Free Block Freedom with Friends

Don’t know where to go during your free block? Hopkins students have varying opinions on the best place to hang out during their free blocks. Students’ opinions range from those who prefer to lounge on the couches in Upper Heath to those who play sports in the Athletic Center, and some even prefer the outdoors. 

Dylann Delgado ’26 says that when he has a free period he is “usually in Upper Heath so [he] can interact with [his] friends. [Upper Heath] is a chill place and it has a view through the windows.” Although Delgado is content with spending his time staring out the windows of Upper Heath, freshman Lena Wang ’27 has a different opinion: “I normally go to Upper Heath to hang out with my friends, either in the cafe or to just sit on the couches—though the couches are kind of nasty sometimes. Once, we found a half eaten donut in the couch cushions. There are always random stains on the couches, and you never know if it’s an Arizona stain or something else.” 

For other students, the Calarco Library is a sanctuary.  “The majority of Hopkins students go to the library during their free periods,” says Matt Goos ’25. According to Goos, the library is “a good place to do work and to talk because everybody goes there. It’s both for academics and socializing.” Some, like Miles Liao ’27, prefer the Upper Library. According to Liao, the upper floor of the library is preferable “because you can be focused and do work while having some conversation.” Other students prefer the Lower Library, where talking is strongly discouraged. 

According to Qamar Al-Tameemi ’25, the Lower Library is “much nicer.” Says Al-Tameemi, 

“I like spending my free time in the Lower Library because it helps me get my work done and because the quiet helps me focus.” Bayan Atalib ’25 agrees: “I feel very passionate about the Lower Library; I like to nap there. It’s very quiet, I like to whisper there, and it’s just a great place to be.” Luke Scheps ’25 is agnostic in his library preferences: “The Lower Library is a chill place. If I need to lock in or if I really need to get something done, that’s where I’m going to go because I know there's not going to be any distractions. I go to the Upper Library if I have to meet people, work with them, or if I’m trying to get a little bit of work done while also talking to someone.” 

A place for both friends and sports, the Walter Camp Athletic Center (WCAC) is also a prime hangout spot for several Hopkins students. Arjun Agarwal ’26 says that he “likes going to the AC to play basketball or just hang out with friends.'' According to Hektor DeSilva ’26 ,“The best place at Hopkins to spend free blocks is probably the AC because a good amount of people hang out there, and there’s a lot of things to do like use the gym or play basketball.” Dev Talwalkar ’27 agrees: “I like spending my free blocks in the AC to hang out with friends.” 

Other students reported an affinity for Thompson Hall as a free-period hangout spot. 

Sarah Solazzo ’26 says, “I like going to Thompson during my free periods because it’s not very busy, nobody’s usually there, and there's usually a lot of space. There’s cushions to sit down on and take a nap if you feel like it, or desks where you can do work. I even played Jenga there one time.” Delgado, otherwise an Upper Heath supporter, adds, “Aren’t there fun puzzles there as well? I like trying to do the puzzles but I usually don’t have time.” Delgado says that besides going to Thompson, he likes to go “outside so I can clear my head on one of those benches around the trees.” He also likes going outdoors to “read a book, breathe air, just clear my head, and take a breather.” 

While Hopkins students all have a variety of places they think are the best places to be during their free time, Ava Salzano ’26 sums it up: “I’m just happy I don’t have to go to class.”