In the beginning of my blog, I discussed change and transitions, specifically, to college. Change and transitions were not just discussed, but it was acknowledged how scary they can be. Change can be good or bad, and change is something that is not talked about enough. Being 12 weeks into the semester, I can now say that change isn’t all that bad, as scary as it once seemed.
Change is defined by Merriam Webster as “the act or instance of making or becoming different.” Throughout the past few months, my perspective on change has shifted. A few months ago, I would have said that change is terrifying, and that it is something I would not want to do often. However, now, I have learned that although change is scary, good things will come out of it.
There are so many changes that have occurred in the past few months. A year ago, I remember experiencing the endings of high school sports seasons, but now I see others experiencing the same. 6 months ago, almost everyone knew where they would attend college, and now we attend college. In the next six months, we will be finishing up our first year of college, and a few months from that, most of us will be returning to Penn State, likely in an off-campus apartment, much different from this year’s living situation. As I signed my lease a few weeks ago, I realized how weird it felt that things were moving this fast and changing so quickly. It truly does feel like I just graduated high school a month ago.
With all of these changes doesn’t only come fear, but good. I have learned throughout this time that change is something we can learn to appreciate and look forward to. Even though I know life will be different at this time next year, it will be for the good. Change is something that can be scary, but that many, if not everyone, has experienced before.
Within the span of these blogs, I have discussed things such as firsts, failure, transitions, home, seasons, holidays, and more. While all of these things are different topics, most of them involve changing, whether it is individually, socially, or even a place. Over the past few months, I have come to realize that freshman year itself is simply filled with lots of changes.
Many of you may be reflecting on how you feel about change, and whether it is feelings of nervousness, excitement, or fear, I encourage you to appreciate the changes around you. In previous posts, I talked about the seasons changing, and how we always find a way to appreciate the seasons changing, and admire the beauty of it, for example, fall leaves or snow. Taylor Swift once sang a song called “Everything Has Changed,” and in this song, she simply sings about the beauty of changes.
Overall, change is something that affects everyone, and over time, I have finally come to realize that change is good. Change is not something to be afraid of nor to avoid, but to approach with excitement and gratitude. As my blog comes to an end, I can appreciate the changes I have made in not only my writing, but my posts in general, the subject matter, and the material.
Sources:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change
“Everything Has Changed” Taylor Swift (Apple Music)
As we are more than halfway into first semester, this year has been going by faster than I could have imagined. Last blog, I talked about how soon Halloween was approaching us, and just a week or so later, I feel like Thanksgiving/Fall break is only days away. To be exact, it is 3 weeks away. Whether this sounds like a lot or a little to you, it will be here before we know it.
You may be asking yourself, why does this matter? In reality, it matters for several reasons. First, it matters for choosing classes next semester, getting to go home and see family and friends, Black Friday shopping, and more.
Although time moving fast is exciting, it can also be stressful because of what is to come. Having to schedule next semester’s classes makes some feel extremely stressed. For me, I feel like having to choose next semester’s classes is stressful because it means the closer we are to having to take specific classes for our major. Personally, I am unsure about my major, and scheduling next semester’s classes requires me to figure it out sooner. Not only are we scheduling next semester’s classes, but where we are choosing to live next year. This is crazy to think about, as we are only around 2 months into the school year.
The second reason why Thanksgiving/Fall break approaching matters is because of getting to see family and friends at home. For most of us, we have not seen many of our friends since the beginning of the fall semester, so it makes us excited to go home. After talking to people at school and other schools, I have realized that people saying that even though they like their college friends, they still miss their friends at home. Getting to catch up with everyone is something I know I have been looking forward to. Not only do we get to catch up with friends, but our families. Many of us get to enjoy a home cooked meal, or favorite foods, or sleep in our own bed. As funny as it sounds, it is something that many of us have missed, including myself.
Thanksgiving Meal
One of the most popular days of the fall season is the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. Black Friday is defined as “the day after the US Thanksgiving Holiday.” (Investopedia) Black Friday is popular at shopping malls, outlets, and more as clothes, shoes, and other items are on huge sales. Personally, every year, my mom and I try to find one new place to see how we like it compared to our favorite mall. This year, we are trying the King of Prussia mall, the second biggest mall in the country according to Trips to Discover. Black Friday shopping is something that I have always looked forward to since I was little, whether it is after Thanksgiving dinner or early Friday morning. If it were up to me, I would go shopping all night and day!
KOP Mall
Overall, Halloween approaching in just a few days doesn’t just mean that we get to dress up, but that other holidays are coming even sooner. This means that finals, next semester, and colder weather are too. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for you, it is something that we can all try to look forward to and be happy we have successfully made it through the school year thus far.
Sources:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blackfriday.asp
https://www.tripstodiscover.com/biggest-malls-in-the-united-states/
How many times a year do you get to dress up as whatever or whoever you want, without anyone being slightly confused as to why? The answer is, once. This one day a year, also known as Halloween, is something that has been part of most people’s lives from a young age. Whether it was trick or treating with your siblings and friends, trading candy at school, or handing out candy with your parents, most people have experienced some aspect of Halloween. This exciting holiday is only about two weeks away!
Young Kids Trick or Treating
Halloween is one of the few holidays that is not related with any religion, society, or social structure. Anyone can throw on a costume, whether it is bought from a store or hand made, and dress up. You can be almost anything, and it does not matter who you are, as everyone is dressed up. There is minimal judgement during Halloween, as everyone likes to see what each other are dressed as. Although there comes a certain age where trick-or-treating might not be the right activity anymore, there are so many other ways to enjoy the Halloween spirit such as haunted houses, decorations, and more. Whether you are rich or poor, you are able to dress up in some way possible and enjoy Halloween for what you have come to know it as.
This year, as college freshmen, Halloween looks a bit different. We are likely spending it with different people than we did the past few years, and as most other things, in a different place. Halloween at Penn State is something that many look forward to. Personally, I know Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays since I was younger, probably because when I was trick or treating not every piece of candy I got was a Hershey bar, but I have realized that I can come to enjoy parts of it such as finding fun costumes and being able to spend time with friends.
During the Halloween season, there are so many events to participate in at Penn State. Whether it is the Haunted Valley event at Hintz Family Garden or the Arboretum’s Pumpkin Festival, there is something for everyone. There is also so many costumes for people to choose from to dress up as, whether it is Dora, Spider Man, angels and devils, and more.
Arboretum at Halloween
Halloween is a time of year filled with costumes, spider webs, haunted houses, and more. Whether it is your favorite or least favorite holiday, there is something for everyone to enjoy, or try to enjoy. As Penn State students have said, “Zarnick, aside from her fears of spooky costumes, said she was thrilled to experience “Halloweekend” for her first time as a student.” (Daily Collegian) It is crazy to think that this is now not others doing this, but ourselves. Soon enough, it will be Halloween weekend at Penn State. After Halloween, there are so many more fun holidays to look forward to in the coming months, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Sources:
https://www.collegian.psu.edu/culture_lifestyle/annual-haunted-valley-event-begins-halloween-festivities-at-penn-state/article_9a9e662e-4742-11ed-a92b-2ba31a325245.html
https://www.collegian.psu.edu/culture_lifestyle/penn-state-students-showcase-halloween-spirit-with-this-year-s-costume-trends/article_409fb318-3a9f-11ec-a68d-1f6a7c52dd18.html
Every year, the seasons change no matter where we are. Whether you live in California, Michigan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Texas, we cycle between winter, spring, summer, and fall. Before we know it, the seasons are changing again. Currently, the seasons are changing from summer to fall, but soon enough, it will be from fall to winter. Already, we have hit temperatures in the 40’s in State College. For some, such as those who live in places like Miami, this may feel extremely cold, but for others who live in places like Michigan or New England, this isn’t so bad. Before we know it, we won’t just be in a sweatshirt, but we will be in winter coats and on freezing walks to class.
As Lonely Planet states, “In the fall, the air turns crisp, and the landscape is alive with color as autumn begins. Fall in State College, Pennsylvania is a time filled with beauty, and the change of seasons is the perfect time to head that way.” (Lonely Planet) With this, it gives students, faculty, families, and so many more things to see. Whether it is a walk across campus looking at the leaves changing or a walk downtown to see the vibrance of fall and things such as the farmers market, we have so many things to appreciate during this season.
Old Main in the Fall
Soon enough, the seasons will change from fall to winter on December 21st. With this comes snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. If you are like me, you are probably hoping that you do not trip and fall on ice on your way to class, because you barely made it outside of your high school parking lot without falling. Because we are in a valley, we are bound to get a good amount of snow. Weather Spark states, “In Happy Valley, the summers are short, warm, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are very cold, wet, and overcast.” (Weather Spark) Surrounded by mountains, it is bound to be cold and snowy. Whether you like the cold or not, it can bring us fun things such as skiing at nearby mountains on weekends or watching a movie as you watch it snow out of your windows with hot chocolate.
Old Main in the Winter
Whether winter, spring, summer, or fall is your favorite season, we get to experience it all at Penn State. As freshman, we can experience all these seasons in State College before we know it. We will go from football season in Beaver Stadium to basketball games in the Bryce Jordan Center and hockey games in the Pegula Ice Arena. In high school, for most of us, we did not walk to our classes daily, but we were in one building. This is a change that some of us may like, while others might dislike it.
Overall, the seasons in State College are something that are unique and a way for us to experience different activities, sports events, and even outfits. Just as people change over time, the seasons do too!
Sources:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/fall-in-state-college-pennsylvania
https://weatherspark.com/y/741/Average-Weather-in-Happy-Valley-United-States-Year-Round
Are you homesick? No. But do you miss certain things from home? Yes. This is a question many have been asked in the past few weeks. As we are near halfway in the our first semester, it makes many of us reflect on our past month or so, and things that occurred beforehand. Countless times, I have heard others talk about “Even though I love it here, I miss home. I love my friends, but I also miss my friends at home.” In my opinion, this is something that I think we can all relate to. Whether you loved or hated your hometown, there most likely will always be a part of you that misses it, or feels some sort of belonging there, no matter how many miles away you are.
Seeing one year ago today memories on Snapchat are something that most experience. Whether it’s senior year football games, homecoming, or just driving around with friends, it makes us all reminisce. However, there is one thing we also see that is new to us. Something that I have noticed is seeing the tag “Home” in my camera roll from pictures at Penn State. As exciting as this is, it shows the huge changes we have experienced in the past few months. Home is defined as, “the place where one lives.” Personally, I think home means more than this.
A Year Ago- One of our Last School Dances
Home is not only a place where one lives, but a place where one feels their true self, happy, and comfortable. Home is not only a physical place, but a place where one feels a sense of belonging. Home can be described as many things. In college, there is not just one place where we call home anymore, but at least two. Home is surrounded by people you care about and people you enjoy being around, and it tells a story. We came to college with different stories of home, but now we are beginning to all have an even more similar story of home, which is Penn State.
Click on Image for Link (Adobe)
Around 3 months ago, home was very different for all of us. We were surrounded by our families, different friends, and different places. The main roads we traveled on to go to work, school, and to hang out with friends, were most likely much different than they are now. Now, we are only a short walk or uber ride away from places we go to. Most went from driving every day to not driving for months. We went from seeing our friends every day, to a short text or call asking how they are doing, maybe even with a conversation about how you miss the stupid events and things your high school would make you do, such as the assemblies you are now seeing your younger friends attend, or your old sports team being undefeated. University of the people says, “Getting homesick in college is a very normal response to a separation from home and family.” Whether it is homesickness or simply just missing things from home, it is a perfectly normal thing to experience.
As happy as I am to be at Penn State, it is starting to approach the time of year where we miss our friends and family at home, a home cooked meal, and miss the simple things, such as coming home from school and being able to lay on a couch surrounded by our pets and families. As Fansided states, “While college food has made great strides, the reality is that a home cooked meal is a plate of comfort like no other.” Even though we can feel these feelings of comfort at our Penn State home too, the excitement of being able to go home is one that is on lots of people’s minds. The transition we have experienced is one that is most definitely unique, and that many do not understand until it is fully experienced.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/home
https://foodsided.com/2021/10/13/college-students-crave-this-one-thing-from-home/
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/homesickness-in-college/
While freshman year of college is filled with fun and friends, it is also filled with schoolwork – the main reason why we are at Penn State. The first few weeks of school are simple. The first week is syllabus week. The second week you learn new things, but nothing is too hard or crazy yet. The third week you take complex notes, submit weekly assignments, and more. Around the fourth week, you submit large projects and take exams. Navigating exams is all part of the freshman experience.
Scantron Paper Commonly Seen In Exams: Click on Image for Link
Although it is not purposeful, it always has happened that most of your exams fall in the same week (even in high school.) This dreaded exam week is something all of us are never looking forward to. Being in the library, constantly studying, and staring at your computer or that giant textbook. As you finish one assignment, you go right into another. For many of us, our junior and senior years of high school were impacted by COVID, allowing for many open-note tests or take-home assignments. As Brookings states, “Most of us have never lived through a pandemic, and there is so much we don’t know about students’ capacity for resiliency in these circumstances and what a timeline for recovery will look like.” Because of this, it sometimes takes longer to study than it should, as we have not practiced these intense study habits in a long time. When you finish studying, sometimes, you just hope that you studied hard enough to earn the grade you want on this assignment or exam. Most times, you go to bed, exhausted from a long day of studying.
As you wake up on exam day, sometimes it can be nerve-wracking. Especially because this is our first exam, it can make us nervous to know what the format might be, how many questions there are, and more. Exam nerves are a real thing, and they happen to many people. The National Library of Medicine states, “Approximately 25–40% of US students suffer from test anxiety.” For many, the dreaded walk to the Pollock Testing Center, the Forum Building, and more is where these nerves hit most. While taking the exam, you are trying to recall all your studying and hope that you did well when you turn it in. When turning the exam in, you always have a feeling whether you did well or not.
Pollock Testing Center at Penn State: Click on Image for Link
As you get the exams back, it is common to do not as well as you thought on one. I know personally, I was happy with one of my exam grades, but felt I could’ve done better on the other. After realizing the things I got wrong, I felt better about the exam I thought I had done better on. After all, the things I could’ve done better on were the things I was struggling with while studying. This shows me that although I felt failure at first, I will be able to study harder and improve next time. It is important to keep in mind that one exam does not determine our entire grade; in most cases.
Overall, part of being a freshman in college is learning new things. Whether it is study habits for exams or learning how to do better on an exam, we will all learn these things as the year goes on. Best Colleges tells us, “Don’t let a single F define you as a student. In college, as in life, you’ll always face setbacks. Learning how to gracefully respond to failures will shape your future more than a poor grade.” Even if the grade is not an F, and it just is a grade that doesn’t satisfy you, feeling failure is part of life, and we will find new ways to overcome it as time progresses.
Anticipation is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the act of looking forward.” Freshman year of college is filled with firsts, for everyone. In particular, there are some firsts that all students will experience, such as the first weekend of college, first football games as a student, first exams, and more.
College is filled with trying new things, getting to know ourselves, and more. Last blog, I talked about the transitions to college. Some may face culture shock or feel like their life is completely different. Even though life does almost completely change, I have realized that you can still hold on to certain things to make it feel like life isn’t completely new. Transitions can be harder for some than others. However, once you are settled into college and a new environment, the excitement begins.
When we all arrived at Penn State, we likely were nervous for classes, and already wanted it to be the weekend. All senior year, it is talked about what you think your first week and weekend of college will be like. When it finally arrived, it was exciting. For many, this can be the first chance at real independence. As you get to know your roommate, the two of you can go out and meet more new people and explore a new place. Because you don’t have class, you are able to try some of the favorite breakfast spots in the area. For us, these include places such as Bagel Crust and Irving’s.
(Click on Image for link)
Not only are we experiencing these first weekends of college, but the first football game. To be specific, this weekend, we will get to experience the first football game as a student. Although many have attended Penn State football games before, it will be much different as a student as this is now not only a school you cheer for, but also a school in which you attend as a student. Personally, I know I am excited to be back in a football stadium decked out in Penn State clothing. For all of us, this is new, as we are representing a new school than have the past 4 years of high school. I cannot wait for this weekend and weekends such as the whiteout game! As Bleacher Report says, “Between tailgates and whiteouts, there are plenty of reasons why State College is home to one of the top scenes for a college football experience to soak in.”
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(Click on Image for Link)
Firsts such as weekends and football are the exciting ones, but there’s also firsts that are not as exciting. In this case, it is exams. As we prepare for our first college exams, many of us are filled with anxiety and stress, hoping to get the grade we want and that it will turn out to be okay. Kids Helpline explains that exam stress looks like many things, such as, “confusion, lost touch with friends, mood swings, and lack of motivation.” It is common for us to face these feelings before our first college exams. However, we all worked hard to get into this school, and we can work hard to get the grades we want to achieve here.
Overall, we have so much to be excited about this first year of college. From things like weekends, football games, and exams, we can experience so many firsts. Personally, I am so excited for what we will experience, and everyone else should be too.
Links:
https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/exam-stress
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticipation
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/717928-penn-state-football-8-reasons-why-state-college-is-the-best-game-day-experience
Our lives are filled with transitions. The term “transition” is defined as; “the process or a period of changing from one state to another.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary) From newborns, to toddlers, to children, to adults, we transition all throughout our lives. Whether these transitions are physical or mental, we are also faced with life transitions. Life transitions include from kindergarten to grade school, grade school to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to college and beyond. Right now, most of us, if not all of us, are facing the transition from high school to college. Beyond college, we will face job transitions, life transitions, friendship transitions, and more.
After being at Penn State since summer, I have discovered that the transition from high school to college is something that can be frightening, or even just weird. Personally, leaving my best friends and family who I had spent senior year with exactly a month after we graduated was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt like things would never be the same as they were, and simply did not want to leave yet. Senior year I had cherished friendships, loved my school, and everything felt right. It felt so easy, so natural, and so common. Quora describes senior year as “the best year of high school.” Leaving this year and packing up almost everything we know, whether it is during your senior summer or when all your friends are leaving too, is not easy. Driving away and realizing you probably won’t be back to this place until Thanksgiving can be an uneasy, and odd feeling. Soon enough, as I did, you realize that life changes, and transitions aren’t all that bad.
Image above shows my graduating class from 2022. This adjustment from 100 people (at an all girls, privatem catholic high school) was much different than 40,000 people at one school, and having almost 10,000 people in my class.
Around 2 months later, I have come to realize that transitioning from high school to college is something that is for the good. Although my life isn’t close to the same as it was my senior year, it’s a new and exciting thing. The fear I had that I would hate my school, or that I would make no friends, has slowly started to fade away. I now know that eventually, even if it isnt right this second or day, I will feel the same familiarity, naturalness, and friendships that I did my senior year of high school. If you told me this at the end of June (which in fact, I could tell you every single person I knew did) I wouldn’t believe you. The Washington Post says, “The most significant worries about transitioning to college life are roommate issues, followed by fears of not making close friends, the “hook-up” culture, the party scene and generally fitting in.” After talking to multiple friends and people in my family, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one worrying about college. However, I can now say, that everyone who told me about the transition, even though I left for college earlier than every single person I knew, turned out to be perfectly okay.
Transitioning from high school to college can be a culture shock in more ways than one. As you can see from the image below, Penn State is not a small school, and the freshman class is extremely large (Image 1, Onward State) I know that I felt all of these feelings I talked about, and I imagine that some of you did too. In every way, it will all work out, even if it feels impossible in the moment. Now that the transitioning part is almost over, or in the process, we soon get to experience college as a freshman. Trying new things, making new friends, meeting new people, and all of the things we have been told to be so great since the beginning of high school. As the transition anxiety fades, let the anticipation and excitement begin. 