The busier the week, the better the chill.

FAU students feel that despite busy work days, relaxing on Friday is a great way to kick off the weekend. Many students report an overall feeling of calm around the Boca Raton campus on Fridays as students journey to the comforts of dorm rooms, apartments and houses.

Some are thankful for the noticeable difference in the number of students as it gives them more freedom to roam as they please.

Senior geology major Travis Oaks said he likes rock climbing at the Climbing Center on lazy Friday afternoons before the FAU Climbing Club meets from 7-9 p.m.

“It gets busy,” he said, adding that 30 or more people could show up on any given Friday, to the point where the staff runs short on harnesses.

Fortunately, the Climbing Club is not the only sporting club that meets on Fridays. Ultimate Frisbee meets on Henderson Field from 8-10 p.m., and both men and women’s volleyball  is available, although the men’s session is from 5-7 p.m. and the women’s is from 7-9 p.m.

However, others prefer to spend their time enjoying activities that have less to do with sports and more to do with Xbox or Wii consoles.

In the gaming corner of the Student Union, graphics are always in motion. Fighting games like the “Super Smash Bros.” and “Tekken” series are crowd favorites. Fun classics such as the “Dance Dance Revolution” and the “Mario Kart” series are also popular.

According to senior Jonathan Casique, even on Fridays there are “more people than the couch can handle,” causing some to shuffle from the comfortable couch to open space to continue gaming.

The Student Union isn’t only for the hardcore gamers, however. Others flock to the area on Fridays for other events, such as ping-pong tournaments and pool.

Sophomore business major Antonion Johnson said that he has the day to himself after an early calculus class on Friday and tends to end up at the Student Union more often than not.

“On campus, I normally … play dominos, hang out with friends,” he said.

Freshman Gabriela Rodriguez prefers to visit the food court later in the Friday afternoon to enjoy the atmosphere.

“I like that there’s less hustle and bustle,” she said, especially in comparison to Tuesdays and Thursdays, where the tables tend to be filled to the brim.

Rodriguez said this calmer version of the food court is also a good place for her to hang out and talk to some friends over some food, which many others can be seen taking advantage of as well.

Unfortunately, not everything on Friday turns out to be rainbows and sunshine. As Oaks pointed out, even the staff are hurrying to get away from campus as soon as possible.

“[They are] dead on out of here,” he said, referring to the tutors in the Center for Teaching and Learning above the food court. Students seeking math tutors are especially out of luck, as the Math Lab has early closing hours on Fridays.

In the FAU Bookstore, the quiet continues. Bookstore employee and student Zulema Toledo, said that the store is very slow on Fridays.

“Sometimes I feel a little unproductive, even after finishing all my stuff,” Toledo said. “It’s definitely more of a relaxed vibe. Time feels slower, but it’s definitely calm and nice.”

Another hotspot on campus that finds itself worn out on Fridays is the S.E. Wimberly Library. Sophomore anthropology major Ashling Boyle said that she enjoys the extra library space she can take advantage of after her four grueling Friday classes.

“I think the library’s better empty. In general, it gets loud,” Boyle said. “[On Fridays] there’s more space, more seats.”

From ping-pong to studying in the library, Fridays on the Boca Raton campus offer a little bit of everything for everyone. So, the next time a Friday rolls around, be sure to take advantage of all that the stillness has to offer.

Daesha Reid is a contributing writer and designer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].

Hope Dean is a contributing writer with the Univesity Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @hope_dean2017.