Have you checked your screen time recently? It might be time to take a deep breath and connect with people in real life. Here are a few spots on campus where NYU Shanghai students get in that much-needed screen break.
Magnolia House- East 3rd Floor
The OG campus hangout, MagHouse is bustling at all hours of the day and night with students catching up with friends over a game of chess, Go, or Monopoly. Get off your phone and challenge your peers to some friendly competition.
Frequent visitor Mattis Nurit ’26 calls E3 one of the “hearts” of NYU Shanghai. “Lots of students are passing through, and I get to see and catch up with many friends and peers,” he says.
The Nest- East 3rd Floor Outdoor Area
With the launch of last week’s NYU In Real Life initiative, there's a new designated space for offline interaction—The Nest. With bean bag seating, camping chairs, cozy lighting, and a beautiful flowerbed, students can enjoy fresh air while staying protected from the elements. It’s a great spot to start a card game, play mahjong, or even nap in a random rowboat.
“Getting a breath of fresh air and being able to do some reading is a really nice change of pace throughout the day,” says Mattis.
The Quad
When the weather warms up, the grassy quad is where students get their daily dose of Vitamin D, listen to live music, grab a meal al fresco, and relax with friends. If you don’t have a picnic blanket, you can borrow a yoga mat from the campus store to sit on.
Bonnie Chang '28 says it’s the most relaxing place on campus. “My friends and I lay on the grass and feel the warmth on our skin,” she says. Even when it’s cold out, a breath of fresh air and chilling by the steps is such a great way to destress.”
Calm Corner- West 4th Floor
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, the Calm Corner is just what its name suggests, a place to find your calm. Whether you use it to learn handpan or just grab some well-needed zzzs, the Calm Corner is a great place to kick off your shoes, turn your phone off, and just chill.
Angelina Zagdjav ’28, who works as a student worker in the Student Health Center, says the Calm Corner is one of a few places on campus devoted to rest, for students who don't often get a chance to while on campus. “It represents something deeper than just a place to nap,” she says. “When students are given the opportunity to rest and decompress, we’re better able to focus, engage, and take care of ourselves throughout the day,” she says.
Rooftop Garden- South 7th Floor
Working with your hands—planting seeds, weeding, and tending to your plants until your fingers are caked with dirt—that all keeps you off your phone. You can let the stress of daily life fall away as you focus in on the plant and insect world.
Zhang Keyu ’28 says she makes a point to visit the garden every time she comes on campus as a way to relax and engage her senses. “I usually tend to my own plants while also helping care for others’ plants. At the same time I enjoy the quiet, natural surroundings,” she says.
Want to get your hands dirty? Students, staff, and faculty are welcome to join the Garden Research Fellowship run by Community Engaged Learning and the NYU Shanghai Garden Committee. Participants commit to attending weekly workshops with the gardening community led by gardening consultant Kylie Bisman at lunchtime on Fridays.
Swinging Garden - North 3rd Floor
Remember when you were a kid playing on the playground with your friends? The Swinging Garden outside the IMA Lab on North 3rd floor lets you reconnect to your childhood. Designed and built by IMA majors Maelyn Lu ’26, Sophia Wan ’26, and Zhong Xiangyi ’26 in their sophomore year, the cozy rocking chair-like seat offers a moment of rest and play amidst the fast-paced rhythm of campus life.
The three sensed that students were feeling stressed out and preoccupied with their studies. “We wanted to create a space where people can relax, connect, and have fun,” she says. “This is the place where beyond their studies, they can go to catch some sleep, chat with friends, or rediscover the simple joy of rocking in a chair like they did as children.”
Maelyn says they are happy to see it has been embraced by the campus community. “Sometimes we lie on it with friends to chat, or sit on either side and rock it like a seesaw, relishing the same childhood fun,” she says. They hope the rocking chair will be a permanent fixture on campus.
IMA FabLab - North 4th Floor
Working with your hands is the ultimate way to get off your phone and IMA’s FabLab is a great place to do it. Prepare your materials and book a woodshop appointment with Fabrication Lab Specialist Zang Dalin.
“Some people come to prototype ideas, some people make gifts for others, some borrow tools to fix things, or ask for guidance on fabrication methods," says Zang. "It’s a collaborative space where people share tools, skills, and ideas.”
Henry Frazier ’26, an IMA major who works as a FabLab student assistant, says it promotes both collaboration and focus. “The FabLab community encourages me to stay off my phone and talk with people,” he says. “From chatting about how our days are going to collectively hunching over a sketch book or paper pad looking at measurements; even making models out of popsicle sticks, the environment of the FabLab encourages me to take a break from the screen and embrace what's around me.”
Institute of Contemporary Arts - North 1st Floor
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Institute of Contemporary Arts feels a bit like you've left campus. “I let the outside world disappear and focus on what's in front of me,” says Henry, who likes to pop by when he has a moment. “Having the ability to quickly walk in and walk out yet always experience something different is super enjoyable for me.”
The latest exhibition, Disentangling Entanglement: In Memory of Intimacy, Vulnerability, and Action, features an interactive area in the basement exhibition hall, the perfect opportunity for visitors to create their own personal unplugged experience.
“You can sit down, rest, put your hands to work with embroidery, sewing, or weaving, or browse behind-the-scenes records of this exhibition,” says Bao Yang, one of the show's curators. "If the right moment arises to take you further—into the heart of what happens here—perhaps you'll come to understand for yourself what kind of space this could be.”
More Hidden Spots on Campus
On North 3rd Floor, some retro fun can be had with friends at an arcade terminal, no coins required. And a semi-hidden hammock structure nearby designed by a group of IMA students, Guo Junzhe ’25, Zoe Kalamaros ’25, and Julie Tian ’24 is a great place for a quick cat nap. That is if you can find it!
There are more nooks and crannies hidden around campus where you can disconnect from your phone and reconnect with yourself—try the Reflection Area on West 6th Floor, your favorite secluded napping spot, or even the elusive massage chair (you’ll have to find the location yourself).
But really, any space can be device-free—just turn off your notifications and stash your phone and laptop away. Where are your favorite spots to unplug on campus?