Students could not leave campus without a parent's permission, nor were they allowed to attend theater productions in the city. They also could not hunt or fish without permission. All Saturday and Sunday nights were spent in their room without any socialization. Students had to pay a fine every time they missed a class or prayer. They were also forbidden from shouting loudly at school. Pierce graduated from Bowdoin in 1824. Shortly afterward, he found employment as a clerk with several attorneys. Pierce attended law school in Northampton, Massachusetts. Soon after, Pierce began his law practice in Hillsborough. Unfortunately, he lost his first case. In Hawthorn's words, "it only served to make him aware of the latent resources of his mind" (Sibley 841). At the age of twenty-three, Pierce was no longer working at Hillsborough, but was asked to work at the White House in Washington. Franklin's outgoing personality and keen debate skills that he learned at Bowdoin gave him an edge for whatever lay ahead. All these great qualities also allowed him to gain popularity among voters. At the age of twenty-four he was elected to the New Hampshire State Legislature. He was elected to his first term in Congress two years later. In 1836, Pierce became the youngest U.S. senator of his class.