Wake Forest has a relatively small campus compared to many of the state universities, and many people can find it boring and repetitive by the end of their first semester here.
But do you know these ten places on this list? Or do you know what you can make out of these places? If you happen to have a chill Friday afternoon, these are the go-to places!
#1: Trail Behind the Barn
The trail behind the barn is not known to many students (mainly because it’s far away from everything else) but that’s exactly what makes it special. If you go across the second floor of Miller Center from outside, you will reach the dorms Palmer and Piccolo (they are closer than you think!). Follow the path to your right, and then you will get to the barn. On the left side of the road would be the entrance to the trail—Cross County Trail.
Entering the trail is like walking deep into the forest. Wooden bridges, rocky pathways, sunshine pouring through the leaves and lots of greens—it’s the perfect place to enjoy a nice nature walk. Beside the pathways there are signs indicating different lengths of the choice of pathway, which is very helpful when running, too. Put on your headphones, and go give yourself a break from everything!
#2: Reynolda Village-the Garden
Entering behind Winston Hall, through the Reynolda Trail, you will be arriving at this pretty, relaxing place that’s suitable for shopping, walking or having picnics. You would be surprised at the delicious food they have in May Way Dumplings and Village Tavern. Visit the luxurious Reynolds house that is now a museum, the open field where children and puppies play, the adventure into the running trail around the open field; BUT—there is one place that you need to check out as a Demon Deacon—the Garden.
As a Wake-owned property, the Garden has all kinds of plants and flowers. The bench in the Garden would be a nice place to sit down and read a book, or even just to enjoy the day and everything around you.
#3: Swings In Front Of Magnolia and Dogwood Halls
Before entering the dorms Magnolia and Dogwood, you should see a row of swings beside the pathways. You would think that no one really sits on them, but you are wrong. The swings are perfect for one or two friends to sit down and talk, whether you are catching up with each other during the precious free time you have or you are simply sharing snacks, chilling and enjoying the day. We all need that “blank-out” time here, where we withdraw ourselves from the school work, social relationships, or extracurricular responsibilities and just relax a little bit. This is the place to do that.
#4: Davis Field
You probably know Davis field, right beside Scales, where the hardworking band always has their practices. You probably also know that people hang up their hammocks there all the time, reading and napping. Well, that’s the thing to do. Whenever it’s nice outside, which is most of the time, you can hang up a hammock with your friends, or get on the swing, or have a picnic on the field with your friends. While doing all these things, you would also get to watch the children and the puppies running around the field, full of playfulness.
#5: Ziesta
Need a siesta? Go to Ziesta!
Ziesta is this area in the ZSR library with a few comfy couches, where you can lie down and take a nap. It’s located on the second floor of the 24/7 study lounge, which you will enter before entering the actual library. If you have two hours in between your two classes and you are exhausted from all the studying last night, this would be the place to go. Be comfy in the couch, maybe watch an episode of Netflix and take an essential nap. But do remember to bring a jacket or blanket since it’s always freezing in there!
#6: Campus Grounds
There are more coffee choices on campus other than Starbucks!
Located at the south side of Taylor, right next to the upper quad, Campus Ground is a coffee shop with plenty choices of coffees, drinks, cookies and cupcakes. It’s generally cheaper and quieter than Starbucks, and the environment is more suitable for quiet talks or studying. If you do go, be sure to check out the room at the back. On a Friday afternoon, it would be a great place to have casual gatherings with your friends or to have the entire place to yourself to study if you have a crazy week coming up.
One thing to note, however, is that you can only pay with cash or credit card here. So come prepared!
#7: Hearn Plaza—the Upper Quad
Now, if you have not been to the upper quad, you should. Preferably on a weekend, when students are not rushing around with a grumpy/sad/stressed face (okay that might be exaggerated). Again, imagine a nice, chill day, where people sit on the upper quad, talking, chilling, or maybe playing Frisbee, or even having a little puppy gathering, which is for sure the cutest thing in the world. Sometimes this relaxing scene, rather weirdly, yields more of a sense of “what college is like,” maybe because everything and everyone is so peaceful and free. And whenever you walk across the upper quad, you will always find yourself taking that same yet still the most beautiful picture of the Wait Chapel.
#8: Business School
Are you tired of the ZSR library already, where you have spent day and night studying? If yes, it’s your time to change it up and take that walk to the business school.
The business school, a little further north than the Wait Chapel, is a new, modern, and pleasant place to study. The lobby of the business school is gigantic: sometimes just looking up at the ceiling gives you a feeling that you can do anything. There is definitely some noise in the huge lobby, but it’s doable if you can stand the noise level in Starbucks. If you live in south campus and have not been to the business school, you should go at least once, and you’ll know if it’s your spot! It’d also be a good chance to try the Einstein Bagel!
#9: North Campus Road—Allen Easley St.
If you are a walking or a running person, you would probably enjoy the road right next to north campus apartments (NCAs). It’s right above the hill next to Scales and you can get there if you take two lefts facing the dorm Polo. This road gives you a feeling of nature and peacefulness, where you can slow down the pace a little bit and take a short break from your busy schedule. When you have that free 20 minutes, take a detour to this road and look at Wait Chapel from a different angle!
#10: Shorty’s
You might have been to Benson, usually referring to the Benson food court, a lot, but have you been to Shorty’s right next to the food court?
Shorty’s is an on-campus restaurant that has a wide range of burgers, sandwiches and fries, and you can also use your Old Golds here. Different people have different views on the food, but you should definitely check out the seats outside facing Tribble Hall. It’s a place for gatherings for large friend groups—formal or a casual, quick bite or chill dinner. Bring your friends and bring your shades!
Photo sources:
https://www.knoll.com/media/588/164/wakefirest4.jpg
http://college.wfu.edu/summer/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/slide1.jpg
https://media.glassdoor.com/l/b9/40/6e/6b/farrell-hall.jpg
https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Wake-Forest-high-res.jpg
https://gotham-magazine.com/get/files/image/galleries/Van-Cortlandt-Park-USE.jpg
https://www.visitnc.com/contents/imgcrop/30657/800/449/image
https://zsr.wfu.edu/files/ziesta-room-700×300.jpg
http://magazine.wfu.edu/files/2016/03/20160317campus0754A.jpg