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This is a cross-post from my blog on Spartan Connect. Check out the original post here.

After asking my Twitter network for the most useful tip for new students at MSU, the unanimous advice given was this: Know where your classes are before the first day of class.

MSU is the largest land grant university, with the largest capacity for on-campus living in the US and the largest campus. Here are some statistics: Today, MSU’s contiguous campus consists of 5,200 acres, 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of which are developed. There are 556 buildings: 100 for academics, 131 for agriculture, 166 for housing and food service, and 42 for athletics. Overall, the university has 22,763,025 square feet (2,114,754.2 m2) of total indoor space. Connecting it all is 26 miles (42 km) of roads and 100 miles (160 km) of sidewalks. MSU also owns 44 non-campus properties, totaling 22,000 acres (89 km2) in 28 different counties.

That’s pretty big.

When signing up for classes at AOP, you’re not always aware of the layout of the campus, where you’ll live in relation to where your classes are. Once you’ve signed up, it’s possible to change your courses on WebEnroll, which can allow you to craft your schedule to make your classes closer to each other (or at a more suitable wake up time). In the meanwhile, figure out where your classes are to begin with.

MSU has an interactive map of campus. Look for your buildings, and mark there locations on a physical map. In your few days before classes start, try to find your class rooms on campus. That way, when it comes time to actually getting to class, you’ll be sure to be on time. You can also use CATA, the bus transportation service, to map out your transportation to classes if you don’t plan on walking/biking.

In addition, don’t be afraid of asking people where your classes are. People are always willing to help, although not everyone is aware of all building locations. Don’t feel embarrassed. We’ve all been there.

It may be scary at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. It took me about a month to really get settled in and be able to know how to get to where I needed to be. When I had a class in a different building this year, I still had to map it out before classes started. My understanding of the streets helped me navigate without having to look for landmarks.

Feel free to leave a comment or tweet me at @DesignLightning with any follow up questions or conversation!