After days, weeks, and years of preparing for this moment, you’ve finally gotten the SAT score you need to head off to the college of your dreams! Now is the time you’ve been waiting for, and one of the most exciting choices of your life is just around the corner. You’ve traveled all across the state and maybe the country trying to figure out which college is the place you’ll call home for the next four years.
Before you submit the application that you’ve worked on for days, one of your biggest thoughts might be, how do I make a campus this big feel small?
One of the most thrilling things about being a student at Penn State is the fact that you never know what the next turn could hold for you. You never know if walking towards the Business Building, you’ll see your best friend or the kid you went to summer camp with two years ago. You might find free ice cream, or you might find your future favorite study spot.
If you’re afraid that Penn State might be a bit overwhelming, I’m here to tell you to not to let the size of the campus intimidate you.
Penn State may seem big but by walking around the campus, and yes, getting lost a few times, you’ll realize just how beautiful campus is, and just how easy it is to find your way around it. If you’re able to visit before you apply or once you have, just going on walks straight in one direction or the other is one of the greatest ways to see just what all Penn State has to offer.
In addition to discovering the beauty of campus, one of the best ways to make a big campus feel small is through finding a key group of friends. Finding this group might happen immediately for some people and it may take some more time for others to develop these relationships. If you’re one of the people nervous about making friends when you venture off to college, don’t panic.
When I was a sophomore, one of the things I really wish I had listened to during my freshman year was to not let the speeds at which some people make friends impact my view of how my year was developing. When you get to college, you’ll wonder, “How does everyone have a huge group of friends already?” It might puzzle you at the time, but you’ll find that during those first few weeks not everyone is lucky enough to meet the people who they’ll spend the best moments of their college career with.
Personally, I met some great people during my freshman year. Only as a second semester sophomore, however, did I feel as if I met people that I truly want to be friends with for the rest of my life. I joined tons of organizations during my freshman year, but the biggest problem was that I joined organizations only if I knew another person joining as well. Penn State is packed with incredible organizations that are based off of any concept you could imagine. Whether you want to volunteer for the largest student-run philanthropy in the world (THON – aka my favorite thing in the world), or further your job possibilities through academic leadership groups, if you can think it, trust me… it exists. By joining these orgs, you’ll really be able to connect with yourself and others on a whole new level.
My advice to anyone who fears a campus this size might be too big for them is to visit as many times as you possibly can. Even if you’re relatively local, like myself, you’ll sometimes need a map to find some buildings on campus.
Penn Staters pride themselves on being a part of the Penn State family, and getting in touch with someone from Penn State, whether it be an adviser from your potential college, or a current Penn Stater just like me, can help you answer any of the questions you might have! If you take advantage of the incredible orientation and tour opportunities that Penn State has at your fingertips, this place will feel smaller than you ever thought possible.
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