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Comment by ModernMech | Hacker News Reader

> If you really like the atmosphere at universities, that is cool. Put a backpack on and you can walk into any building at any university in the United States any time you want.

I would not follow this advice if your really have no business being there. Most universities in the US are in fact private institutions and this would be considered trespassing if you are found out. You might have an easy time blending in, but if any faculty (not just police, at least at my institution) asks to see your school ID, you are required to produce it.

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When I wanted to work from the University of Toronto I got an "Outside Researcher" card that let me use their libraries and get access to all their papers too! It was the cheapest desk you could rent in Toronto. Something like $100 a year and it came with access to all of their journals. In person, only, but still. Top notch ROI.

TIL! This is great info

I don't think this is really true? most schools I'm familiar with are "open campuses". the public is free to walk around campus, visit the library, etc. during normal hours. restricted areas like dorms and labs with expensive equipment will be locked. as an outsider, I wouldn't try to sit in on a six person seminar without talking to the professor, but I'm sure no one would notice or care if you sat in on a few large lectures.

It used to be true, 20 years ago. It hasn't really been true for at least a decade. RFID access control is really cheap and basically all buildings have it now. You could of course tailgate someone but that's crossing a line you probably don't want to cross.

I'm not sure why you'd bother though for computer science. There are plenty of very high quality lectures online.

Sure, but I can't imagine you'd get in any real trouble if caught. Play dumb, you'll just be asked to leave.

One thing I know some schools offer is, IIRC, auditing classes. I did this at UT a few years ago. You basically pay a filing fee and then can attend classes without enrolling. No credits or degree possibility AFAIK, but you get to learn.

Wouldn’t there be any number of visiting students, academics, speakers, researchers, research partners, study participants, etc?

My university was crawling with non-university people who were legitimately there.

All of those people have relationships with people already on campus, and many of them are given IDs if they're there long term. If you're just some guy with a backpack who hangs around campus for no reason and no one know what you're doing there, people are going to notice, at least where I'm from. YMMV

"Sorry, I must've misplaced it somewhere - thanks though I'll make sure to find it now."

Most universities these days also have their buildings locked with an RFID lock that responds to a valid university ID. To get into the buildings you will have to "tailgate" on someone else, which looks really sus.

meh, it's pretty common for students to lose/misplace their ID cards. where I went to college, people would usually let any college-aged person follow them into a building without a second thought.

Have you ever been to uni? Tailgating is performed on a regular basis, even by ppl w/ cards that are too lazy to take them out of their backpacks.

I graduated university two years ago. Anybody would let anyone in to anywhere unless you looked long term homeless.

You could randomly tap the glass and people would let you in.

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