Academic calendar
Fall 2026 First 7-Week Session runs Sep 2, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026
- Summer 2026 Second Six-Week Session
- Fall 2026 First 7-Week SessionFall 2026 First Seven-Week SessionRelevant now
- Fall 2026 Semester
- Fall 2026 Second 7-Week SessionFall 2026 Second Seven-Week Session
- Spring 2027 First 7-Week SessionSpring 2027 First Seven-Week Session
- Spring 2027 Semester
- Spring 2027 Second 7-Week SessionSpring 2027 Second Seven-Week Session
- Summer 2027 First Six-Week Session
- Summer 2027 Second Six-Week Session
- Fall 2027 First 7-Week SessionFall 2027 First Seven-Week Session
- Fall 2027 Semester
- Fall 2027 Second 7-Week SessionFall 2027 Second Seven-Week Session
- Spring 2028 First 7-Week SessionSpring 2028 First Seven-Week Session
- Spring 2028 Semester
- Spring 2028 Second 7-Week SessionSpring 2028 Second Seven-Week Session
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 49 of 49 terms
A
- Allston Christmas
- The period around September 1st when students move out of Allston apartments, leaving furniture on the curb.
B
- B-Line
- The MBTA Green Line 'B' branch that runs directly through the center of the BU campus.
- Bay State
- Often refers to Marciano Commons or the dining options located along Bay State Road.
- BUTV10
- The student-run television station and media production house
C
- CAS
- The College of Arts and Sciences, the largest college at the university.
- CFA
- The College of Fine Arts.
- City Co
- City Convenience, the on-campus convenience stores that accept dining points.
- CityCo
- City Convenience, the chain of on-campus convenience stores that accept dining/convenience points
- COM
- The College of Communication, often used to refer to the college's student organizations or the building itself.
- Comm Ave
- Commonwealth Avenue, the main street that runs through the entire length of the campus
- Convenience Points
- A declining balance account on the Terrier Card used for laundry, vending machines, and some food.
- CSC
- The Community Service Center, the hub for student-led service programs.
D
- Danielsen
- Danielsen Hall, a dormitory located at the far eastern end of campus on Beacon Street.
- Dining Points
- Currency included with meal plans used specifically for food at on-campus retail locations.
F
- FYSOP
- First-Year Student Outreach Project, a week-long community service program for incoming students.
G
- GSU
- The George Sherman Union, which houses the main retail food court on campus.
H
- Hojo
- 575 Commonwealth Avenue, a former Howard Johnson hotel converted into a dormitory
K
- Kilachand
- Kilachand Hall, the honors college dormitory located on Bay State Road.
L
- Late Night
- Late-night dining service offered at specific dining halls, typically Warren or West, after standard hours
M
- Marciano
- Marciano Commons, the main dining hall for East Campus located at 100 Bay State Road.
- Myles
- Myles Standish Hall, a large renovated dormitory located in East Campus.
O
- OBGC
- The Orlando Baxter Graduate Center, or often used in reference to various Greek life councils.
P
- PC
- Programming Council, the student-led group that organizes major campus events.
- PDP
- Physical Development Program, the non-credit fitness and dance classes offered at FitRec.
R
- Rhett
- The Boston Terrier mascot of Boston University.
- Rhett's
- The 1950s-style diner located on the lower level of the GSU
S
- SA
- Student Government (Student Association), the representative body for the undergraduate population.
- SAO
- Student Activities Office, the department overseeing student clubs and events.
- SHS
- Student Health Services, the primary medical and mental health clinic for students.
- StuGov
- Boston University Student Government, the representative body for undergraduates.
- StuVi
- The Student Village apartment complexes, specifically StuVi-1 (10 Buick St) and StuVi-2 (33 Harry Agganis Way).
- StuVi2
- Student Village 2, a high-rise residence hall known for its views and study lounge.
T
- T
- The MBTA subway system used by students to travel around Boston
- Terrier
- The nickname for any Boston University student or athlete.
- The B-Line
- The Green Line 'B' branch of the MBTA subway that runs directly through the center of campus
- The Beach
- The CAS Beach, a grassy area in front of the College of Arts and Sciences used for sunbathing and socializing.
- The BU Beach
- The grassy strip behind Marsh Chapel; it is not an actual beach but a popular spot for sunbathing.
- The BU Bubble
- The feeling of being isolated within the campus stretch of Comm Ave despite being in a major city.
- The BU Shuffle
- The act of navigating the long, linear campus layout, often involving switching between walking and the shuttle.
- The GSU
- George Sherman Union, the central student hub containing the main retail food court
- The Jenga Building
- The nickname for the Center for Computing & Data Sciences due to its stacked appearance.
- The Seal
- The BU seal on Marsh Plaza; legend says stepping on it will prevent you from graduating.
- The T
- The MBTA Green Line light rail that runs directly through the center of campus.
- The Towers
- The Towers, a dormitory located at 140 Bay State Road.
W
- Warren
- Warren Towers, one of the largest dorms on campus located at 700 Commonwealth Ave.
- West
- West Campus, referring to the trio of Claflin, Sleeper, and Rich Halls
- West
- The West Campus Dining Hall, located near the Claflin, Sleeper, and Rich dorms.
- West Dining
- The dining hall serving the West Campus residential community.
- WTBU
- The student-run radio station of Boston University
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Agganis
- Agganis Arena, the multipurpose arena used for hockey games and concerts.
- BU Bus
- The free shuttle service (The Terrier Transit) connecting the Charles River and Medical campuses.
- CAS
- The College of Arts & Sciences building, the largest academic building on campus.
- CDS
- The Center for Computing & Data Sciences, famously known for its cantilevered 'Jenga' architecture.
- CFA
- College of Fine Arts building
- COM
- The College of Communication building.
- Convenience Points
- Currency loaded onto the Terrier Card used for laundry, vending machines, and retail food
- Dining Points
- Currency included with meal plans specifically for use at retail dining locations like the GSU.
- fenway_dining_hall
- Fenway Dining Hall
- FitRec
- The Fitness & Recreation Center, the primary campus gym and athletic facility.
- FitRec Swipe
- Using your Terrier Card to gain entry to the gym; full-time students have membership included in tuition.
- granby_commons_kosher
- Granby Commons (Kosher)
- Green Line
- The branch of the MBTA (B-Line) that stops at multiple points along the BU campus.
- Green Line B
- The specific branch of the MBTA Green Line that services the BU campus.
- Grubhub
- The mobile app used for ordering food ahead at the GSU and other campus retail dining locations.
- Handshake
- The primary platform used by the BU Center for Career Development for job and internship listings
- KCB
- The Kenmore Classroom Building.
- marciano_commons
- Marciano Commons
- Marsh
- Marsh Chapel, the architectural and spiritual center located at the heart of campus.
- Photonics
- The Photonics Center building, often used for engineering and research labs
- Questrom
- The Questrom School of Business building located at 595 Commonwealth Ave.
- raising_cane_s
- Raising Cane's
- STH
- The School of Theology building.
- Student Link
- The legacy online portal used by students to register for classes, check grades, and view transcripts.
- Terrier Card
- The official Boston University student identification card used for building access and payments.
- The BUS
- The BU Shuttle, a free bus service for students that runs between the Charles River and Medical campuses.
- The Jenga Building
- The Center for Computing & Data Sciences, known for its cantilevered, stack-of-books architecture.
- The T
- The MBTA subway system; BU is served by multiple stops on the Green Line B branch.
- the_fenway_dining_hall
- The Fenway Dining Hall
- the_fresh_food_co_at_marciano_commons
- The Fresh Food Co. at Marciano Commons
- the_fresh_food_co_at_warren_towers
- The Fresh Food Co. at Warren Towers
- the_fresh_food_co_at_west_campus
- The Fresh Food Co. at West Campus
- warren_towers_dining_room
- Warren Towers Dining Room
- west_campus_dining_hall
- West Campus Dining Hall
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 First 7-Week Session runs Sep 2, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 49 approved campus terms and 34 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.