Where We Live: Our Campus
The first thing you’ll notice when you visit the BU campus is where it is: right in the middle of a fabulous city called Boston. And if you ask our students, living in Boston is one reason they’re loving BU.
The University blends seamlessly with the city. Yes, we have our share of grassy lawns and ivy-covered walls. But Commonwealth Avenue, where many of our schools, colleges and University buildings are located, is a lively urban street lined with shops, restaurants and offices. Some of our student residences are city brownstones. Others are high-rises. Our transportation is urban too: we routinely hop on “the T,” Boston’s mass transit system, to ride from one end of our 1.8-mile-long campus to the other.
There are no fences around the Boston University campus. When you’re a student here, nothing separates you from Boston’s great museums, artistic community, vibrant cultural life, great sports teams, rich history or world-renowned scientific and medical communities. In fact, the city loves to open its doors to BU students. We offer hundreds of internships, research projects and community service programs in connection with Boston businesses, organizations and agencies.
That means your opportunities to learn, experience, get involved and make a difference in the world are infinitely greater. And you’re likely to get at least part of your education outside the classroom.
As an added bonus, you’re unlikely to find yourself with nothing to do on a Saturday night.
Parlez-vous BU?
Part of adjusting to campus life is learning the language of Boston University. Here are a few key names and acronyms to get you started:
- The Dog Pound – BU’s super sports fans sit in this section to cheer on Terrier teams.
- BU Beach – A grassy stretch perfect for sunbathing while you surf the Web – right next to Storrow Drive.
- The T – Short for the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), Boston’s mass transit system. Not to be confused with:
- GSU – The George Sherman Union, the center of student life on campus.
- BU Central – Located in the basement of the GSU, it’s the place to see live bands, stand-up comics, movies and lots more.
- The Freep – The Daily Free Press, the student-run newspaper.
- Stu-V – The Student Village.