Security guard.
Learn their names and always stop to chat for a minute. “If the guards get to know you and your friends,” says Lisa, a senior at Stamford University, “they’ll be more likely to just let your visitors through without having to go through the whole ‘sign-in with i.d.’ formality.”

Computer lab technician.
Okay, you know where the computer lab is, but do you know the hours? After you’ve noted lab locations tack a cheat sheet with lab hours and help-desk contact information to a bulletin board. “Get to know the people who work in the computer lab,” says Jenna. “Just saying hello or sharing a piece of gum could make the difference in whether or not you score that last computer the night before your term paper is due.”

Resident assistant.
RAs are on-campus family. They’re there to talk, to answer questions, to chill with. Philip, an RA for three years at NYU, helped with everything from carrying a student’s suitcase up twenty floors during a city-wide blackout to teaching bathroom cleaning skills to first-timers. Because he—like most RAs—dreaded busting students, he showed his residents tricks for throwing school-friendly parties, such as expanding the party to additional rooms, controlling crowds and maintaining acceptable music levels.