At the beginning of every semester comes new friends, new classes, and new stress. These new adventures can be seriously fun but also draining on one’s social battery. Some days you don’t feel like being a people person anymore, and that’s completely fine. Sometimes you just want to do homework in peace or read a good book in a beautiful location.
I know that whenever practices or schoolwork start to get a little too much, I need a total mental reset. To unwind, I go and listen to music or read in one of the FSU’s beautifully relaxing locations. Here are some of my favorite and by far the best places to unwind on FSU’s campus.
1. The Legacy Fountain
It may be a cliché to call the Legacy Fountain one of the most relaxing places on campus, but it still holds. Landis Green in general has an amazing atmosphere with constant action ranging from friendly picnics to mini-football scrimmages, but for relaxation, the fountain is the place to be. I love curling up on the benches or the side of the fountain with a good book and soaking up the ambiance. Sitting there with the calming water misting and seeing smiles all around you is an amazing way to ground yourself after a long stressful day at school.
My favorite part is that there’s always someone else. At the fountain, you are never alone for long. During the morning, the fountain experiences traffic from zombies, formerly known as students. The afternoon is when Landis is most crowded with spike ball, soccer, tanners, frisbee, and friends. In the afternoon, you’ll find fellow book lovers curled up on the many benches. At night, the fountain is an amazing place to listen to some music and look up at the constellations above. Overall, if you are looking for a place to relax, try the Landis fountain if you love an old atmosphere and reading.
2. Owen F. Sellers Music Amphitheater
Located by the Kellogg building, this hidden gem is seldom talked about. The amphitheater is a white, Greek-inspired outside structure hidden away from the rest of campus. Despite being an amphitheater, this place is one of the quietest, most peaceful places on campus. Almost nobody is ever in the amphitheater, and that makes it perfect for some much-needed alone time.
If you’re too tired to deal with the crowds in Strozier when you need to study, I suggest heading down to the amphitheater for a highly aesthetic study session in peace. Even if you don’t want to study, the amphitheater is a lovely quiet place to unwind. If you are looking for a quiet place to study and be surrounded by beautiful imagery, the amphitheater is the place for you.
3. Greek Park
If you like peace, quiet, and hammocks, this little grove is the spot for you. Known as Greek Park, it’s a lovely little spot away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus. Located in between Landis and the Sweet Shop, it’s hidden behind a wall of trees on both sides. This spot is one of the quietest places on campus to study. The privacy provided by the trees allows for a great reading or napping spot.    Â
4. William Johnston Building
If you’re looking for a relaxing place to study that will always have room for you, skip Strozier and go to the William Johnston Building (WJB). During tense times before a test, check out WJB whenever you need some quiet, serious study time. Strozier is larger, but it’s constantly packed when you need it most. The WJB study rooms are never fully booked out and the floors are always quiet.
In WJB, you can always find a quiet spot to bury yourself into your work. If you are struggling to keep up, WJB is home to ACE Tutoring which provides help for many different subjects. This includes group or private tutoring sessions. Nothing is more relaxing than being prepared, and the people at ACE Tutoring are there to prepare you and put your mind at ease. Even if you don’t have an exam, if you just need a quiet place to de-stress from your chaotic schedule, WJB has the peace needed for just that.
5. The Den
The Den may be a pretty popular spot for those who are aware of it, but I feel it deserves way more praise. Recently, the Den has been my saving grace after my practices. The Den is the only place open until midnight on campus, and this ensures that students with late meetings or late practices can still get food. My practice ends at 10 p.m. and I get home around 10:40 p.m. The Den is the closest and cheapest place where I can find a good meal. Being on campus means they take dining dollars and even meal swipes, making sure I don’t go bankrupt before halfway through the semester.
When you get home from practice late, the last thing most people want to do is make food. The Den saves students with busy schedules time and money at the end of the night and helps me to keep going to study for that math quiz after a two-hour long practice. A special shout-out goes to the ice cream and shakes at the Den. They always hit the exact spot after a long hard day, and truly, who turns down a $4 cookie sundae?
These are the best hidden gems on the FSU campus, but again, this is just my opinion. There are so many amazing places around campus everyone can have their list of favorites. Next time you need a break from life, want to read a good book, or just want some peace, try out any of these. Have fun and remember to enjoy your time on campus!
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