Last week was my spring break. Instead of going to the beach like the vast majority of my classmates, I decided to fly up to Harrisburg, PA and drive 100 miles to State College to see Penn State's University Park campus. I consider myself a lifelong Nittany Lion fan and I'm very enthusiastic about hopefully having the opportunity to attend PSU. Of course, I did not go on this trip without learning anything. So, here are some things that I learned:
1. Penn State is HUGE.
Don't get me wrong, I love big schools, and that's what I'm interested in. This is probably the biggest school I've toured so far. It's very easy to forget about how rural the area around the school is, because campus itself is kind of like a city.
2. I was very, very far away from home.
In fact, that was the very first thing I heard from the concierge when I got to my hotel on day 1. On the beginning part of the tour where you have to say your name, where you're from, and what you're interested in, I felt a little bit like the odd person out, being the only person from the south while everyone else seemed to be from around the area.
3. It's a small world.
During our trip, my mom and I were able to meet someone from Canton, GA, someone who knows one of my mom's cousins, and someone from the town where my mom's grandparents are buried. It's not very hard to make a big school seem small.
4. Getting home for breaks might be a challenge.
Basically, what was supposed to be a 2 day trip turned into 4 days. I flew up on Tuesday with the intention of taking a tour on Wednesday morning and flying home that night. Well, everything was going as planned until we got to the airport on Wednesday afternoon. The gate agent kept announcing that our flight was delayed...an hour, and hour and a half...and then it was finally cancelled. I ended up coming home on Friday morning, but we struggled to get seats on that flight, and it was also delayed 2 hours. So, if I end up going to PSU, I might have to deal with that again, unless I decide that taking long solo trips in my car between school and home is worth it!
5. It's much colder up there than it is down here.
I got used to wearing shorts and t-shirts at home, and I was wearing long sleeves and jackets while I was up there. Snow days here usually look like about 1-2 inches, while Penn State's usually look like 10-16 inches.
6. Berkey Creamery might be responsible for my freshman 15.
I'm not going to tell you guys how much ice cream I consumed on this trip, but trust me when I say that it's probably some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Berkey Creamery is a famous spot on campus, and rightfully so, too.
