Many sleep-deprived students at the University of Texas at Austin are mourning the loss of the hammocks that used to rest in between the Student Activity Center and Gregory Gym. But when you gotta snooze, you gotta snooze, so bring your own hammock and check out this list of places where you can take a nap on the 40 Acres.  

Story by Alex Puente

Illustrations by Jesus Acosta

The Turtle Pond

There’s something therapeutic about a shallow pool of turtles. This would be a cozy spot to hang up a hammock and relax by some cute reptiles. Fall asleep while staring at the turtles with both adoration and envy as you dream of a simple life where you too could bask in the pond 24/7 and enjoy the sunset.

Gregory Plaza

Just spent a few hours working out and need some time to rest your muscles? Set up a hammock on Gregory Plaza and take a well deserved nap. You might find yourself waking up in the middle of an event, which will definitely work well as an alarm clock if you have somewhere to be.

Perry-Castañeda Library

Let’s be honest, you were inevitably going to fall asleep here at some point anyways. There are always tables of students who are seconds away from using their textbook as a pillow, and we all know that the PCL can get packed, especially around midterm and finals weeks. Nothing says “I’m prepared,” like bringing your own hammock and chilling in one of the quiet floors.

The Canoe Statue

Hear me out: at the cost of $1.4 million, this statue wasn’t built to not be slept on. You can simultaneously attempt to catch up on your 8 hours while becoming part of the artwork in front of the Norman Hackerman building. A student sleeping on a hammock held by canoes should be on UT catalogues everywhere. Title it: College Students Really Can Sleep Anywhere.

UT Main Mall

There’s nowhere better to display your exhaustion than in front of the iconic UT Tower. If you’ve ever needed to take a twelve-hour nap after picking up a transcript (whether you’re disappointed from a low GPA or from losing $20 to buy a piece of paper), you definitely aren’t alone. Set up a hammock and bask in the shadows of the tower as you get odd looks from people touring the university. At least you can show future students what they’re getting into.