Academic calendar
Fall Term 2026 runs Sep 8, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer Session 2026
- Fall Term 2026Relevant now
- Half-Term H1 2026
- Half-Term H1 Fall 2026
- Half-Term H2 2026
- Half-Term H2 Fall 2026
- Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2027
- Spring Term 2027
- Half-Term H3 2027
- Half-Term H3 Spring 2027
- Half-Term H4 2027
- Half-Term H4 Spring 2027
- Summer Session 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 38 of 38 terms
B
- BC
- Burton-Conner House, a large undergraduate dormitory.
C
- Course [Number]
- The standard way to refer to majors (e.g., 'Course 6' for Computer Science).
- Cruft
- Old, discarded, or useless equipment, code, or miscellaneous items found around campus.
D
- DAPER
- Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation.
- Dining Dollars
- Funds included with meal plans that can be used at retail dining locations on campus.
E
- EC
- East Campus (Alumni Houses), known for its counter-culture and student-built projects.
F
- Firehose
- A reference to the saying 'Learning at MIT is like drinking from a firehose,' describing the intense workload.
- Forbes
- The Forbes Family Cafe located within the Stata Center (Building 32).
G
- GSC
- Graduate Student Council, the student government body for graduate students.
H
- Hack
- A clever, benign, and often elaborate prank, usually involving engineering skill and anonymity.
- Hose
- To be overwhelmed by work, from the phrase 'drinking from a firehose'.
- Hosed
- The feeling of being overwhelmed by work, derived from the quote 'Getting an education from MIT is like drinking from a firehose.'
I
- IHTFP
- A ubiquitous acronym with two meanings: 'I Hate This F***ing Place' and 'I Have Truly Found Paradise.'
L
- Late Night
- Late-evening meal service offered at specific dining halls like Maseeh and Simmons.
- LaV's
- LaVerde's Market, the main convenience store located in the Stratton Student Center.
- LaVerde's
- The 24-hour (or late-night) convenience store and deli located in the Student Center (W20).
- Lobdell
- The main food court located on the second floor of the Student Center (W20).
- LSC
- Lecture Series Committee, a student org that screens movies and organizes high-profile lectures.
M
- Mac
- MacGregor House, an undergraduate dormitory consisting of a high-rise tower and several low-rise entries.
- Maseeh
- Maseeh Hall, the largest undergraduate dormitory, located at the corner of Mass Ave and Memorial Drive.
- Maseeh
- The dining hall within Maseeh Hall, the largest on campus.
- Maseeh Dining
- The largest dining hall on campus, often used as a default meeting spot for meals.
- MISTI
- MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives, the primary hub for international internships and research.
N
- New V
- New Vassar, the newest undergraduate residence hall on campus.
- New Vassar
- New Vassar (often just 'New'), the newest undergraduate residence hall on Vassar Street.
- Next
- Next House, an undergraduate dormitory located on the far west side of campus.
- NV
- New Vassar, one of the newest undergraduate dormitories on Vassar Street.
P
- Pritchett
- A dining and student lounge space located in Walker Memorial (Building 50).
- Punt
- To intentionally ignore an assignment or skip a class to sleep, socialize, or work on something else.
R
- Random
- Random Hall, the smallest undergraduate dormitory known for its unique culture.
S
- SIPB
- Student Information Processing Board, a student group providing computing services and help.
T
- TechCash
- A credit-like system where money is loaded onto the MIT ID for use at campus retailers and dining.
- TechMart
- An at-cost grocery store for students located on the second floor of the Student Center.
- The Sponge
- Simmons Hall, named for its unique architectural appearance with thousands of small windows.
- The Stud
- The Stratton Student Center, which houses various retail food options and hangouts.
- Tool
- To study intensely for long periods of time; also used as a noun for someone who does nothing but study.
U
- UA
- Undergraduate Association, the primary student government body for undergrads.
- UROP
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, allowing students to join faculty research projects.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 100_main_marketplace
- 100 Main Marketplace
- 77 Mass Ave
- Building 7, the main entrance to MIT and the start of the Infinite Corridor.
- argana_falafel
- Argana Falafel
- Athena
- The campus-wide academic computing environment and the name of the networked workstations.
- Atlas
- The primary web portal and mobile app for managing administrative tasks like finances, HR, and commuting.
- baker_house_dining
- Baker House Dining
- bibimbox
- BibimBox
- Building 7
- The main campus entrance and lobby located at 77 Massachusetts Avenue.
- Infinite Corridor
- The 251-meter hallway connecting buildings 7, 3, 10, 4, and 8.
- Kerberos
- Your MIT username and the authentication system used to access almost all digital campus services.
- maseeh_hall_dining
- Maseeh Hall Dining
- Media Lab
- The complex consisting of Buildings E14 and E15, home to the Program in Media Arts and Sciences.
- MIT Time
- The campus convention that classes and meetings start five minutes after the scheduled time.
- Saferide
- A free shuttle service that runs at night to transport students safely between campus buildings and residences.
- Stata
- The Ray and Maria Stata Center (Building 32), known for its unconventional 'deconstructivist' architecture.
- Tech Shuttle
- The free campus bus service that circulates around the MIT campus and parts of Boston.
- TechCash
- A declining balance account on the MIT ID card used for on-campus dining and retail purchases.
- The Dome
- Building 10, the iconic Great Dome overlooking Killian Court.
- The Great Dome
- The iconic architectural feature atop Building 10 overlooking Killian Court.
- The Green Building
- Building 54, the tallest building in Cambridge, housing the Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences department.
- The Infinite
- The Infinite Corridor, the 251-meter hallway connecting the main campus buildings.
- The Infinite
- The Infinite Corridor, a 251-meter hallway that serves as the main thoroughfare through the heart of campus.
- The Media Lab
- Building E14/E15, home to the interdisciplinary research lab.
- The Z
- The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center, the primary campus athletic facility.
- Tim
- The MIT ID card, which features Tim the Beaver, the school mascot.
- Tim Ticket
- A digital pass used via a mobile app for building access and visitor registration.
- TimMap
- The official interactive map of the MIT campus used to find buildings and rooms.
- W20
- The Stratton Student Center, the hub for student life, food, and the bookstore.
- Walker
- Walker Memorial (Building 50), which houses a dining area, gym, and student group offices.
- Z-Center
- The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center, the primary athletic facility on campus.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Term 2026 runs Sep 8, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 38 approved campus terms and 30 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.