Do's and don'ts when hanging out on the quad

There's no better time of the year than when ugly winter cloudy and cold weather starts to go away and the sun slowly wakes up from it's slumber.

The weather outside recently has been absolutely gorgeous, and I sincerely hope you've had a chance to just sit out on the quad and relax. A little sunlight shining through into the sad and stressful weeks of midterms is a great way to keep your sanity.

However, as much as I encourage you to enjoy yourself out on the quad there are a few things I suggest not doing for your safety, the safety of others, or just to avoid having people stare at you the entire time you're out there:

Do: Bring a blanket to sit on and food to eat

It's totally cool for you to bring out a blanket for you and your friends to use while you're out there. The dirt is pretty gross and you don't want it to get all over your clothes or your backpack.

Also, it makes a great opportunity to bring a picnic with some fun treats! Enjoy some  girl scout cookies or chips while you're out and about. Major brownie points if you bring some to share too.

Don't: Order delivery to the quad

Even though everybody gets it that you're enjoying your afternoon, having the poor Jimmy John's delivery man ride his bike through Polk Place to try and find you is kind of rude — even if you tip them well.

There's so many options nearby that you could go to instead. I mean, there's literally a Subway in the Bottom of Lenoir if you want a sandwich. Just keep this in mind.

Do: Bring a speaker and play music

Music makes any event far better than it would have been. Can you imagine walking into a party in complete silence? It's nice to have something to shake things up a bit.

Bringing a bluetooth speaker for your afternoon enjoyment is totally acceptable. Or bring a guitar out and play along with a group of your friends. If you're having a good time and not bothering anybody excessively, there's no reason to judge.

Do: Eno

Taking a nap in a hammock is also one of the greatest ways to spend an afternoon.  Feel free to tie up your Eno between a couple trees and rock yourself to sleep.  Just make sure you aren't taking up an excessive amount of space.

Don't: Climb a tree and set up your Eno 20 feet above ground while also blaring your music

Someone decided to string their Eno hammock between a few limbs of a tree 20 feet above me while I was hanging out outside, and I was so scared that they were going to fall down and hurt themselves (or hurt me) that I couldn't enjoy my afternoon.

Also, as high in the tree as they were, their music was louder than anybody else's which was honestly annoying.  I'm all down for people hanging out like I said, but please don't intrude on another person's relaxing afternoon.

Do: Do something active on the quad

it's super nice to have a frisbee, football, hacky sack, or some other yard game out on the quad to play. They're simple, easy to carry and help pass the time super easily.

Also the nice weather now means it's the perfect time to go out for a run. You won't be running laps around the quad or anything, but taking a stroll around campus can be really refreshing.

Don't: Plan to get too much homework done

If it's a nice day outside, you aren't going to be super focused on the task at hand sitting out in the quad.  I know it's midterm season, but you aren't going to make a dent into that 20 page lab report while you're out sunbathing with your buddies.

Either plan to work inside, or bring something smaller out like a book or article so that you can feel productive while you're sitting down. As long as you set the expectations low for yourself, you're bound to have a much more fun afternoon.