With the spring semester coming to an end, a mental breakdown is about as far away as exam week. So when it’s your time to cry, here are some of the best places to let it out:
Dorm lounge or shower
I don’t honestly know if it’s the best place for a breakdown, but I had one here. It was move-in day and I sobbed a lot. Like, it was wild. Parents moving in their children saw me sobbing while hugging my parents good-bye. Tissues were required and I left tear marks on my mom’s shirt. If I would actually recommend a place, it’d be a Gov’s shower stall because no one’s gonna see you, and no one will hear you if you turn the shower on.
- Sarah Owusu
Abbott Library
Real men don’t cry. Everyone knows that. You can’t be a real man if you cry. But if a real man was to cry somewhere, because they absolutely had to, it should probably be in the silent study desks on the second floor of Abbott Library. It’s such a hidden area that almost nobody can see or hear you in the sound-proof rooms, or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Hypothetically speaking, of course, that’s where a real man should cry on campus.
- Real man on The Spectrum staff
Baird Point
What’s better than crying alone in your room? Crying with a view of nature. Overlooking the waters of Lake LaSalle, Baird Point is the perfect place to let out a good, therapeutic cry. Don’t want to attract attention? That won’t be a problem at all. The honks of geese are loud enough to block out the sounds of your sobs. If you don’t feel better after crying, the scenic views will have a calming presence on you.
- Jason Tsoi
Baird Hall — 3rd or 4th floor practice room
Imagine a locked, private room that you can sob as loud as you want in. It thankfully exists on campus! Sure, you do need a key and therefore, you need to be a music major or be in an ensemble. Sometimes the extra work is worth it to dramatically cry at the piano. (Then again, it’s more aesthetically pleasing to cry over a piano versus next to the toilet.)
- Mylien Lai
The bench across the street from Hadley Village 103, along Rensch Road and near Governors Complex
While it’s near a sidewalk where students can walk past, there’s enough distance between the bench and the path and the comfort of two trees hanging over you to grant you privacy. It’s usually unoccupied and the trees separate you from the vast openness of Governors’ grounds. There’s nothing more relieving than letting your tears stream down your face when you know the outside air will help them dry more quickly.
- Tenzin Wodhean
Outside — maybe by the Oozefest Mud Pits
When you’re having a breakdown about finals, sometimes it’s nice to pretend that you’ve run away from school. But running away is hard and driving while crying is potentially hazardous. So go for a walk. If you feel like you want to sit, there are benches by the Oozefest Mud Pits. If you sit facing away from Lake LaSalle, you can cry into the woods and pretend that college doesn’t exist. Plus taking a walk for your mental health can help even if it doesn’t feel like it.
- Darcy Winter
The basement hallways that connect O’Brian to the Jacobs Center
If you ever want to be isolated in a spot on campus that’s available for students, look no further than the basement hallways. While they’re usually quiet, with an occasional hiss from the air conditioning system, the walls do produce echoes. So sob quietly! (Mom Jeans, anyone?)
- Rodrigo Feijão
Alumni Arena during a UB men’s basketball game
It’s a tough time to be a UB men’s basketball fan. Despite their best efforts and some exceptional individual performances, the team went 4-27, didn’t qualify for the conference tournament and set a record for the most losses in program history. You can’t exactly cheer on a team like that with cowbells, oversized posters and body paint — but there’s a silver lining. If you need somewhere to cry after failing a test or getting dumped, you’ll fit right in at Alumni Arena during a Bulls game.
- Grant Ashley
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
