25 Activities around Stanford University

I graduated from Stanford just recently, and after being asked by one of my underclassman friends for some recommendations for things to do in and around the campus, I decided to draft up this article.

A qualifying note: Stanford is an enormous institution. There is so much to experience. Try to give yourself some compassion and grace. Most people spend only four to five years there, and in that amount of time, no one can experience every club, community, major or activity and see every nook and cranny. We all get to experience just a sliver of what’s available, so take it easy and know that your sliver will look different from everyone else’s.

So in that vein, I’m just going to suggest activities and spaces that I enjoyed being in. There’s a thousand lists out there on the “classic Stanford traditions” you can check out.

My first rec is that you join Students for Workers’ Rights, Fossil Free Stanford or one of the many student activist organizations that align with your vision and values.

If you are a new student, you are entering an incredibly powerful institution that requires critical thought, challenge and a strong, emboldened student body to ally with local community members and effect change. It can take time to learn the activist landscape, but I encourage you to experiment.

Go to the protests in White Plaza, speak with engaged students and read through the archives that folks have labored over. Learn about the history, power and privilege that revolves around attending Stanford. Educate yourself on the legacies of student activism and the history that Stanford actively seeks to suppress.

The truth is, you have incredible power. Stanford is a business and is afraid of whistleblowing students. It takes time to see results, the university will try to wait you out but keep the pressure going and fight against apathy. You will learn so much about the world, its systems, your allies and yourself.

Fall Quarter

Fall Quarter is full of fresh starts. Lots of new clubs will be kicking off, so I’d encourage a new student to just take it all in. Now’s the time to start figuring out which dining hall is the best of the year (Casper was top dog in 2019 and then, surprisingly, Arrillaga got really good in 2022). Here are my recs to (re)introduce you to campus.

Fall Activities

1. The O’Donohue Outdoor Educational Farm is my absolute favorite place on campus! They have year-round volunteer days on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Meet in the greenhouse area, and someone sweet from the Farm staff will clue you in on that day’s projects. They’ll often let you try samples of produce. The sunset over the Farm is amazing. Definitely go there for any workshops and Rooted Words (their quarterly open-mic nights).
2. The White Plaza farmers market usually happens Tuesday morning and a tad into the afternoon. There are lots of local, kind vendors offering crafts and delicious snacks perfect for your commute home from class or a late breakfast after skipping class.
3. Cantor Arts Center is free for students. In addition to the Rodin Sculpture Garden, it offers a selection of temporary exhibits. I highly recommend any students take Art History 1B. Sections take place at Cantor, and I gained a new appreciation for art interpretation.
4. If you are ever lucky enough to be invited for a dinner at a co-op, especially a head cook or a Special D, go!! I lived in Columbae, Kairos and (unofficially) Synergy. For some of Stanford’s co-ops, ever resident is required to lead a head cook at least once a quarter. They design the menu, request ingredients and command a staff of three to four fellow residents in preparing dinner for 60–80 people. The food is always abundant and amazing. Synergy and Columbae prepare really incredible vegan and vegetarian food. Special D events celebrate the end of the quarter with an enormous feast and variety show. You will be blown away by the talent that these residents have. Sometimes, residents plan murder mysteries, plays or even weddings.
5. I highly recommend you join one of the recreational sports teams. It’s like $20 per quarter, the games are so fun, and if you don’t have a team, you can be a free agent and join a pre-existing team. I played softball and sand volleyball, but there are a dozen others to pick from every quarter.
6. While you’re at it, join Stanford’s radio station KZSU. I never did, but I wish I had! Located below Pigott Theater, KZSU’s studio is chock full of memorabilia including a signed photo from Adam West who auditioned to play Batman in the studio. There are thousands of records and CD’s. The shows are so much fun, the music is great, and they’re always looking for new pitches. It’s a very cool part of campus. They’ve occasionally held open mics down there as well.
7. Go see a show from Stanford Improvisers (SIMPS). I never joined this group, but they made me laugh so hard I cried.
8. If you’re interested in creating, submit to The Leland Quarterly, The Stanford Daily or one of the many on-campus publishers. They accept poetry, photography, essays, articles, videos, etc. Anything you can imagine, there’s a place for it, so definitely share that! The editors are very patient and will work with you to make your vision come across.
9. Lake Lagunita and The Dish are popular running and biking trails that are very easy to get to from campus.
10. Take the CalTrain to San Francisco for Lit Crawl in late October. It’s the world’s largest pop-up literary event.

Fall Study Spots

1. Bender Reading Room in Green Library tucked away in the rafters of the Bing Wing is quiet, magical, angelic if you will. I stumbled upon it while drifting through the Stacks one aimless day. Upon my first visit, I was surprised to find several delightful friends already seated like the muses of ancient Greece. I was blown away by the ambiance of the room and the amazing view of Main Quad. I have no idea how to get back there.
2. Lane Reading Room is easier to find in Green library. It’s a little noisy (The old wooden chairs creak and scream every time you adjust your seat). But if you can ignore that and the lurking portraits of Stanford’s eugenicist presidents, it’s a fine place to study.
3. This is a basic recommendation, but CoHo is a great hangout for students. For better or worse, by the time you’re a senior, you won’t be able to walk in without seeing a familiar face. I love the jazz nights and stand-up comedy open mic nights (Stanford Womxn in Comedy always KILL. They are so hilarious. And if you’re a funny womxn, I HIGHLY recommend you get on the CoHo stage).
4. The Coupa Cafe in the Engineering Quad is alright. I always liked it when I was living on West Campus. A little hustle bustle just helps me focus that much more.

Winter Quarter

Winter quarter is typically a rainy season when folks buckle down and load on those units, so this category will feature more indoor and off-campus activities.

Winter Activities

1. After the flurry of activity in Fall, you may want to take Winter as an opportunity to ground. Well-Being Coaching from CAPS is great for envisioning what you want your life to look like, how you can tune into your intuition, stay true to yourself, find what’s resonating in your career or personal life. These sessions are free and conducted over Zoom. I personally loved working with Maija Cruz. She helped me to navigate both periods of stress and flourishing. Pieces of her advice still ring in my ears. There are a dozen or so options of other counselors and their specialties. CAPS is notoriously overwhelmed and understaffed, so I will warn you that you will need to book an appointment a couple weeks in advance. More immediate crisis help can be found using the CAPS hotline or peer counseling from The Bridge. Seeking adequate mental health services can be time-consuming and frustrating, but I encourage anyone to stick with it and to continue reaching out for help. The folks at CAPS put me in touch with a variety of resources to seek outside counseling.
2. I loved taking advantage of Green Library’s magazines. Every now and then I would dedicate one day to read an entire issue of The New Yorker.
3. Aloha Fun Center offers roller skating. It is a favorite for many dorm trips.
4. Bowlmor is a bowling alley and arcade. One of my friends says that the people who go to Bowlmor are super hot. She had taken half an edible when she said that, so you’ll have to judge for yourself.
5. Omescape escape room is super fun. I completed Sorcerer’s Sanctum once with my co-op, and it was a great time.
6. Thrift at the Goodwill Bins warehouse in South San Francisco. These are clothes sold wholesale by the pound. People line up outside before opening and then dig through enormous bins of donated clothes. Bring gloves and a mask! One time a friend pulled out a used diaper. Get there early, bring your own bags and wash everything on high heat as soon as you get back home.
7. Stanford Theatre is reopening after a long hiatus! This theater plays classic movies (I saw North by Northwest there). The interior is beautiful. At first I thought I imagined him, but a tiny old man plays the organ as you sit down and is then lowered down into the stage as the movie begins to play.
8. The Mountain View movie theater (Showplace ICON) is a more typical movie theater. It’s huge, which means you can catch a ton of movies there. I cried during Little Women, laughed my ass off watching Doctor Strange and was thoroughly creeped out by Dune there. There’s also the Redwood City movie theater, which is great. Sometimes Cardinal Nights offers free movie tickets to these theaters and provides buses there. I highly recommend scooping that deal.
9. If you want to take a day trip to the San Francisco, it’s often good to have a few places in mind before you take the CalTrain over. (Check out my article for things to do in San Francisco.)

Winter Study Spots

1. Coffee Bar and Philz are two coffeehouses not far from campus. I am obsessed with the Mint Mojito from Philz.

Spring Quarter

Spring Quarter is known as the most restful, easy-going quarter. Professors and students alike ease up on assignments. With all the campus events and sunny weather, it’s one of the most active and outdoorsy quarters.

Spring Activities

1. Late spring and summer is the best time for beginner surfers to take their first lesson. Stanford Surfers has reactivated and is a great resource for finding rides and equipment. In the spring, seniors often sell their used boards for cheap. Pacifica, Cowell Beach, Pleasure Point, Opal Point, Ocean Beach, Surfer’s Beach and Jack’s Beach have been labeled as good for beginners. Just be sure to get out there with an experienced surfer and practice good etiquette.
2. Everyone loves to lounge around Meyer Green in the Spring Quarter. Bring a picnic blanket and just soak up those much missed sunrays. A mango smoothie on a hot day from Coupa Cafe in front of Green Library restored my will to face the heat.
3. I love to swim at AOERC. And soaking in Claw Fountain is ideal on the way back from class.
4. Hiking around the Bay is great anytime of year, but I’m categorizing these under Spring because some of them have places to go swim. My favorite hikes include The Garden of Eden, Mount Tam, Henry Cowell State Park, Half Moon Bay, Yosemite, the UC Santa Cruz Farm, and Wunderlich County Park (Go to Robert’s Deli after). Some other spots I’ve heard about include: Windy Hill, Fernandez Ranch, San Francisco Bay “Discovery Site,” Muir Beach, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Hood Mountain Regional Park, Wilder Ranch State hike, Lake Del Valle, Lake Anza, Muir Woods, Emerald Bay, Kehoe Beach, Grover Hot Springs, the Pinnacles.
5. Great America and Six Flags are amusement parks that aren’t too far away from campus.
6. If you’re coming back to Stanford in the Fall, sign up to volunteer for International Student Orientation (ISO) or New Student Orientation (NSO), do a Sophomore College class or Arts Intensive. Each of these programs allows you to move into campus in the Fall 1–3 weeks early, and it’s so nice to have a chill return to campus. You’ll make new friends and get to experience the campus at a slower pace. I volunteered for ISO even though I’m from the U.S. and had a blast. Applications will be released in the spring and summer, so make a note.

Spring Study Spots

1. The upper terrace of the Law School is a gorgeous place to study and pretend that you’re an overworked 2L in the spring. Ivy and vines wrap up and down the walls. But, that’s all for this section because in spring, you’re not going to be studying that much.

If you’re an upperclassman or alum, share your wisdom with us in the comments! I’ll be adding things as pleasant memories blossom in my mind.