Before I get started, I just want say that this semester has been hard on everyone. With midterm season upon us once again, I have just been so overwhelmed with all the work that’s piled up. Know that your feelings are totally valid and that you are not in this alone. That being said, if you are feeling too overwhelmed and need help, please make sure you reach out to UMass Center for Counseling and Psychological Health or Center for Women and Community for help. Our chapter members can also come to Meg’s wellness check-ins that happen regularly!
If you’re anything like me, the occasional cry isn’t out of the ordinary for you. As I said, college is tough — especially this year. We students have to find the perfect way to balance our grades, family, and social life all while trying to look “cool” doing it. If I’ve learned anything during my two years at UMass, it’s that sometimes the best thing to do is to treat yourself to a good, sniffling, mascara-ruining, ugly cry.
Hey, no shame — we all could use a good cry every now and again. Keep reading for my top spots on campus to let it all out!
The Library
Yes, good ol’ Du Bois. If you’re a quiet crier, find yourself a small cubicle on one of the quiet floors and feel free to let it all out. Everyone is way too busy studying for that accounting test to notice someone crying. Not to mention those cubicles give you the privacy that you need to cry in public while still maintaining appearances. Besides, I see people crying in the library all the time, but I think there’s just an understanding that sometimes you just can’t help it.
Mcguirk alumni stadium
This one is a long shot, but as we students know, game days are for tailgating and then getting Berk afterwards. The stadium is a great place to spread out and cry. I feel as though most UMass Students cry at the stadium anyway, given our track record with football, so you’ll fit right in.
The Greenhouse
The College of Natural Sciences is home to a seriously gorgeous greenhouse. If I lived closer to this baby, it would most definitely be my favourite place to shed a tear. There’s nothing like being around something beautiful to remind us that life isn’t all bad. The greenhouse is someplace quiet and private to just reflect a little.
The Laundry Room
Full disclosure: I’ve cried in the laundry room. I mean, when thousands of residents have to share four washers and dryers… cue the waterworks. Doing less than half a load at a time is rough, but the probability of finding a working washer and dryer at the exact times you need it are about as easy as walking from Southwest to the Agricultural Science Building in under 10 minutes. Did I mention that the washers are so old and clothes come out wet from the dryer? As if college isn’t stressful enough, try running out of clean clothes and then having a mental breakdown every time it’s laundry day. By “laundry day,” I do mean day, because if you think you’re getting that done in under an hour… pass the tissues.
And I probably shouldn’t even have to mention this one, but…
Your dorm room!
If you can’t cry in here, where can you cry? Ladies, we are at that point in the semester where your roommate has probably seen you at your best and your worst. Personally, my roommate has been my favourite shoulder to cry on. We have transformed our room into a place where we can laugh, cry, and do everything in between. And you never know, she might have the words that you’ve been needing to hear. (“You’ve got this queen.”) The best part is that you can cuddle up in your bed and watch some well deserved Netflix afterwards.
Sometimes you just need a good cry, even if you don’t know why you’re crying. It’s sometimes all you need to release the hurt and pain inside.
“It’s okay to cry. The sky does it too.” -Unknown
Once again, be sure to reach out to UMass CCPH or CWC if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need help.
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