The Best Places to Nap on Campus

With the challenging academic load and busy extracurricular activities at Carleton, I often find myself in need of a quick reset. Often I do not want to walk the ten minutes back to my dorm, so instead, I opt for a quiet place to nap closer to where I already am. Below I give a brief tour of my favorite places to nap on Carleton’s campus. 

The Libe

Unlike many of my peers, studying in the libe (what we call our library) is not really my thing. I have a pretty loud voice, wear Crocs that squeak, and just generally exist as a loud person. However, last term in between my RA (resident assistant) meeting and club rugby practice, I liked to take a quick nap in the library. Basically anywhere in the libe will do, but I especially like curling up on the couch on the third floor underneath the staircase. 

The Weitz Center for Creativity

I am someone who likes to have a schedule. My Tuesday/Thursday schedule for spring term just so happened to include a nap in the Weitz Center of Creativity. Tuesdays and Thursdays I had my Social Behavior and Interpersonal Processes Psychology course in the Weitz from 10:10 to 11:55. After class, I would eat lunch grabbing food from the Weitz Café if I wanted to finish up some homework before my next class. Some days I’d go to Burton dining hall with my friends Harper ‘23 and Elena ‘24.

After lunch I had my music seminar class titled Music as Heritage from 1:15 to 3:00. After class I would sit on the couch by the printer, print my readings and homework for the next few days, and answer emails. Then I would take my nap for about 30 minutes. On Tuesdays, my nap was followed by hanging out with my Project Friendship mentee who is 10 years old, a quick dinner, and then my weekly RA meeting (often followed by hanging out with my coworkers). On Thursdays, my nap was followed by a snack, rugby practice, orchestra rehearsal, homework, and a late dinner.

Prioritizing self-care

While all Carls are very busy cramming their schedules with many activities, we also make sure to schedule in time to see friends and take care of ourselves. I loved my busy days on Tuesday and Thursday because I got to see friends throughout the day and I enjoyed my classes. I also appreciated that I had time to prioritize my physical and mental health, which for me meant taking a break from screens and taking a quick nap in the Weitz. 

Outside

Hammocking is a big thing on campus, and I am a big fan of napping in my hammock. It is very common in the spring term to see people relaxing on picnic blankets or in the Adirondack chairs on the Bald Spot, one of our green spaces on campus. People also take advantage of our 880 acre arboretum for many purposes, one of them being to take a break in the outdoors.

The importance behind the naps

The fact that I am able to fall asleep anywhere on campus speaks to the safety and comfort I feel on Carleton’s campus. I know that no one is going to take my things I left out near me or bother me while I rest. The one thing you do have to look out for is the Shlept Carls Instagram page that catches students sleeping on campus and posts funny photos on their page. This is just one example of the quirky community found here at Carleton, and it is all in good fun. Carleton promotes healthy sleeping habits through the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) which offers sleep coaching and programs on healthy sleeping. 

Honorable Mentions

The most embarrassing place I have fallen asleep on campus is…

The Northfield Pool

While this is not on campus, the Northfield pool is very close to campus. I fell asleep reading my book there a few weeks ago and woke up feeling burnt and dehydrated, embarrassed that kids were playing basketball around my chair as I slept.

Have I fallen asleep in class? Yes. Yes I have. It was in…

Koru Mindfulness

I fell asleep while doing meditation in my Koru Mindfulness class. This felt fair because the lights were off and I was supposed to be focusing on deep breathing and clearing my mind. I’d say I excelled at the assignment, and so did many of my peers who jolted awake to the sound of our teacher’s voice.

Kelly (she/hers) is a rising Senior from Downers Grove, IL. She is a Psychology major with minors in Music and Cross-Cultural Studies. Kelly has explored her academic and personal interests at Carleton by participating in the Social and Personality Psychology Research Lab, playing the cello in the Carleton Orchestra, and studying abroad on the Carleton-run Sports and Globalization Program in London and Sevilla. Outside of the classroom, Kelly spends her time working as a Resident Assistant, playing rugby and soccer, volunteering with Project Friendship, and reading books. Meet the other Bloggers!