Living on campus has some of the best benefits to students. Some of these are close proximity to classes, finding your own community, and much more. One of my favorite things about living on campus is the many places to hangout outside of your room. As a student, I’ve noticed that I don’t want to spend all of my time cooped up in my room. I realized that I was more prone to burnout and taking way too many naps when I didn’t leave my room every few hours. Because of this, I needed to explore campus in search of cool places to study and hangout. Just after a short walk around campus, I had found many places that I didn’t even know existed. In the following, I’ll outline a few different hangout spots across campus that are fun to study and hangout with friends. 

Lassonde Studios

Whether you are a creator needing tools, an entrepreneur looking for team members, or simply just want to feel the creative vibes, Lassonde Studios is such a fun place to hangout in. The main floor of Lassonde Studios is lively with many couches, study spaces, the Make Space (a workshop with free tools for students to use) and even a dining location called Miller Café. Lassonde is one of the popular places to be regardless of whether or not you live there.

Slacklining & Hammocking

When the weather is nice, grab a slackline or hammock and head to the Union, Kahlert Village or Chapel Glen/Gateway Heights! If you don't have a slackline, rent one from Campus Recreation Services at the Student Life Center!  

A. Ray Olpin Union Building
There is a large grassy area right outside of the Union building that has slacklining and hammocking poles for students to use. This space is great to use for studying with friends, getting some outdoor activity, or even just taking a mental break from school. This central location has everything from dining options to the campus store and the Marriott Library. If you live on upper-campus and don’t want to walk all the way to the Union, take a campus shuttle!

Kahlert Village
There are slacklining/hammocking poles in the Kahlert Village courtyard, as well as a bouldering wall, ping pong tables and even a fire pit! The Kahlert Village courtyard is a really fun place to hang out with a group of friends. Be sure to visit the Kahlert Village front desk to check out paddles for the ping pong tables.

Chapel Glen/Gateway Heights
If you live on upper-campus, this is a great option for you! The slacklining/hammocking poles near Chapel Glen/Gateway Heights are conveniently located on upper-campus so that you don't have to go far to have a fun outdoor activity. There are also picnic tables nearby, so gather your friends and plan an awesome outdoor hangout!

Equity Lounge & Equity Living Room

As a learning and growing campus community, we recognize that social justice is an active and ongoing process in which we strive to be self-aware. This is why Housing & Residential Education has made space for students to learn about what we can do to contribute to social justice efforts. Students who live on either upper or lower campus can hangout at the Equity Lounge (upper-campus) and Equity Living Room (lower-campus). These spaces are staffed by our Social Justice Advocates, who are also students at the U. It is a great place to learn about others’ experiences, talk about social justice, or simply to feel safe while exploring your identity. 

George S. Eccles Student Life Center

Not only does the Student Life Center have an amazing student gym, but it also houses an indoor/outdoor pool, the Center for Student Wellness, physical activity courses and a dining location called ShakeSmart! The Student Life Center is one of my favorite places to be on campus. Students are often taking breaks from school here by exercising, grabbing a smoothie, taking a yoga class and much more. Students get free admission to the gym with their UCard and you can often find free or low cost activities here as well.

There are many places to hangout on campus that make students feel at home, including more than what is listed above. Some of my best college experiences so far have happened while hanging out at these places, many of which have been surrounded by friends. There is no need to worry about finding your own community here on campus, because there is truly somewhere for all students to hangout. Housing & Residential Education is here to help you succeed and feel at home while living on campus.