Hello future Nittany Lions! My name is Bella Fordyce and I’m here to tell you about my experiences at Penn State, from starting out as an out-of-state, undecided freshman who had no friends in Pennsylvania to where I am now, confidently heading into my senior year.
First off, I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’m from St. Charles, Illinois, but being raised by two Penn State parents pretty much secured my destiny as a Nittany Lion. I grew up wearing Penn State cheerleading costumes for halloween, asking for navy and white bands for my braces in middle school, visiting State College in the summers to stock up on PSU notebooks and t-shirts for the upcoming school year. When my high school college search started, however, I almost didn’t apply to come here. There was the distance from home (a ten-hour drive), but more than that, I was worried that my lifelong infatuation with the University might blind me to great opportunities elsewhere or possible downsides to Penn State itself. I applied to a slew of other schools across the midwest (including some of my now Big Ten rivals), but when I was waiting to hear back about my status, it was Penn State that I was the most anxious about. When I got my acceptance and officially visited Penn State as a prospective student, I immediately knew that State College was where I wanted to be.
Now that I’m going into my senior year, the time when I doubted coming to Penn State seems like a lifetime ago. I’m now a public relations major with four minors (digital media trends and analytics, psychology, history and international studies, if you were curious), I’ve studied abroad, held multiple internships on and off campus and become a leader in a great student organization. I’ve never regretted my decision to come here, and as I begin the job search and preparing for post-grad life, I’m in the best position that college senior can be in–confident.
Over the next few months, my goal is to tell you all about what my life at Penn State has been like. I’ll let you in on the tips and tricks for navigating your way through college life, from how to plan out your schedule, what to bring, how to find your niche–and even the best ice cream flavor to get in your Berkey Creamery milkshake (hint: it’s Keeney Beany). I’ll tell you about the things that I love about this school, the incredible opportunities I’ve been afforded by coming here and of course all of the things I wished I had known or had done better over the last three years.
I feel like I’ve made the most out of my time here. I hope I can help you do the same!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.