Sometimes, you just gotta know where on campus you can knock off a quick nap to escape that little hangover. We hope this review helps <3
Now that the semester has begun and my schedule has been filled with lectures, assignments, and meetings for the extracurriculars I only somewhat regret signing up for, I find myself not getting as much sleep as I would generally find acceptable. Luckily, my class schedule most days includes a decent gap for lunch, a spot of study, and (more often than not) a quick nap.
But, for those of us not lucky enough to live close enough to zip home in the middle of the day, where does one go when they want to catch a few Z’s? Here, you’ll find my favourite (and least favourite) nap spots on campus, tried and tested over years of going to bed too late and not being able to overcome the 3 o’clock slump. (I will be using the star scale, favoured by all.)
In A Lecture
While nobody wants to fall asleep in a lecture, chances are most of us have at some point. Maybe you were up late working on an assignment you left to the last minute, maybe you found yourself at Bar 101 at 3am on a Wednesday night despite knowing you had an 8am lecture on Thursday, or maybe it’s been a packed day of classes and your 4pm lecturer has a monotonous, sleep-inducing lull to their voice. If you’re lucky, you were in the back of a full OGGB lecture theatre and nobody noticed. If you’re me, you were one of 16 students in a 700-level elective with two attentive (but luckily understanding) lecturers. You’ll almost definitely end up with one of the following: a crick in your neck from your head lolling onto the table, drool on your class notes, or a concerned teaching assistant offering to get you a coffee.
One star.
Unleash Space Bean bags
While the hustle and bustle of UoA’s innovation hub (and occasional power tool sounds from the Makerspace) might not be your first choice for an after-lunch siesta, this location gets bonus points for the facilities. The chair-shaped bean bags are perfect for sinking into, there are plenty of powerpoints to charge your phone while you nap, and there’s a Zip hot water dispenser to brew yourself a cuppa when you need your 3pm caffeine hit. The engineering building location is easy to get to from anywhere on the City Campus. This isn’t the best place for a dead-to-the-world deep sleep for an hour or two, but it’s my top pick when I need a ten-minute pick-me-up before a particularly taxing study session.
Three and a half stars.
Queerspace Couches
I’ve had many a good daytime sleep in Queerspace, above the quad. There are plenty of couches (one is horrifically scratchy, but the rest are fine) and there’s generally always at least one free. The space itself can sometimes house some rather intense (and loud) discussions, and if there’s an event going on in The Quad, the music will make the floor vibrate, but once you learn to block out the noise you’ll be able to get a good hour-long lie-down in.
Four stars.
Albert Park Lawn
The acceptability of this one depends entirely on the whims of Auckland’s unpredictable weather. At this time of year, you’re likely to end up soggy, covered in mud, and hyperthermic. It won’t be a good time. But come exam time, when the flowers are blooming and the sky is clear, a quick power nap in the dappled shade of a cherry tree can be just the tonic you need for a stressful day.
Three stars.
BONUS: Craccum Office
Hi, Lifestyle editor here! If you are so lucky, you may be able to snag a nap on one of our prestigious couches, where the fabric is exclusively made of scratchy sweater material, as long as you are shorter than 5’4. Of course, if that isn’t enticing enough, you may be swayed by the lullaby of no less than 28 construction workers using high-pressure drilling equipment at any given time: you may be 40 to 50 meters off the ground, but you could swear they were right next to you! I can just see the sweet, sweet Sandman crusting over my eyes at the mere thought of returning to the office.
Five stars.