April 27, 2025

Stanford University isn't just palm trees and Nobel laureates—it's a vibrant community known fondly as "The Farm," a nickname stemming from its roots in founders Leland and Jane Stanford's Palo Alto Stock Farm. With its school colors, cardinal red and white, and a tree as an unofficial mascot, Stanford brims with campus pride. 

This article explores the quirky traditions and campus culture that make student life at Stanford University so unique.

Fall at Stanford is dominated by the Big Game rivalry against UC Berkeley (Cal). The Big Game (also known as the "Battle of the Bay") is the annual Stanford–Cal football contest, played since 1892​. In the week leading up to the game, Stanford's campus bursts with spirited traditions. 

The student-run Axe Committee decorates the campus with huge "BEAT CAL" banners, dyes campus fountains cardinal red, and floods Hoover Tower with red light to symbolize school spirit​. Each hour of the final five days, Axe Committee members camp out in White Plaza, blowing a steam-train whistle to count down to the game​. The climactic Bearial ritual sees The Stanford Band march a wooden casket (carrying a teddy bear representing Cal's mascot) to the White Plaza Claw fountain. After a mock eulogy, a band member climbs the Claw fountain and impales the teddy bear on its tip​. 

Just before the game, Stanford's Ram's Head Theatrical Society performs "Gaieties," a student-written Big Game musical. During the game, Stanford students frequently shout "safety school" towards Cal, suggesting that UC Berkeley was merely their backup option. 

Stanford's long-standing rivalry with UC Berkeley has created many famous pranks and legendary stories. One famous tale holds that when Stanford was constructing Hoover Tower, Stanford asked Berkeley how tall their Campanile (bell tower) was. Berkeley reportedly gave Stanford the wrong height, so Stanford built Hoover Tower too short – resulting in Berkeley's Campanile being taller than Hoover Tower. 

In other pranks, Cal students once released blue-and-gold dyed mice in Stanford's library; Stanford retaliated by placing red-and-white mice on the Berkeley campus. In the 1960s, Cal undergrads painted Stanford's Memorial Church bells blue and gold. Stanford students later colored the landmark "C," a large concrete letter on a hill overlooking Berkeley's campus, in cardinal red​. These tales (and others, like the time each side kidnapped trophies) are fondly recounted among today's students. 

Stanford's calendar features many other unique events. Before finals each quarter, for example, Stanford hosts Midnight Breakfast, a campus-wide study break where faculty members cook pancakes and students eat late-night breakfast together in the dorms. In spring, seniors add whimsy to Commencement week: they convene a "Wacky Walk," parading into Stanford Stadium in costume (instead of formal regalia), and attend a formal Senior Dinner on the Quad – an alumni-hosted dinner-and-dance under the stars​. These events give seniors one last campus celebration. Stanford's irreverent spirit is also embodied by its marching band – the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band bills itself as "the world's largest rock and roll band," known for its zany uniforms and comedy routines. 

Other traditions include Eurotrash, the first major party of the fall, and Halloween which transforms dorms into creative hubs with elaborate group costumes and frantic last-minute Amazon deliveries. It's chaotic fun and a great bonding experience for new friend groups.

Stanford runs on the quarter system (not semesters), with just ten weeks per academic term that seem to fly by in a blur. Midterms hit before you have even settled into your classes, creating a whirlwind of stress, momentum, and shared experience among students.

To help get through the fast-paced academics, many study groups form immediately. Nothing bonds students quite like collective confusion at 2 a.m. in the library. Take advantage of office hours, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Stanford Undergraduate Math Organization (SUMO) help sessions, and the Hume Center for Writing—even Stanford students need support.

Stanford can feel intense, so balance is key. Advisors and experienced students offer this practical advice:

Get involved on campus
Stanford leaders emphasize that the best way to activate campus life is for students to get involved in student government, clubs, residential neighborhoods, Greek houses, and other organizations​. Joining activities – whether it's research groups, cultural clubs, sports, or arts ensembles – is how most students build friendships. 

Manage time and seek help
Stanford's quarter system is fast-paced, so learn to plan your time and energy. Advising staff stress enough sleep and focused studying, noting a strong correlation between enough sleep and better grades​. Don't hesitate to ask for help early: the most successful students learn when and how to ask for extra support when needed – use free tutoring, study groups, office hours, and instructor advice.

Balance academic load and activities
Many upperclassmen warn freshmen not to over-commit. Avoid doing anything extreme, like joining too many clubs just because they seem cool or trying to take an enormous unit load during your first quarter​. Start with a manageable schedule, so you have time for rest, recreation, and socializing. Some take heavy course loads and party on weekends, while others choose lighter loads to focus on internships or startups​. Find the approach that lets you learn and still have fun.

Meet people and explore
Take advantage of small classes and dorm life to chat with peers and professors. Attend welcome-week mixers, club fairs, and social events (like concerts, trivia nights, or even an impromptu Quad gathering). Participate in beloved campus events: go fountain-hopping in spring, join Full Moon on the Quad in fall, cheer at a Big Game rally, or study at a late-night Midnight Breakfast. Exploring Stanford's many traditions is a fun way to meet people.

Customize Classes

• Complaining about PWR (Program in Writing and Rhetoric) is a universal bonding ritual—you will connect with strangers over shared frustration with rhetorical analysis assignments.

• Don't hesitate to shop for classes and drop or add classes to your schedule even three weeks in. Finding the right academic fit matters more than avoiding schedule disruption.

• Discover those magical 1-2 unit speaker classes where you get academic credit for listening to industry leaders and writing brief reflections.

Stanford isn't just an academic powerhouse—it's where students fountain-hop, teddy bears dramatically plunge from atop the Claw, and midnight escapades unfold beneath Hoover Tower's iconic red glow. From the frantic rush to dye fountains red to waving color-coded glow sticks under an October full moon, these quirky rituals weave together the unique fabric of The Farm.