Appreciative Pt. 2

Last week I talked about my favorite places in the Arb, and today I’d like to expand on some of the places that make Carleton special to me by talking about some of my other favorite locations on campus.

If I had to generalize how my time is spent on campus, it could easily be split into three sections: academics, athletics, and music. The majority of the Carleton academic experience takes place outside the classroom, where professors challenge us to think critically and step out of our comfort zones; we have a very free role in shaping our academic experience as opposed to following a rigid course structure. As a result, Carleton students spend many hours studying outside class, at places such as Sayles (hub of campus life) and Gould Library.

I’m pretty sure I have mentioned this in past blogs, but one of my favorite aspects about Carleton is that most classrooms on campus are open for student use throughout the day, with certain academic buildings and classrooms being open 24 hours a day. I’m not sure if other colleges do this, but I have found this to be a perfect study setting for me. I study the best when I’m alone with no distractions, and I appreciate the freedom of studying alone in an empty air-conditioned classroom, where I can work distraction free while also offering blackboards if I need to draw things out or simply just space if I need to practice a presentation.

I like to change up where I work, so the availability of classrooms makes it really easy for me to bounce around different study locations. If I had to choose a couple of my favorite places, however, it would certainly be between Willis Hall and the Weitz Center for Creativity. While some academic buildings remain relatively busy outside class hours (e.g. CMC due to the open computer labs and Anderson Hall simply because of how cool the building is), Willis is usually empty and extremely quiet. It is also located right next to Sayles, which is extra convenient during the cold winter, but in general is great because it’s easy to make the 30 second walk for a quick study break or to grab a snack from the café.

Although the Weitz is also busy throughout the day (all music facilities are located there, the dance studios there are usually busy, and there’s also a café), the Weitz itself is huge, and there are many quiet spots within the building, especially on the higher floors. The classrooms on the corner of the third floor are always empty, and also have pianos in them, which also offer a great study break and make up some of my favorite places to study. 

Moving on to music, I greatly enjoy playing the piano, so the Weitz is naturally one of my favorite places on campus. In the Weitz basement, there are roughly a dozen practice rooms, equipped with baby grand and upright pianos. They are all kept in great condition, so if you enjoy playing music, I highly suggest that you check the Weitz basement out! These rooms are not restricted to playing the piano, as many students bring in guitars, violins, etc. to work on their skills.

Outside of academics, most of my time is spent in athletics. I play for the varsity soccer team, and it is quite a large time commitment. Luckily, we are blessed with wonderful athletic facilities at Carleton, and I spend much of my time in the weight room at Laird Stadium (which sits right by the Cannon River, offering a great view), and playing soccer out on the beautiful Bell Field.

Anyone who attends Carleton will likely quickly become acquainted with Bell Field, or simply Bell, as it is located quite close to many of the dorms and offers a steep slope, which sets up the Carleton tradition of “traying,” or sledding down the hill in the winter on dining hall trays. While Bell is extremely popular in the winter, I encourage you to spend lots of time on it throughout the other seasons as well! Bell is the perfect setting to toss a Frisbee, play spikeball, study, or even just lie down and relax, as it sits alongside a small stream leading into Lyman Lakes, with the stunning Arb in the background and the beautiful Evans Hall in the foreground. 

In short, these places summarize some of my favorite locations on campus. I believe Carleton’s campus is unique and has lots to offer and, for anybody coming to Carleton/looking into Carleton, I’m sure you will quickly feel at home here!