It's back to school once again, and many students are already starting to look out for new places to hang out, dine in, or basically while away some time before the next class or before heading home.

From cool hang-out places to yummy food joints, the rise of hip and student-friendly spots around schools paved the way for a fun neighborhood in different parts of the metro.

Now grab your friends and classmates and visit these places the next time you feel like catching a break from school work:

1. Taft: TableTaft Board Game Café

A post shared by TableTaft (@tabletaft) on Jan 24, 2018 at 3:36am PST

With the gaining popularity of board game cafes in the metro, nearby university establishments in Taft have also followed the bandwagon to let students bond over good food and fun games. The TableTaft Board Game Café is one of the board game cafes in the area that students flock into if they need a caffeine boost while paying their favorite board game.

TableTaft Board Game Café is located at 2/F University Mall, Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila.

2. Espana: IChill Theatre Café

A well-loved spot in the Espana area is the IChill Theatre Café as it is popular for its unique underground theater. Students can enjoy the café’s affordable food offerings and frappe and chillers. They can also play board games, sing their hearts out, or watch a movie to cap off that busy school week.

The IChill Theatre Café is located at 1125 Dos Castillas St, Sampaloc, Manila.

3. UP Village: The Z Compound

The Z Compound, or best known as "The Z", commenced the food park trend back in 2013. The Z Compound can be found in the garden area of an old house and has long been a favorite for UP students as it offers a good mix of budget-friendly yet good food, perfect for a well-deserved lunch or afternoon break to ease through a hectic school day.

The Z Compound is located at 33A Malingap, Diliman, Quezon City.

4. Manila: Café UK

A popular hang-out spot along the University Belt is Cafe UK, a coffee shop specializing in vacuum-brewed coffee, perfect for that caffeine fix one needs to start off the busy day. Café UK boasts of its three-storey café complete with bar stools, cushioned chairs, couches, electric outlets, wi-fi connection, and drafting tables for architecture students.

Café UK-Co is located at Dona Carmen Bldg. 2, 2nd St. Cor. D.R.C Aguila St. Mendiola, Manila.

5. Ortigas: Alice Tea Salon

A post shared by Alice Tea Salon (@aliceteasalon) on Jan 7, 2018 at 10:25pm PST

The Alice Tea Salon takes inspiration from the popular novel Alice in Wonderland. From the moment you walk in the establishment, you will get a whimsical and quirky feel with its cool interiors. The café seems to have been gotten straight out of the book and the movie, making Lewis Carroll’s daydream come to life.

School season may be back but it’s always nice to know places and spots where you can wind down to eat, drink, hang out and even play games. After all, who doesn’t need chill time to prep up for another grueling week at school, right?

A well-balanced university life also calls for a reliable car that can take us to these places without the hassle of public transportation commute. A compact car with the flexibility and spaciousness of an SUV, the Ford EcoSport is a perfect road trip companion. It has accessible compartments including cup holders, side-door pockets, a slide-out drawer under the front seat, and a glove box that can keep your things in their proper place.

This smart car is also fully equipped with SYNC™, a technology that allows voice to activate certain features for students who are always on-the-go. It lets you take phone calls, listen to text messages, and play music, audiobooks or podcasts from any media device while keeping your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

With six colors (Panther Black, Ingot Silver, Winning Blue, Candy Red, Mars Red, Frozen White), and four regular variants (Ambiente 1.5L MT, Trend 1.5L MT, Trend 1.5L AT, Titanium 1.5L AT) to choose from, there is always a Ford EcoSport to fit one’s personality and preference if you are looking for a stylish car that fits your personality.

In time for school opening, Ford is offering a special deal for the EcoSport. Get a free 2-year service when you purchase any EcoSport variant this month of June.

Drop by a Ford showroom nearest you to test drive a Ford EcoSport or visit www.ford.com.ph/suvs/ecosport for more information.