Have you ever needed to find a place to cry on Stanford’s campus? Or are your usual crying locations not cutting it for you anymore? As we approach finals week, I’ve got you covered: I’ve compiled a list and ranked some of the best places for you to let it all out. 

1. Dorm Room — ?/10

We’re starting the list off with a classic. Dorms are the obvious first choice for places to cry on campus, given their accessibility and clearly defined private spaces. For many students, however, this option isn’t viable. Freshmen and sophomores who don’t have the greatest relationship with their roommates or students living in the older row houses with notoriously thin walls may not feel comfortable crying in their rooms. Since the reliability of dorm rooms is very context-dependent, we give it a score of ?/10.

2. Tanner Philosophy Library — 7/10

Tanner Philosophy Library is located on the first floor of the Philosophy Department (Building 90 in Main Quad). If you’re struggling because of academics and feel the need to cry after a class, this library is the one to go to. It’s a small, intimate space that sees very few visitors. Compared to other libraries on campus, such as Green or the Engineering Library, you’re less likely to run into someone you know (and want to avoid) at Tanner. We give it a 7/10, however, because there are prettier places on campus to cry than a library.

3. Lake Lagunita — 10/10

Lake Lag is an empty pit that was once a lake located on West Campus. There are many walkways, benches and fire pits around Lake Lag that would make for excellent outdoor crying locations. It’s the perfect place for students who live further away from the main part of campus. While crying at Lake Lag is ideal for scenic views and privacy, there are large parts of the walkways that aren’t very well lit. We recommend exercising caution if you choose to cry here at night.

4. McMurtry Building Rooftop — 7/10

The McMurtry Building is located on Roth Way next to the Cantor Arts Building. The best spot to cry at McMurtry is the rooftop terrace, which is accessible by elevator or staircase. It’s spacious with lots of places to sit or stand, depending on your crying needs. From the rooftop, you can also get some of the best views on campus for when you need to feel like a main character after you’ve finished sobbing.

5. Building 460, Margaret Jacks Hall: Terrace Room Patio — 8/10

Take the elevator up to the fourth floor of Margaret Jacks Hall (Building 460 of Main Quad) to get to the outdoor patio area, which is connected to the Terrace Conference Room. You’ll find the patio is private, intimate and perfect for crying. While this is an ideal spot, be sure not to come on days when English Department events are being held in the Terrace Room.

6. The Arizona Garden — 7/10

The Arizona Garden, also known as The Cactus Garden, is a small botanical cactus and succulent garden located on the south side of the Stanford Family Mausoleum. It is further from the central campus than our other recommendations. Yet we feel it’s worth it to travel and cry in one of the prettiest, most unique spots on campus. There are many shady, private benches for crying, and when you feel like you need to calm down, you can take a stroll along one of the garden paths. The Arizona Garden gets major points for privacy and aesthetics, but because of the longer distance, we give it a 7/10.

7. The Marguerite — 9/10

Oftentimes, when your emotions are too great, it can be difficult to wait until you get to a location to let the tears out. If you feel the need to cry on the move, the Marguerite shuttles are the best form of transportation to cry on. Crying while biking can be dangerous because your vision is significantly impaired. The Caltrain is too crowded to have a real cry. Because the Margueritte buses are an under-utilized campus service, they are often empty. They also run frequently and can take you to a variety of locations on campus once you’re feeling better. For accessibility and a chance for privacy, we give it a 9/10.

8. Old Union Bathrooms — 10/10

Another classic crying location are bathrooms, and the bathrooms at Stanford’s student union building, also known as Old Union, are some of the best. Centrally located on campus, the first floor of Old Union has many one-person bathrooms that are clean, spacious and perfect for a long cry.

10. The Graduate School of Business: Arbuckle Dining Pavilion — 10/10

Arbuckle Dining Pavilion in The Graduate School of Business is an ideal crying spot for undergraduate students. While this is the most crowded spot on the list, Arbuckle is frequented primarily by business school students, providing undergraduates with anonymity. This is a spot for lower-key cries rather than full-out sobs, but we still recommend checking it out. If you come at the right time, you might catch the end of a business school networking event and be able to take some of the fancy leftovers.

11. The Stanford Daily House — 13/10

The Stanford Daily House, on Panama Mall, is the staff’s preferred location for crying. Spacious with many private conference rooms, a continuous stream of snacks and Taylor Swift vinyls on repeat, we enjoy crying here, especially at 3 a.m. We recommend crying in the Editor-In-Chief’s office because the walls are essentially soundproof.

We hope you find this list useful — or that it at least provided some inspiration for your mental health needs. We know college is hard, so let’s cry about it.