How to Survive LAU Beirut

We know you’ve heard rumors. We know there are setbacks. But play your cards right and you’ll fall in love with this private local university before you know it. Let the LAU alumni staff of Beirut.com show you how to make the most out of your university experience.

1) Start the day with a bit of mingling at Malik’s bookshop, and have fresh apples with cumin for breakfast. Aromatic, delicious, and one hell of a conversation starter throughout your first few days.

2) Register your classes EARLY. Everyone leaves it to the last minute and ends up running after professors; it’s kind of the tradition. Don’t fall for it. Get organized and ask around for the best instructors.

3) Take a bunch of free electives. LAU Beirut has an amazing theater and communication arts program . Take a drama class, a history of film class, clay art, cooking, or even Latin! The curriculum is rich and the professors are awesome.

4) HAVE THE KAAKEH. The kiosk has been at upper gate for generations now. Picon, tomato, zaatar, sumac, salt, and a little chili powder toasted to perfection on a soft round kaakeh. Perfect any time of the day.

5) Take advantage of the library in the Business Building. Most LAU students are too up their own asses to go in. There are quiet floors underground that are perfect for focusing during finals, and insane archival references for newspapers and magazines as well! Happy researching 🙂

6) Hang out in the big space between upper and lower gate, where the artsy people usually sit. The campus is otherwise flocking with to-be socialites or to-be political mafiosos. Wallow in the safe haven of the bleachers, where people are fun, down-to-earth, and hard working. And they’ll still love you even if you have bring two notebooks to class instead of two cell phones (you’ll see a LOT of that).

7) Join a club…or seven. LAU Beirut has everything from fashion and dance to human rights and cultural clubs (Armenian, Syrian, Palestinian, Greek…you name it). It gives you something valuable to add to your CV, and a fun way to fill your time and make you feel productive!

8) Learn to be independent and/or peer-reliant with your class and professor choices. Hard workers get ahead really quick at LAU, but advisors aren’t always attentive.

9) Make friends with the guards at both gates. It’ll help when you want to walk from Hamra to Qreitem late at night after you’ve graduated, or when you don’t have your ID on you.