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NewsvineHey seniors, hoping to fine tune your leisure skills this quarter? Perfect your tan? Wallow in the cushy Stanford Bubble for just a little while longer? If so, then Camp Stanford is the place for you. Geared for kids ages 20 to 25, this quarter-long glimpse into sweet, sweet summertime offers senior campers the traditional Stanford experience — without the burden of silly educational things like midterms and letter grades.
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Here at Camp Stanford — the term used to describe the lives of lucky seniors who have already graduated, but are paying for campus housing for the remainder of the academic year — the possibilities are endless. Students equipped with a Permit to Attend, at the mere price of $2,760, are eligible to stay on campus to (depending on their permit type) audit classes, possibly work on an honors thesis and generally slack off like it’s their job.
“I spend a lot of time in the hammock,” confessed Monica Uddin ‘07, who graduated with a Symbolic Systems degree at the end of winter quarter. “I watch a lot of TV. I knitted a scarf. Sometimes I do psych studies...sometimes I don’t.”
“Everyone is jealous,” she added, with a laugh.
To the bitter sophomore in Green Library who’s struggling to ignore the glare of California sunshine on his laptop, there’s nothing more agonizing than watching the Uddins of campus frolic. Before you sleepless problem-setters retaliate, though, consider the fact that most Stanford seniors curiously seem to make legitimate use of their free time. Shifting from the chronic stress of GPA maintenance to absolute nothingness is apparently harder than you might think.
“Some people go into it thinking they’re going to do nothing, but they don’t,” admitted Jeremy Schneider ‘07, a resident in Theta Delta Chi. “It gets boring pretty fast.”
Shiv Verma ‘07, a Peer Health Educator in Branner Hall, has plenty to keep him busy.
“I’m not taking classes, but I’m working full time in an internship for the Oakland A’s. It’s an 8 to 5 job every day,” explained Verma, who wakes up at 6 a.m. every morning for his commute to San Francisco. “At first some of my friends were like, ‘what are you going to do with your time?’ but now that I have a full-time job, they cut me some slack.”
And as much as Uddin plays the part of a carefree Stanford camper, her existence is far from aimless.
“I was already admitted to law school, so I know what I’m doing [after Stanford],” she explained, rationalizing her fun-filled quarter.
For Schneider, the decision to participate in Camp Stanford was largely an issue of “saving $11,000 in tuition.” After his last required course was shifted from spring to winter quarter, he was lucky enough to be able to graduate early and spend his last quarter watching YouTube videos, trekking off campus and doing research at the Medical School.
“My mentality is not that different [from other students’] except for the fact that I’m not paying anything. If there’s a day where I’m not as productive as I usually would have been, I feel less guilty because I’m not wasting money doing nothing.”
Many seem to agree with Schneider, pointing out that Camp Stanford is not unlike any other quarters spent on campus, except for the fact that it’s much more low key without classes.
“It’s pretty nice and chill,” said Verma. “You get to hang out with your buddies [during] your last days on campus.”
For these campers, Camp Stanford doesn’t seem to be an extension of spring break, but a well-earned breather before the real work begins.
“Being on a university campus where everyone else is focused on academics,” Schneider said, “it’s not the best place to go nuts.”
He’s had his share of fun, but is quick to assure, “I haven’t committed any felonies.”