Some days at Northeastern make me question whether sitting is a privilege. Between class times, Snell Library is packed, Curry feels like a subway station during rush hour and EXP is filled with students guarding seats like they are defending territory. With finals week approaching, the lack of open space becomes even more noticeable for students who just want a moment to decompress.
Every time I go searching for a spot just to breathe — not even to study — I am reminded that our campus is excellent at providing places to work but not at delivering places to simply be a human.
Most days, I start my search for a seat by going to Snell. And by search, I mean walking through aisles of full tables and silently hoping someone leaves. Snell’s quiet section is beautiful, but the silence is so intense that it makes me feel like I need to type quietly or I will get judged by the air itself.
When Snell fails, I go to EXP, which would be great — except I always end up in uncomfortable chairs with desks the size of iPads. If I am lucky, I get a spot with a charger, but those are scarce, and EXP needs far more of them. Some days, I give up entirely and just go home.
Nothing makes you feel more defeated as a student than returning to your apartment because you could not find a place to sit on campus.
The moment that my frustration peaked was when I had an exam the next day and wanted a quiet place to study with my friend. We lived in the North End at the time, and we came all the way to campus to get work done. After thirty minutes of checking Snell, EXP, Curry and even random hallways, we finally looked at each other and admitted that there was nowhere to sit.
So, we did what any tired student would do: We went to eat at El Jefe’s and ended up going back home. It was almost funny but also ridiculous. On a campus this big, how is there no space to study?
What makes it worse is the social pressure that comes with finally finding a spot. If I am sitting on campus and decide to relax for five minutes, watch a YouTube video, scroll or just sit without doing anything, I immediately feel like people are watching me. It feels like someone more productive should be sitting where I am. It is a strange guilt that students should not feel, especially in a place meant to support us not just as students, but as people.
Having a place to relax without studying on campus matters because, sometimes, we do not want to be in a silent library. Sometimes we want to read a book for fun or sit with a friend or rest for ten minutes without being surrounded by crowds. Sometimes we want to exist without feeling like we are in the way of someone pulling an all-nighter.
Right now, every open area on campus has become a study spot, including areas clearly not meant for that. I have seen people studying on the grass, on stairs and even sitting on the floor outside classrooms. That is when you know the system is not working.
If I could add one new space to campus, it would be simple: a calm indoor room with many sofas, comfortable seating, soft lighting and no pressure for students to work. No tiny desks, no uncomfortable chairs and no silent study zone signs. Just a place where students can relax, talk quietly or exist without worrying about being productive. A place made specifically for resting.
Northeastern already has impressive academic spaces, but life here should not feel like we are always preparing for the next exam or project. A healthier campus includes places where productivity is not the expectation. A space where students do not have to earn their right to sit. A place where rest is normal and guilt-free.
At the end of the day, the best moments in college are not always about getting things done. They come from the in-between moments: talking with a friend, taking a break or having a quiet minute to yourself. Northeastern has built a campus full of innovation and ambition, but if we want a community that feels human, we need spaces designed for the parts of life that happen when we are not working.
Sometimes, students just need a place to sit.
Ricardo Diaz is a business administration and economics major. Ricardo Diaz can be reached at diazavila.r@northeastern.edu.
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