Harvard's new "Serenity Room" and other crazy campus luxuries

Campus life can be tough. Some students are subjected to four straight days of classes, some for up to four hours per day. And the partying? It’s not an easy lifestyle to maintain.

But what better way to combat stress on campus than offering free massages alongside servings of fresh fruit? Harvard University’s brand new “Serenity Room,” designed to address high student stress levels, boasts both luxuries.

While a designated Serenity Room might seem over the top, it’s actually on the practical end of crazy campus amenities.

Here are a few on-campus luxuries that will make you wish for your student days — or consider transferring schools.

On-campus steakhouse

When students at High Point University are in the mood for a quick meal of Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb, Wild Mushroom Ragout and Mint Gastrique (pictured below), they can head over to their university steakhouse, Prime 1924, to satisfy their gourmet cravings.

According to the restaurant’s website, “1924 PRIME offers an extraordinary five-course dinner in an upscale setting. Business Casual attire is required.”

The clincher? No cash needed. They can use a “Magic Meal” credit to cover the bill.

Here’s a look at the menu:

Rent-a-masterpiece

It’s a completely unsubstantiated fact that every college dorm room includes at least one of the following posters: this one of Bob Marley, this one of Audrey Hepburn or Cafe Terrace at Night.

Students at Oberlin College don’t have to settle for cliche decor. For only $5 per semester, they can rent a Chagall or Dali to grace their dorm room wall. Here are some of the most in-demand pieces in the Art Rental program:

Campus bowling alley

Forget the coffee shops and computer labs that fill most student unions. The recreation center at Fresno State boasts a 12-lane bowling alley. Students looking for an alternative to yet another puke-filled house party on Friday nights can opt for glow-in-the-dark bowling.

Stress-relieving ball pit

Remember those germ-infested ball pits you loved plunging into with abandon as a kid? Well, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology can relive those glory days at Simmons Hall. The dorm boasts a ball pit designed to help students relieve the stress of coding all day. Being an adult is so overrated sometimes.

Just keep swimming

Saint Leo University in Florida had the folks of Animal Planet’s “Tanked” install a 2,000-gallon saltwater aquarium in the student lounge. With two levels, waterfalls and more sharks and rays than you can count, the tank definitely outshines that sorry goldfish you kept (illicitly) on your dorm nightstand.

No need to pile onto a bus for a long, windy trek up a mountain if you’re a skier at Michigan Tech. Your campus already includes a ski resort. The best part? It’s free for students.

All-weather lazy river

How do frozen Boston University students thaw out in February when it’s blizzarding outside? They throw on their swimsuits and jump in their campus lazy river, of course.

Alexandra DiPalma is a producer for Fusion Lightworks, Fusion’s In-house Branded Content Agency.

Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.