It’s that time of the semester when your assignments and exams start piling up. The physical fatigue and mental exhaustion is beginning to take its toll. 

Students seem to forget that the life draining despair they feel during the semester is shared among all students. If you’re feeling like the rest of us, here is a list of the best spots on campus to wallow and sink into that collegiate void. 

Reserved Study Rooms in the Library 

You love your roommate, but they have a tendency to distract you from studying. You have a big test coming up… it’s tomorrow. You decide to run to the library to have some peace and quiet. Once you’re there, you reserve an individual study room (let’s be honest, it’s basically a closet). You end up spiralling, thinking you’re an academic fraud who has no business taking these classes. You worry that tomorrow will be the end of the world if you do not ace this test. 

Cravens library has individual study rooms that are quiet and can ensure you’re not going to be bothered. They are small, but have enough space to adequately spread out and study. The dormroom like atmosphere in the study room will give you a sense of home and normalcy. You won’t feel out of place here. 

Literally anywhere in Cherry Hall; Specifically the Basement

It’s 8:55 a.m. and you just got out of English 100 in Cherry Hall. You get stuck in a traffic jam in the two inch wide stair case. You have your overpriced Starbucks coffee, and you feel the overwhelming dread of a paper you have been putting off, the chemistry homework that makes you crossed-eyed or the presentation you have to give in class tomorrow. You think, “this is it, this is where I’m going to die.” It all has decided to hit you right then and there. 

Cherry Hall has always been a nostalgic place on campus; it has a familiar and distinct presence that leaves a student feeling more included in the history and future of campus. Unlike other buildings on campus, the smaller classrooms and the humanities centered courses gives students a chance to be seen and heard. 

Outside of Mass Media; The Bell Tower Side

We’ve all been there- the late night run to Jody Richards Hall. You just spent the rest of your printing money (all $10 dollars WKU so graciously gave you for the entire year) and you weren’t able to print off everything you need for class tomorrow. It’s approximately 12:45am, you are slipping into an academic abyss as you contemplate if you’re going to pull an all-nighter. 

Mass Media is a more secluded area with a very calming atmosphere at night. You might see a few people at this hour, but given the seating spaces outside you have a feeling of privacy. If you need to recharge after this existential crisis, there are plenty of vending machines with a plethora of options to choose from. You’ll feel understood in the computer lab as you hear the heavy sighs of students regretting all collegiate decisions they’re ever made. 

The Colonnades 

Slouching out of the Fine Arts Center, you look up and see the heaven-like seating of the historic WKU Colonnades. You just got out of your art studio, you’re hungry, tired and behind on your project. You feel like the whole system is rigged against you. No food, tons of incline walking and already behind in classes. It’s not even week five yet and you’re already anticipating the end of the semester. Low and behold- you have hard, bumpy concrete to sit on as you have a meltdown.

The ear-ringing noises of construction of what should be the already completed Commons, lightly drowns out the thoughts of doubt and worry about what next week has in store. You can spread out, distance yourself from others as you rest against the chipped blue painted concrete. Take a nap up here! No one will judge you… that much. 

7th Floor of the Parking Structure (PS1)

You pull into PS1 after getting back from your third cookout run this week (it’s only monday). You’re dreading the week ahead and are beginning to feel premature senoritis or some form of academic burnout. You don’t want your roommate(s) to see you in this state of despair, so you decide to look out over WKU and the green stretches of Bowling Green Kentucky on this mild evening. 

The sky’s the limit up here. Seriously, there’s no roof. I wouldn’t recommend having a mental breakdown up here during the day and risking a sunburn, but it’s a perfect spot in the evening. Watch out for the insta baddies who will post their sunset-fit up there on temperate evenings. 

Mental Health

In all seriousness, please don’t forget to take care of yourself (physically AND mentally). College has a way of making you feel utterly alone in your struggles, please know that you are NOT alone. We are a community here, not a conglomeration of individuals. Your mental health always comes first. 

If academic, interpersonal or familial stress is becoming too much please reach out to your friends. If you believe it would be more beneficial to talk to a professional, the WKU Counseling Center is a great place to start. There is no shame in asking for help.

Rose Donnelly can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @RoseDonnelly_.