Pennsylvania State University (StudentsReview) - Comments, Reviews and Advice, Student Life at Pennsylvania State University

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“Going to Penn State was by far theQuite BrightCommunications

Going to Penn State was by far the best decision I have ever made in my life. Penn State is by far the best school in the country. I can not think of a school where you get anything close to the experience that you get at Penn State.

I came to Penn State from VA. I had never had a drink in my life ( no not everyone is a big drinker) and honestly I was scared about going 2 the #3 party school ( now #1) . I immediately feel in love with the school and everything about it. Penn state does an amazing job introducing you to college life with welcome week and my Ra was amazing. I am a sophomore and I am still best friends with almost every girl from my floor freshman year. My teachers have been amazing. I have received teachers cell phone #'s , teachers have offered to meet students at their office as last as midnight to accommodate students schedules and I NEVER felt like a #. My professors have known my name in almost every class ( even one with 800 ppl bc i went to office hours once). Help was always there when I needed it weather it was the free writing center free math tutors or free spanish tutors I always felt like help was there if I needed it.

But aside from academics the true Penn State experience is what truly sets Penn State apart. The football is like nothing else in the world. Sitting in the Penn state student section in the most amazing thing you will ever experience hands down. I was never a huge sports fan in high school and I can honestly say now that I am beyond obsessed. My friends and I have camped out for an entire week( several times) in Paternoville to get front row football games. Paternoville is honestly one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life . When you get over 1000 students camped out outside the stadium fired up for a game at 7pm on Saturday on Monday @ 4 am you will know that their is no place you would rather be than happy valley. ( yes parents you go to class when you do paternoville)

As much as I love football there is something I love even more...Thon.. Thon is the largest student run philanthropy in the world and being involved has been the best experience in my life. Their are no words to describe the love dedication and commitment in the BJC thon weekend. Thon is honestly my favorite weekend of the year, I look forward to it more than christmas my birthday and every other holiday combined. Thon also brings together so many student together as friends who would not normally be friends and brings Penn State together as a university.

The party scene is amazing ( we are the #1 party school) But you do not have to drink ( I have honestly never been close to drunk or had more than a few drinks ) and completely everyone respects that. I still go out all the time and I have had the time of my life.Frats get fun things like mechanical bulls bands ect that make the party scene amazing! Their are also a lot of fun alcohol free activities.

Their are thousands of other clubs and ways to get involved and endless things to do with your 4 years here.

the bottom line is ..I have never met a person who at all regrets coming to penn state ( a girl on my floor transfered and said it was one of the worst mistakes she ever made .. she visits all the time)

I have also never met a senior who is ready or happy to graduate . I know I won't be... 4 years is just not enough to do it all.

I have friends at outstanding university's throughout the country and I can honestly say that no one likes their school nearly as much as I do... they all want to come visit ! There is no school like penn state and no students like penn state students ! No one is as happy as I am to go back in August as sad when winter break and summer come.

Someone told me that you can make a big school smaller but you can not make a small school bigger and nothing could be more correct. I am a sophomore and I already have friends who are sick of their school ( one being William and mary.. they hate it ) I can go 20 different places where " everyone knows my name " but if I want to get away I can . Penn state is not nearly as big as it seams . I can not walk to class without seeing at least 10 people that I know. With texting and facebook you will never feel lost and you will never ever be alone( unless you want to be ) . Penn state IS MUCH SMALLER THAN IT SEAMS There are over 30 places to eat on campus ( and the FOOD IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Simmons had all healthy food and is the best ) and 4 beautiful gyms with amazing workout classes.

Everyone loves Penn state and Penn staters. I found this quote and it could not be more true... everyone is jealous "...then they ask me where i go to college, and i say Penn State, and their excited expressions turn to shame and all they can manage to get out is "oh" because instantly they know no story they can tell can top what i've done. i don't need to say a thing, they just understand. they know that their wildest night of college is just a regular thursday for us. We Penn State kids are a special breed, and trust me, everyone else is jealous."

I love Penn State more than anything in the world and I know you will too. "I came to Penn State for the blue and white. I chose Happy Valley as my home for the pride and the tradition. I tailgate with the best and lose my voice with the same family of 110, 000 proud. I sing my Alma Mater with tears in my eyes. I hate Ohio State, but I hate Michigan more. I support Joe Paterno and the plain uniforms he made so famous. There are no names on our jerseys because we are one. Penn State is part of who I am, and I will carry Dear Old State with me wherever life takes me."Their are few negatives about penn state the only one I can think of is that the dorm rooms are very small ( I work at j crew so i have a TON of stuff and they fit A LOT LOT LOT MORE THAN U THINK ) I thought the room size would bother me but it did not ... I would live in it for the rest of my life if I knew I would be as happy as I am now ( a teacher asked a class if they would live in east 4 the rest of their life and be happy ... the entire class said yes )

view full review→Apr 06 2010

2nd Year Female -- Class 2012

Education Quality: A+,

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“I applied to Penn State as my “safetyQuite BrightPolitical Science

I applied to Penn State as my “safety school.” After being accepted to Villanova, St. Joseph’s and Carnegie Mellon I settled on Penn State because I did not want to be a gazillion dollars in debt upon graduation. Though that ended up not working out as well as I had planned since Penn State offers very few students any significant amount of financial assistance (even if you are academically talented) and raises tuition every year without fail for no particular reason at all. If you’re trying to devise a college budget you must account for tuition hikes because they will happen consistently.

If you are in the top of your graduating class and plan on going here I strongly recommend that you apply to the Schreyer’s Honors College. This is the only way you will be challenged academically and the best way to meet other students who believe that the primary reason to attend college is to learn. If you have a passion for learning, like to work hard, want to feel that you have earned your grades, and view academic success as a priority be warned that you will be in the minority at this school.

Concerning academics, the professors are for the most part very well-versed in their particular subjects and express an enthusiasm for the material they teach. If you are the type of student who needs individual attention and likes to ask questions during a class and have it answered immediately you will not find that here, at least not in any general education classes. That is not to say that professors will not answer questions or work with you one-on-one. Most will gladly schedule a meeting time with you (though it may take a while) but you have to very proactive about making it happen. That is one thing you will learn very quickly here, if you don’t ask or do things for yourself you will be left out in the cold. Do not expect to be guided along or have anyone offer to help you – this is a do-it-yourself school. Also be aware that your general education classes will likely have 300 to upwards of 600 students.

As far as resources are concerned, Penn State offers a very diverse array of clubs, activities, and intramurals. There are also plenty of free concerts, seminars, and other entertainment-oriented events all the time so you should. Whatever your interests or hobbies are you will have no trouble finding other people who share them. Since it’s very easy to get lost in the sea of faces I recommend getting involved in clubs and activities early. The library is first rate, as good as any Ivy League library, and you will be able to find everything you could ever possibly want to know about whatever it is you are researching. This campus is all about up-to-date technology (just a reminder you will pay for this) so if that’s important to you Penn State will not disappoint. Although the IT help desk staff are not always the friendliest or most helpful. The career fairs are a great way to network and get internships and interviews. Due to the abundant number of Penn State Alumni in the workforce you will find a fellow Penn Stater in every field and industry imaginable, which is very advantageous after graduation.

Socially, if you are not a hard-core drinker or serious partier be warned that you will take a beating for this. Since almost everything in State College centers around drinking and partying every night of the week and all weekend your social prospects will be limited if you’re not into that whole scene. You have to be willing to put up with hoards of raucous drunken fools who only come to college for the alcohol. If you are female a word of advice for your own safety: you may want to consider other schools. This is by no means a female friendly campus. Things have happened to female students here that are atrocious so if you do come here please make an effort to look out for yourself.

Diversity is close to non-existent here. If you are a minority, as I am, know that you will be surrounded by a lot of closed-minded, prejudice, ignorant people. The campus does try to encourage unity and appreciation of cultural and ethnic diversity but for the most part everybody sticks to their own racial/ethnic groups. Basically if you want to be around open-minded, cultured, well-educated people go to a different school.

Overall, Penn State is not a good choice if you an in-state student looking to save money and get a decent education. Realize though, that you have to accept the reality that this school is a monolith so you will be treated like a number in the herd. Sugar coating aside, if you are an independent, go-getter, do-it-yourself kind of person or if you are someone who likes to go to a different party every night you will probably have a good Penn State experience (yes, it is an experience that you will never forget – good or bad). If your goal is to become part of learning community where students are treated as individuals and have a passion for knowledge Penn State is probably not the best choice for you.

view full review→Feb 28 2007

5th Year Female -- Class 2005

Social Life: A, Surrounding City: D+

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“I had a great time at Penn StateQuite BrightCommunications

I had a great time at Penn State University. I'm a freshman and I've worked hard to maintain a good gpa, so this year wasn't the most exciting in terms of having fun and partying, but I'm glad I did not get sucked into the party scene. One advice-it's easy to get caught up in the party scene...it really is! I'm no party animal, but I've had my fair share of moments getting trashed, and man this place is where you need to be if you want to have a good time! Apart from the whole party scene, the school itself is really good. I'm in the college of communication and my professors have all been fabulous. This school seriously teaches you how to be independent and an individual; you build character by going to this school-you learn how to make good friends, how to get around the campus, how to study and get good grades, etc.

The campus is sprawling and huge, but it is gorgeous! Especially during the fall time. When you first come here, you may think: "OMG, how am I going to survive here?" But it's not bad at all! After your first semester, the campus will become your home and it will feel really small, but not too small. The downtown area of State College is very quaint and there are lots of little shops and stores for you to have a good time.

The social scene is actually great. I was worried about dealing with annoying frat guys and sorority girls, but after a while, I began to notice that most of the people here are actually not involved in that. Sure, you will come across some trashy people who love to party 24/7, but there are amazing and great people here who will become your best friend! You just have to look hard and stop going to the "main events." I write for the school's newspaper and met so many of my friends through there. The Daily Collegian is a great place to be if you enjoy writing. After this year's crazy event with the Sandusky case, it's hard not to say that this was a one time opportunity for college journalists. Seriously, the reputation of The Collegian is wonderful and it's just a great place to be.The professors here are very nice (some of them are obviously into their research more) and they are willing to go that extra mile to help you. I made the effort to meet all my professors and got help in all of my classes. I'm going to transfer to USC because I want to go a place with a stronger Communication/Film program, but I couldn't have been able to transfer if it weren't for Penn State. In just one semester, I grew to be a stronger individual here. This is a wonderful school and I hope people will not look at in a negative light after the child abuse incident. I'm going to miss PSU and the amazing people I've met here. Penn State is a great school.

view full review→Dec 11 2011

1st Year Male -- Class 2015

Campus Aesthetics: A, Surrounding City: B-

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