Arriving at a school the size of a small town with 45,000 students can be pretty overwhelming.
These 10 tips can make life a little easier for you when you get to Happy Valley:
1. The second you say goodbye to your frantic parents on move-in day, meet everyone on your floor. It’s the easiest way to make friends and to guarantee you won’t be eating alone the first week of school.
2. A day or two before your first class, you should print out your schedule, grab a campus map, and take a walk. You don’t want to be that freshman that shows up 20 minutes late to a 300-person lecture hall because you got lost.
3. Speaking of lecture halls…don’t be that kid who gets to class early and chooses the aisle seat. You’ll have twenty people climbing over you and all of your stuff and they won’t be very happy.
4. Get involved right away! This is probably the most important advice that I could give you. Whether it is a club, a sports team, or a Greek organization, go out there and sign up for something that interests you. It’ll help you make lifelong friends and give you something to put on your resume!
5. Most freshmen live in East Halls. Yes, these are the worst dorms on campus, and yes, you have the worst dining hall...but don’t let that stop you! There are plenty of other good dining options here on campus like Redifer and Pollock. (Go to Pollock brunch on the weekends. You’ll thank me.)
6. The Freshman 15 is not a myth. After a few weeks of going out in fratland and binge-eating at Taco Bell, McDonald's, or Gumby’s at 1 a.m., you’ll start to see a layer of fat forming, and sooner or later you’ll end up with a beer belly. GET TO THE GYM!
7. Lucky for you guys, PSU just renovated the Intramural Building gym, which is just steps away from East Halls. Get a membership and use it! Try going early in the morning or later in the evening. Peak hours are around 3-5 p.m.
8. Actually go to class. College gives you a lot of freedom, and slacking off can be really easy. No one is going to take attendance anymore or care if you show up - it’s all up to you. Trust me, going to class pays off…well, unless your teacher is foreign and you can’t understand him or her.
9. Go to all of the football games, even the super early ones. You do not want to miss out on an opportunity to be in the best student section of the country. Also try and stay for the whole game! Standing for four hours does get tough, but you don’t want to miss a historical moment or that game-winning catch. (I missed Penn State's win against Michigan in quadruple overtime).
10. Finally, have fun! Freshman year goes by in the blink of an eye. You’ll soon miss those loud drunk people on your floor, the tiny cinderblock dorm room without any closet space, and maybe even the dorm food. Make this year one you’ll never forget.
