Disclosure: Troy Nishizaki is an employee of The Seed, and did not disclose his status as an employee during his interview.

A freshman’s first semester on campus can be intimidating. For most, it means navigating a new area filled with completely new people.

As the first semester drags on, however, most people quickly figure out the best places to study, eat and hang out at and around Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus.

If you’re new to campus, whether as an incoming spring semester freshman or transfer student, you may not know your way around FAU.

Here are some spots that students recommend newcomers check out.

Ramos says that the Starbucks on campus is a hot spot for socializing and working on group assignments, and she often goes for long periods of time.

However, the coffee chain may not offer peace and quiet for those that need to study. For that, Ramos likes to go to the S.E. Wimberly Library and study in a private room.

“The best time to go is around 10 at night,” Ramos said. “There are way less people and it is much easier to find a spot away from everyone. Usually there are more rooms available, too.”

On days when Ramos doesn’t want to study indoors, she says that Narnia — the area of trees between Indian River Towers and the Breezeway entrance — has plenty of tables in the shade to study at.

Freshman undecided major Laura Kachidurian said that she lucked out and landed great roommates who work with each other’s schedules and are respectful of those that need to study. When she wants to get out of her dorm room, however, Kachidurian likes to study underneath the large trees near the social science building.

The freshman said that she spends a lot of time studying, as she wants to work to keep her GPA high, but likes to take breaks and visit the nearby University Commons Plaza on Glades Road across from campus for some shopping and frozen yogurt.

“Me and my friends usually get frozen yogurt from 16 Handles for fun,” Kachidurian said.

Gedroc enjoys getting off campus and looks to the immediate area for her entertainment.

“There is a lot to do in Mizner,” Gedroc said. “There are shops everywhere, a lot of nice restaurants and even concerts. I just saw Sean Mendez there.”

The Mizner Park Amphitheater has also hosted musical tributes to artists such as Billy Joel, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and more.

Gedroc added that she and her friends often go to the Town Center Mall, as it is less than 10 minutes from campus on Glades Road.

Senior business management major Hannah Rodriguez and junior Troy Nishizaki can often be found sitting together at their favorite coffee shop, The Seed, which is only a few miles from campus and near Mizner Park.

“The Seed has really good coffee, a really homey environment and is always busy with people studying,” Rodriguez said.

Nishizaki said that he runs into people he knows all the time.

“[The Seed] has such a cool culture to it,” Nishizaki said. “There are a lot of people from FAU, but [it] also has its own personality.”

Rodriguez and Nishizaki agree, however, that it can get pretty busy.

“It’s less busy later on, but if you come at prime time it can get really crowded,” Nishizaki said. “But that’s when it’s more likely to see people you know.”

Tucker Berardi is the features editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @tucker_berardi.