Somehow my greatest strength and weakness is my flawless ability to fall asleep in any situation, whether I’m sitting on concrete bench or in class listening to a lecture about Medieval Literature. I’ll confidently waltz into a library with a well intentioned thought to bust out an essay, but without fail, I’ll succumb to the silent lullaby of students silently studying in a suspended state of panic. In this never-ending quest to find the perfect nook to nap outside my apartment, I took my search to campus.
Take a snooze at one of the 10 best places to nap on the UCLA campus.
On the end of North campus lies the university’s serene five-acre garden that’s home to more than 70 sculptures. When the sun shines and rain stays way, the fresh lawn provides a perfect place to plop down your book bag and rest in between classes. You can find a bench to lie down on and cover yourself with the shade of the blooming trees. Besides, I don’t think there’s anything better than waking up surrounded by naked bodies (The statues of course).
Libraries are probably the best place to hibernate for a couple of minutes, hours or days. Ironically, the best studying conditions are also the best sleeping conditions. You’ll find zero noise on the upper levels of the library and even cushy, brightly colored couches to allow yourself to slip into a quick power nap. Additionally, you get an area designated to little orange and green pods that are closed off so you can easily fall asleep without the fear of judgment. My first time in YRL consisted a total disregard of my plan crank out a ten page literary analysis. Instead, I ended up curling into the fetal position in a green pod and napping for a quick 30 minutes. Oops.
Like I said, libraries are my favorite place to reunite with the sandman. In the Public Affairs Building, you’ll find the Arts Library that offers volumes subjects like architecture, art history, fashion, film and photography, so you can feel cultured while you sleep. “The Arts Library Lounge is the hidden gem of North Campus. The library is hard to find, let alone the lounge—you’ve got to climb these narrow stairs to the top floor, and make your way to the back. It’s a cozy room with a few desks and some beat up couches,” History major Jeremy Rondon said.
Formerly regarded as Dickson Court North and South, the green Sunken Gardens next to the original university buildings offer a quiet place to lie down and rest. The gardens are surrounded by a plethora of shady trees amidst a bed of luscious green grass, giving students the perfect place to cool off in the sweltering Los Angeles sun. “The garden are quiet, grassy, [and] beautiful,” junior Daniel Lin said. The Sunken Gardens give you a peaceful place to contemplate the fabric of reality and fall asleep while doing it.
UCLA’s John Wooden Center acknowledges a student’s need to sleep by establishing drop-in nap spaces. It sits on the upper floors of the gym, so you can catch up on your sleep at specific times during the quarter. This allows for convenience when you can’t be bothered to go back to the Hill. “If it’s finals week, we have a nap area in Wooden that is prime for napping if you don’t have time to go back to your apartment. It’s nice, quiet, comfortable and close,” English major Nathan Bang said.
The newish living/study room area in Sproul Landing offers brand new comfortable seats that are low to the ground so you can nap in ease. The Landing living room remains a fairly un-utilized space, so it’s silent as a tomb. AKA the perfect place to finally take that 4 hour nap without anyone finding out.
The lush green hill beside Janss steps is practically irresistible for a quick cat nap. You can often spot students slack lining from tree to tree or lying spread-eagle on the grass trying to catch a quick rest in between classes. “What’s not to love? You’re in a hammock on a grassy hill in the middle of an absolutely gorgeous campus in Southern California,” junior Jacob Juskiewicz said. As the hammocking fad swept the west coast, everyone put their trusty hammock in between the trees to bask in the glow of the Los Angeles sun.
Sometimes, you just can’t beat the comfort of your own dorm room with your favorite sheets and stuffed animal you brought back from home.“My favorite place to sleep is the top bunk in my dorm on Holly 8, I can even see the Santa Monica pier and the Pacific Ocean from my bed,” Mechanical Engineering major Matthew Kercheval said.
Every time I step foot into a library, a sense of lethargy just washes over me. It’s fate. Powell offers convenience when you’re pressed for time in between classes, not to mention the extreme quiet and a multitude of cushioned benches. Conveniently, during week 10 and Finals, it’s open 24/7. “The Powell Library, while not being particularly comfortable, was actually really convenient because I never had to walk back to the hill and I didn’t have to walk back for my test. It was also warm, quiet, had bathrooms, and I think it was even legal to sleep there.” Mechanical Engineering major Conner Evans said.
Pro tip: If you’re planning on getting your nap on, venture up to the higher floors of the building. There, you’ll find much more secluded spaces to nod off in private. That way nobody’s watching you—you know, just in case you’re a drooler.
Some call it a study lounge, Kerckhoff sleepers call it a nap lounge. Specifically, the second floor provides a large study room that is fully equipped with reclining chairs and a multitude of couches. Sophomore Jeremy Giampaoli said, “The upstairs study room in Kerckhoff is always prime. There are chairs that essentially recline into beds along with eclectic groups of couches. And silence. Dead silence.” If you aren’t fully comfortable with public napping, the Kerckoff gives you the seclusion to do it on the DL. Junior Shannon Miner said, “I don’t enjoy sleeping in public, but when you’re on campus all day I’ve come to realize it’s necessary…Not a ton of people walk through there so I don’t feel like everyone is staring at me.”
Whether you’re in the midst of midterms or just in need of a quick power nap in between classes, UCLA’s campus clearly gives you all you need to accommodate your bad sleeping habits.
Looking for more napping tips? Find out what these students have to say about sleeping on the UCLA campus.
“I don’t nap on campus often, but I’ve napped before on one of the tables at YRL during finals week one quarter because I was pulling an all nighter that night.” – Diana Park, sophomore
“I’ve napped on the ground in between stacks at YRL. It usually depends if I am really tired, and I don’t like to move much from where I study because it’s hard to find a place with outlets, especially in YRL. Typically I like to nap on the floor of my room or at my desk in Rieber hall, because all my stuff is nearby but I won’t knock out for hours at a time, like if I nap on my bed.” – Denesse Stoops, junior
“I remember when someone mentioned ‘napping on campus’ I was super skeptical and was worried that there could be possible stealing, but later I got accustomed to the college culture and campus. I now have a couple of favorites—including the locker room in the John Wooden Center, and even once in the sauna—don’t do that!” – Gloria Sheu, junior
You’ll need a super soft blanket to nap on the UCLA campus.
The UCLA campus is a mystery to the poor freshman starting their first day of college. Let’s help them out with a walking tour.
Every new school year sends thousands of freshmen around the UCLA campus looking like lost sheep. UCLA may be the smallest of the UC campuses, but that doesn’t make it easy to navigate. Lucky for them, current UCLA students know the tips and tricks for remembering how to get to class on time.
Read on to Learn How to Master the UCLA Campus with 10 Landmarks.
The Bruin Bear protects students during their midterms and finals if you rub his paw. It resides in Bruin Plaza, so you’ll see him when you walk to the heart of campus. Both groups and individuals use the Bruin Bear as a meeting point, and he makes for a great photo op to boot. Who knows, you might see John and his two huskies hanging out there, just like they do every day.
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden changed the face of UCLA forever. UCLA has honored him many times over, and so his likeness stands proudly outside the famous Pauley Pavilion. “I love passing the John Wooden statue because it reminds me that there were and still are compassionate people in the world,” senior Layla Bina said. The John Wooden statue adds a sense of poignancy part of our campus. As students walk from their dorms to their classes, he reminds them to focus on the bigger picture in life.
Legend has it that ghosts haunt Janss Steps. Students skip the sixth step when they walk up or down the stairs. The story goes that one of the Janss brothers, who designed the steps, requested to be buried under them when he died. Out of respect for the man who helped create our beautiful campus (and for fear of ghosts), UCLA students make sure they skip the step. It sits in the heart of campus, taking you up to Royce Hall, or down to the Student Activities Center (SAC).
Royce Hall, built in 1929, proudly stands as one of UCLA’s first four buildings. Named after philosopher Josiah Royce, the hall serves today as a facility for classrooms, performances and events. “So many hugely influential people have come to Royce Hall to spread their message to UCLA students. Hillary Clinton was here when I was a freshman,” senior Manali McCarthy said. Lots of students and tourists use Royce as a backdrop for photos. The arches of the building show off the best of our campus.
The sculpture garden contains outdoor art by some of the world’s most prolific sculptors, including Hans Arp, David Smith and Auguste Rodin. Spanning multiple acres, most people know the garden as part of the depths of “North Campus.” If you have a class in Broad, or Public Affairs, check out the Sculpture Garden when you pass it.
If you currently attend UCLA, don’t even think about touching the water from the Inverted Fountain. You dunk your hand in at orientation and then you can’t touch it again until you graduate. If you do, you’ll have to stay in school for extra quarter for each time you touch it. Located next to the music café in south campus, the Inverted Fountain functions as a handy meeting point. If you look at it from a certain angle, it combines with Franz Hall behind it to look like a toilet. “I accidentally put my hand in the Inverted Fountain my first quarter,” junior Haley Petitt said. “I’ll probably be here until I die.”
A lot of famous and influential people have graced UCLA’s halls, including The Doors front man Jim Morrison. Rumor has it that Morrison covered his locker (in the Math Sciences building) with LSD stickers. The story may be true, or it may not, but the decorated locker is a nice sign to orient students in the labyrinth of corridors in the Math Sciences building.
“The Botanical Garden is absolutely gorgeous,” sophomore Sabina Schaffer said. “I just wish I had classes near there.” Students go to The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden to reflect, relax and appreciate nature. It contains several rare varieties of flower on display. South Campus majors will find it the perfect escape, located next to the UCLA School of Dentistry. All the prospective dentists can forget about teeth for a while and look at a tulip or something.
A lot of UCLA students probably don’t know where the Founders’ Rock sits. (for reference, it’s located outside Murphy Hall). However, once you know the meaning behind it, you’ll notice it on campus. It marks the spot where the campus was dedicated in 1926. Even though it was originally in a different location. If you ever need to go to Murphy Hall to change your major or for academic counseling, look for Founders’ Rock.
Manhole covers may not seem particularly memorable, until you think about their hidden depths. UCLA has a complicated system of underground tunnels. By identifying the tunnel entrances (Schoenberg, to get you started), you won’t ever get lost. If you can see a familiar manhole cover, you can find your way to class.
*Updated by Shannon Longworth on May 8, 2017 to include more quotes about where students nap on campus plus a pro tip in #2.
*Updated by Rosie Forster on November 3, 2017 to include “How to Master the UCLA Campus With 10 Landmarks.”
About Elizabeth Hsieh
Elizabeth is an outdoor enthusiast who likes to scale flat mountain faces, write deeply existential poetry, and drink copious amounts of espresso. She is a junior at UCLA and is studying English.
