Since the 2019 closure of Schulich Library, I have struggled to find a suitable base to cry on campus. If you live in the Milton Parc community, finding a nice little nook on campus to let your emotions go might be a little less of a problem: you might be able to sneak home, have a tea and some time to yourself, and then get back to campus and your regular schedule. If you live a little further, however, and need somewhere to sit down and take a brief interlude in the day, here are some of the best and worst places to cry on campus this finals season.
- Best: Ferrier Arts Computer Lounge (especially after hours)
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If you’re an Arts student looking for somewhere with 24/7 access, the Ferrier Computer Lounge is right up your alley. With full-time access, the lounge, located on the third floor of the Ferrier Building, is perfect for a brief pit-stop. This building is never overly busy, and odds are that you won’t run into too many people who are in that one conference of yours. The long and twisting hallways that take you to the computer lounge give you the perfect amount of heat-up/cool-down time, and with multiple entrances and staircases, you can avoid the main flows of traffic on campus during rush hours.
- Best: Leacock Stairwell
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Crying in the Leacock lobby isn’t usually a good look on anyone, considering the number of classes that take place in this central campus building, and the number of students who pass through on the daily. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed in Leacock and need just a few minutes to yourself after a particularly brutal lecture or conference, you might find yourself strapped for suitable spaces to occupy. If so, maybe try the Leacock stairwell! Since Leacock has been under construction and students trying to get to class via the stairwell normally find themselves lost, foot traffic in this location has drastically decreased, making this the perfect place to settle down for a quick self-check-in. It’s not the most private, but you’re much less likely to be confronted by big groups in this hot spot than somewhere like the Arts basement.
- Best: Birks Building (anywhere that is not the reading room)
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Birks is by far the moodiest place to cry on this list. Though it’s not the best in terms of how loud you can be while crying, sometimes a little social control is necessary for preventing a true spiral into sobs. The building is the main plus for this one: the old wood, stained glass windows, and worn-in leather chairs create an environment that is simply too hard to resist. You might see some people you know during the day, but for all they know, you could just be tearing up at the beauty of the reading room. Classes in Birks are always small, so the only real foot traffic occurs in the transitional period between classes. An added plus: everyone must take their shoes off when going into Birks, meaning you have an arsenal of random people’s shoes to throw if anyone tries to tell you to stop crying in the lobby.
(Disclaimer: I am not encouraging throwing shoes at people, but am rather providing a chaotic hypothetical that could technically take place.)
- Best: McConnell Atrium Bathrooms
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If you find yourself needing somewhere truly private where there’s a “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” mentality, the McConnell Atrium bathrooms could be perfect for you. Personally, this is my favorite place to take a second to collect myself before diving back into some stressful work. With five floors to choose from, it’s easy to find the one that’s right for you! And with only three stalls per bathroom, the McConnell Atrium washrooms tend to have very light traffic, meaning there are no people lingering around to see you emerge once you’re finished up. The big mirrors let you make sure you’re looking the best you can once you emerge, and water fountains outside each bathroom add to the luxury, allowing you to properly hydrate after your self-reflection.
- Best: Burnside Basement
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This is a controversial best, as several people have expressed strong and differing opinions on whether the Burnside Basement is the best or the absolute worst place to cry on campus. My thoughts, as an Arts student, is that any type of chaotic crying in the Burnside Basement is great. Yes, it might be hitting rock-bottom, but sometimes that’s what you need. You’re underground, you have concrete walls, fluorescent lighting, and Soupe Café grilled cheese smell wafting right there, so you can get a post-cry snack and tea to help build yourself back up while still being able to unleash whatever emotions are going on. There’s a decent amount of foot traffic here, but judgement will most likely be kept to a minimum, as it is filled with people who wish they could be doing the same. The best thing about taking a minute in the Burnside basement is that it is truly cathartic—there is nowhere to go from there but up.
- Worst: McLennan Floor 2
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This one requires very little explanation. If you have cried here before, no shame; the energy of McLennan 2 lends very well to intense stress-build and unhealthy levels of self-reflection. The main problem: this is now considered a main spot to study on campus, due to all the seating. This means that you’re bound to see at least five people who you recognize from classes but don’t know well enough to explain yourself to. If you cry on McLennan 2, it is very likely that you will have to deal with the consequences of awkward eye-contact later.
- Worst: McConnell Atrium Workspaces
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While the bathrooms in the McConnell Atrium are great for crying, the desks that line the rest of the atrium are not. People are constantly passing through the hallways to get to class, and the floors are not fully separated from each other, meaning sound travels, and it travels throughout the whole thing. People in the Atrium usually seem put together and motivated, so you’ll probably get some judgement if you cry out in the open here. A silver lining though: the bathrooms are only just steps away! Meaning you can have the best of both worlds if you’re not sure what exact mood you’re in quite yet.
- Worst: Anywhere in Redpath (especially the Cyberteque)
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Redpath is an undeniably chaotic space—there is really no better way to put it. There’s constant foot traffic, there’s always someone next to you who looks like they could devolve into a breakdown worse than yours at a moment’s notice. The bathrooms are always busy and smell bad, there’s always someone you know, and the color scheme of the library does not inspire any sense of calm/collectedness. The Cyberteque is always a particularly bad locale for this kind of activity; glass paneling (full visibility of all emotional activities) and complete silence mean that all sense of emotional freedom is immediately thrown out the window.
- Worst: RVC Cafeteria
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Crying in the RVC cafeteria has been done, and it has been done many, many times before. This might be acceptable if you’re a first year, but overall, it’s just not the best. There will always be a group of people around, and the possibility is always there that a floor fellow will spot you and do their due diligence in trying to comfort your aching soul when all you really want is a moment of peace and release. Maybe someone will take pity on you and buy you chicken fingers, but the chances of this happening are very low, while the chances of you feeling embarrassed/worse than when you started are high.
- Worst: Student Wellness Hub
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They’ll probably listen for a bit, be sympathetic, and then book you in for an appointment with a specialist at the start of the following school year.
Honorable mention: Y-intersection: could be shameless crying and cathartic public release OR you could see several professors and peers while you stand outside shivering. This one’s up to you really.