With over 37,000 students and no defined campus borders, Boston University does not promise a typical college experience.

Commonwealth Avenue runs freely through the city of Boston, making it difficult to distinguish urban living from BU’s campus. While one could assume this interferes with college life, it only enhances BU’s sense of community and tradition.

Painting the BU Greek Rock

The BU Greek Rock —  commonly known as the BU Rock — is a large painted boulder in Central Campus.

Covered in more than 1,000 layers of spray paint, the rock has been a focal point of BU Greek Life for decades. During Greek Week, BU’s sororities and fraternities competitively spray over one another’s tags, changing the rock almost daily.

Jaise King, a sophomore and campus tour guide, said he always shares this tradition with prospective students.

“It started off as a little pebble, but as more layers of spray paint are added, it’s gotten to its current size,” King said.

Other campus clubs join in as well, making painting the BU Rock a tradition that extends beyond Greek Life, King said.

“One of my clubs is planning on painting the rock next year, and I’m excited to do that,” he said.

BU hockey chants 

In addition to Greek Life, the student body is blessed with a vibrant hockey scene. While the BU Terriers are ranked eighth in D1 Men’s Ice Hockey and boast more than 100 alumni in the National Hockey League, many are fans of the lively student section — aptly dubbed the Dog Pound.

At each game, the Dog Pound prints a “Dirty Laundry List” with information on the opposing team — “why they suck, who their sieves are” — and “opponent-specific chants to heckle them about,” according to the Dog Pound FAQ sheet.

Junior Lily Thorpe recalled the surprise of attending BU hockey games and learning the chants on the “Dirty Laundry List” — something she’s come to value as part of her college experience.

“I’m a big hockey girl, and [it’s] something I didn’t really expect coming into BU,” Thorpe said. “Freshman year, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so fun,’ and then I learned all the chants.”

She said her personal favorite is when the student section turns their backs to the ice during the opposing team’s introduction, waving their fingers and pointing.

Other traditions include yelling “sieve” at the opposition’s goalie when the Terriers score and throwing hats onto the ice after the Terriers score a hat trick.

“The energy is just so good,” Thorpe said.

A slice at T. Anthony’s

While BU’s campus offers an array of restaurant choices, many students are partial to T. Anthony’s Pizzeria — open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Established in 1976, T. Anthony’s honors its Terrier patrons by covering its walls in BU sports paraphernalia. After a BU hockey game, Thorpe said she’s partial to grabbing a slice at T. Anthony’s.

“That’s definitely my spot,” Thorpe said. “I’m forever a T. Anthony’s girl.”

MarMon 

The neighborhood of Allston, which is a close walk from West Campus, is home to several BU fraternity houses. While the frats throw parties on any given weekend, the city of Boston’s own traditions are sometimes specially integrated.

The Boston Marathon, held annually on the third Monday of April, is celebrated by college students and Bostonians alike. While some students honor the day by standing alongside the marathon trail to cheer on runners, others attend parties held from early morning to late afternoon.

King said one of his favorite traditions at BU is “MarMon” due to everyone’s excitement.

“It was just such a fun and vibrant time around the city of Boston,” he said.

Red Sox game at Fenway Park

At a university so enmeshed in Boston sports culture, many Terriers pass their time at Fenway Park catching a ball game. In signing up for Student9s, the official student ticket program of the Boston Red Sox, BU students can receive discounted $9 tickets on game days.

Junior Summer Genovese said going to Fenway to watch the Red Sox play, “even [if] you don’t know anything about baseball,” is always great.

However, Genovese said she warns against being caught off guard by overpriced food, recalling an $18 bill for two sausages.

“I mean, jaw on the floor,” Genovese said. “A universal BU experience could be paying for overpriced Fenway food.”

With 186 years and more to come, BU Terriers have had nearly two centuries to invent unique campus experiences and traditions.

As new faces arrive on campus, King said he urges incoming students to talk to everybody at Splash, BU’s fall club fair, and join everything they can.

“A little word of advice, please get as involved as possible … you will thank yourself,” he said.