We live in an interesting time, and with every day bringing new reasons to stress, we no longer need to wonder if people are lying when they say they’re fine. We know they’re not fine, and neither are we.

Sooner or later we all reach a breaking point, and who doesn’t want an audience for that breakdown?

That being said, crying in the middle of Fauver Stadium might not be the vibe. If it is for you, go ahead! Make that breakdown a spectacle! However, if you’re looking for a more controlled population, here are the top five places for a semi-public breakdown.

5: Rush Rhees Library

While Rush Rhees has many great spots to breakdown in front of a small number of people, it’s so overdone that people probably won’t even notice you’re crying. They’re probably having a mental breakdown themselves. I mean, have you ever been in there during finals week? Try to find someone who isn’t crying. 

4: Your Zoom Room

While likely half those cold, uncaring, faceless black squares are hiding equally apathetic and distant people , there’ve got to be at least a few people paying attention. Instructors are always begging you to turn your camera on, so show them what’s going on behind the screen. On the bright side, they probably won’t ask anymore. 

3: University Health Services (UHS)

“My favorite is walking from UHS to Sue B. I cry everytime. UHS really does it for me,” first-year student Lindsey Szalach said.

On the verge of a mental breakdown? UHS can help push you over that edge with mandatory isolation. Before you’re removed from all human contact for God knows how long, go out with a bang! 

2: Any First-Year Floor Lounge

Your floor lounge presents the perfect opportunity for a semi-public breakdown. While not many people will see you, you can almost guarantee the unlucky soul who does will know you personally. Maybe they’ll even join you.

1: Eastman Quad

Nothing says “I’m not okay” like lying face down in the middle of the quad. With all the new grass being planted, you don’t even need a blanket. The quad can be pretty populated on a warm day, but you’ll probably just look like a sunbather from a distance. A totally normal, okay person sunbathing in Western New York. You’re doing great!

Remember there’s no wrong place to have a mental breakdown. Scream alone in your dorm! Cry in line at Starbucks! Throw your books across a classroom! Catharsis is real and it is great.



Best places to have a semi-public breakdown on campus

A new dining option for Southwestern cuisine has come to campus, as announced in a URochester dining Instagram post at the beginning of the semester.  “Fresh. Fast. Flavorful. These aren’t just words; they are the standard our team is ready to set,” the Instagram post read.  The establishment, named Blue Cactus, sells Southwestern quesadillas, burritos, […]

Best places to have a semi-public breakdown on campus

URochester Evolutionary Biologist Dr. Justin Fay conducted an investigation into how yeasts tolerate higher temperatures due to global warming in fall of 2025. The Fay Lab is a culmination of undergraduate and graduate students comparing the genomes of two different species of yeasts in the genus Saccharomyces — S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum. Saccharomyces is known […]

Best places to have a semi-public breakdown on campus

The Deanship of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has a new name in the wake of a $10 million donation from University Trustee Emeritus John Bruning ’24 (Honorary) and Barbara Bruning. The donation is intended to establish permanent funding for the position, according to a University News release. Named Dean in 2016, […]