The Best Places to Cry on Campus

It is finals week again, and as you walk out of your last test for your hardest class, the emotions hit you. There is no chance you passed and now your GPA is in the dumpster. The water works are coming and you need a place to let it all out quietly and without anyone noticing, so where do you go? Here is the list you never knew you needed: the best places to cry on the IUPUI campus. 

Note: While stress in school is common, if you feel overwhelmed and need help please contact IUPUI mental health services known as CAPS: 317-274-2548 or email capsindy@iupui.edu

We do not recommend traveling alone outside at night. Make use of the skywalks where possible, and either go with a trusted friend or make sure that one knows where you are.


SELB South Stairwell

SELB Stairwell

Just failed your biology lab final? Did your P.I. not like your journal club presentation? Take a visit to the south stairwell of SELB. The building is mostly occupied by alcoholic lab rats, so if you run into one they will probably forget the whole thing by the morning.

If you prefer to stay outdoors, there is a loading zone on the east side of the building, and numerous inlets behind the library that are perfect for a good cry or even a private phone conversation. We do not recommend using these outdoor areas at night.


These booths in the Den are hidden from view.

The Den (After Hours)

Your roommate and their friends are in your dorm in University Tower, and you just want to let it all out. As a freshman, it may seem difficult to find a spot to cry in the bustling former-hotel. On the second floor, however, you can sneak into one of the Den’s many booths and usually find an empty and aesthetic place to sob after hours.

You might say the Den is "the Spot" to cry on campus. For those who do not know, the Spot, everyone's favorite internet portal to connect with student organizations at IUPUI, used to be called "The Den."


  • Campus Center Practice Room

    Campus Center Practice Rooms

    By showing your Crimson Card to the game room attendant, they will let you into one of these soundproof practice rooms in the basement of the Campus Center. You can cry your heart out, or relieve your stress through music.

    Some of the best composers wrote their most popular pieces in the most miserable of circumstances, so maybe you could get lucky and write a hit like Beethoven did with Moonlight Sonata back in the day. Of course, the pianos are a bit out of tune.


    Campus Center Stairwell

    Campus Center Staircase

    Next to the main entrance of the Campus Center, you will find the mostly empty bell-tower staircase. On the fourth floor is a nook with a large window looking out toward the lecture hall, and there is a smaller nook on the second floor.

    There you can drown your sorrows in Chick-Fil-A or Panda Express, but don't expect to get any studying done, as the internet and cell service can be spotty.


    Natatorium Benches

    Just missed the game-winning 3-pointer? Sneak over to the Natatorium. Behind the stands, you’ll find a bench where you can curl up in a ball and release all of that pent up sadness. 

    Want a more scenic place to let it all out? Visit the Natatorium garden.


    Nook Between Campus Center and Garage

    Between Campus Center and Garage

    Hidden on the sidewalk of Michigan Street is a nook between the Campus Center cargo zone and Garage. Grab one of the milk crates around and sit in privacy as you enter your feels. We do not recommend using this area at night, as it is creepy and secluded.

    From the looks of it, staff members have found it a good place to smoke, which we do not recommend because it causes lung cancer and is banned on campus.


    University Hall Back Corner

    University Hall

    On the first floor of University Hall down the hallway with the stairwell, there are study tables and chairs to bawl your eyes out in comfort. Most of the time this hallway is empty, offering privacy both day and night.

    There are a few other lounge spaces in the building that mostly houses the IUPUI administrative offices.


    Chairs Sitting in the Taylor Courtyard

    Taylor Courtyard (At Night)

    Need some fresh air? In the Taylor Courtyard sits an assortment of wooden lawn chairs. At night, you may only see the occasional passerby.

    For the most part, though, you can bawl your eyes out in solitude and comfort as you watch the cars fly by on Michigan St.


    Eskenazi Hall Theater

    Herron Hall

    Made a "happy accident" on your art final but your professor did not see it that way? Slip into the spacious theater in Eskenazi Hall and let it all out.

    Remember, there is still time to become a liberal arts major.


    Engineering Building Basement Hallway

    Engineering Building

    The basement of the engineering building and upper floor study nooks offer good places to shed tears in solitude, although both can be busy during the day.

    An overabundance of good locations to cry in the Engineering Building suggests the architects of the campus knew who would need them the most.


    IT building, Fifth Floor

    Alright, so would could not just pick ten. There are too many great places to cry on campus, so here are a few more.

    Hidden away on the fifth floor of the IT building is a secluded inlet where you can curl up in a ball and cry all you want. If a rogue professor strays up the elevator, you will have plenty of forewarning to take out your phone, turn to face the wall, and pretend like you are having a serious conversation.


    Business Stairwell

    Business Building Stairwells

    I-Core? That sounds important. If the stress is getting to you, and the formal attire you have been wearing all day is starting to itch, take a break and let out a good cry in the stairwell.


    Sometimes it is nice to find a quiet spot to cry in peace, but often finding a friend to talk to or cry it out with can be more comforting. Remember that your value is not determined by a test or project grade, especially if it is over material you will probably never need in the workplace and forget within a few weeks.

    It is normal to feel some stress after finals week, but if it feels like it is too much to handle please contact IUPUI mental health services known as CAPS at 317-274-2548 or email capsindy@iupui.edu

    Agree with our list? Know of any other good places to cry? Email us at thecampuscitizen@gmail.com or message us on social media. Vote for your favorite place to cry or suggest new ones here.

    UPDATE: Added safety recommendations that students not travel in certain areas at night.

    The Campus Citizen has been around since 2011, taking over for the Sagamore as IUPUI's independent, student-run news publication. We are an all-volunteer crew with a variety of majors and backgrounds, united by an appreciation for journalism. Don't take this article too seriously, as we like to have fun sometimes.

  • Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
    All Content © 2024 The Campus Citizen, IUPUI