloped by the building’s shadow, both physically and internally. Feel free to sit, but the expert criers at The Sentry agree that standing and looking the building dead in the eyes is best for crying.

Better yet, use this tried and true power move: just cry right then and there. Look the professor in the eyes as the final exam gets turned in, and cry. Don’t say anything. And don’t look away. Make them feel your pain. Everyone will be equally afraid and intimidated.

Alright, final serious answer: The Sentry office. There are comfy couches. Tons of blankets. And pillows! Finals season is hard, college is hard, Tuesdays are hard, life is hard sometimes, and who better to understand than a room full of introverted writers. Walk in, grab a paper, and cry a little—or a lot, no judgement.