Best place to nap: Hills between Bruin Walk and Janss Steps
You’ve got a few minutes, or even hours, to spare before your next class. The sun is high and the wind is at a gentle breeze: It’s time for an afternoon nap.
Although faced with stiff competition from several other sleep-inducing nap spots, the hills between Bruin Walk and Janss Steps were voted the best place to take a nap. Although surprisingly public, these hills make for an extra-healthy napping place filled with fresh air, vitamin D and large open space. If you’re one of the lucky ones to grab a spot under a shady tree, minutes can quickly turn into hours on these hills, and you likely won’t be alone either. Our only note: Watch out for the curious squirrels, because you’ll be dreaming out there for quite some time.
Best on-campus date spot: Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden
With a college budget, it’s not every day that you’ll be able to wine and dine your significant other with a five-course meal and a helicopter ride overlooking the city. However, you can still get a good view of Los Angeles at the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden in the northern part of campus.
Once named Los Angeles’ number one make out spot by Playboy Magazine, the sculpture garden covers over five acres, making it perfect for a leisurely stroll. Space is plentiful, offering spots for private conversation and other romantic activity with the surplus of benches and sitting areas. The public garden showcases over 70 international sculptures that you and your date can easily peruse free of charge.
Best way to get around on campus: Walking
While the UCLA campus is easy on the eyes, it’s not so easy on the average college student’s feet. With Janss Steps and the abundance of hills scattered all throughout campus, you’ll be getting your daily cardio and then some on the way to class. While biking, scootering and longboarding may offer speedier methods of getting around on campus, the majority of Bruins have voted that they like to keep it simple and walk their way to class: It’s efficient, free and requires little to no additional strength or skill.
Best late night grub: De Neve Late Night
Whether you’ve been studying nonstop, partying all night or just have the late-night munchies, you’re bound to get hungry past normal dining hall hours at least once during your time at UCLA. While Westwood eateries like Fat Sal’s and In-N-Out are common favorites, UCLA has voted a place much closer to campus as the best late-night grub.
Located in De Neve Plaza, De Neve Late Night is just a dorm building or two away for most students living on campus. The dining hall shuts down at 8 p.m. and reopens its doors at 9 p.m. With a single swipe (or many, we’re not here to judge), students can pick between choices like a classic cheeseburger, wings, seasoned curly fries, chicken strips and milkshakes. For those without the premier meal plan, it’s also an ideal place to use up leftover swipes at the end of the week. That being said, expect a long wait on Sunday nights for a pizza – at a hefty cost of four swipes.
Best place to relieve yourself: Physics and Astronomy Building
Duty calls; it’s inevitable. Spending long hours on campus can take its toll, so when the time comes, where do you relieve yourself? While most public restrooms on campus are adequate, there are a few buildings where facilities can fall short on expectations. Older buildings like Powell Library and Haines Hall offer a nostalgic vibe with restrooms that are reminiscent of old high school days, with writing on the stalls and missing sanitary toilet covers. However, with its frequently clean stalls, voters have said that the Physics and Astronomy Building offers top-notch restroom facilities. This public restroom can even gather quite a crowd due to its pristine quality.
Best place to celebrity spot: Regency Village Theatre and Regency Bruin Theatre
Among the many perks of attending a large public university in the City of Angels, celebrity-spotting remains one of the strongest. With their proximity to Westwood Village, Bruins are spoiled by the numerous movie premieres hosted by Regency Village Theatre and Regency Bruin Theatre. And while it’s still possible to bump into your favorite athlete (David Beckham was once spotted hanging around on campus) or actor (Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother spoke at Moore Hall this past year) on campus, you’ll be able to see one major celebrity, if not many, at these local movie premieres. So grab a friend, leave class early, get in line and scream for your favorite star on the red carpet.
Best place to take a selfie: Royce Hall or Powell Library
/self –fie / (n): a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website
Last month, Oxford Dictionaries Online updated their library of words to include “selfie.” It goes without saying: The selfie has blown up these past couple of years. And for selfie veterans, good lighting and a great background are ideal additions to their online self-portrait. Therefore, UCLA students recommend the front of Royce Hall or Powell Library for optimal selfie-taking conditions. Somehow, the sun always manages to beam gloriously throughout the day between these two iconic UCLA buildings.
Best place to Bruin Watch: Patio outside Kerckhoff Coffee House
With over 30,000 students on campus each day, it’s hard not to see what your fellow classmates are up to. And sometimes it’s hard not to make an activity of it. Let’s face it: You lurk, I lurk, we all lurk. Nestled between Kerckhoff and Moore Halls, the patio of Kerckhoff Coffee House makes for optimal Bruin watching with its outdoor seating. It’s located in a prime area filled with groups of students continuously making the cross from South Campus to North Campus and vice versa. While it is outdoors, the patio is also small enough for patrons to easily listen in on others’ conversations. And because so many students stop by this area for a quick pick-me-up and some extra studying time, it’s the perfect place to pretend you’ll be doing the same while actually watching people and awkwardly sipping your coffee, hoping no one will notice.