Review of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
from Sewell, NJ
Describe your college in three sentences.
i couldn't be more content with my choice of university for undergraduate education. penn state has so much to offer for students like me who don't put a limit to their dreams: highly-ranked academics, endless extra-curricular activities, greek life, study abroad options, and more. the campus is named one of the safest in the country, and the atmosphere is so serene that i never want to leave.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
if you want a campus-y school, you're in the right place. some people may first feel overwhelmed by the large size of the university, but within two weeks you will be comfortable with your schedule and the locations of the most important buildings. my best advice for students finding their niche? get involved. there is so much to do and so much to be involved in if you just look. also, thon is the most amazing organization i've ever had the chance to be involved with, and a lot of freshmen hesitate to get involved right away in the fall, so be on the lookout for ways to get involved with it! most importantly- do not get caught up on the social scene. you have to learn to time manage from the get-go or you will have trouble staying on top of your grades. you just need to keep the end in mind, and you should do just fine. this means that you should remember that you are at penn state to get a great education, so your classes and schoolwork should remain your first priority. college is the step before your career, and that is something that needs to be taken very seriously.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
penn state is named one of the country's public ivy universities. the academic rigor at penn state definitely reflects that. the professors are all highly acclaimed and the work load depends on how many credits you are taking that semester, as well as your major. as a science major, my classes are very challenging as i compete against thousands of others for entrance to my major in the next two years. professors teach in ways that challenge the students. no class can be labeled as easy, and the challenge is something that you want to look for as an undergraduate because it means that you are getting a quality education and that you are really getting the most out of it.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
because their are so many students who attend penn state, the dorms are rather small. i don't have any complaints though. the bathrooms are cleaned daily, each floor has several different trashcans that follow an exclusive recycling program, and the rooms each have enough room (in my opinion) for all of the essentials. their is heat in the winter because it gets really cold, just not air conditioning in the summer. i didn't find that to be a problem because it starts to get cool in september, and you can just open the windows to get fresh air. each ra has floor bonding activities planned every once and awhile, so there fun things to do. each dorm complex has its own dining hall and study area, and each building has a floor designated with rooms for studying. there are also vending machines on the first floor of every building.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
there are five dining halls located around campus, each offering a variety of different foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. there are places to eat in the hub which is located in a central location on campus. the hub offers fast-food places like sbarro, panda express, chick fil a, and burger king, as well as sandwich places and salad bars. it can get expensive eating in the hub-so beware. their are also two coffee places in the hub. there are convenience stores located in each dining hall. penn state also offers a website called lion menus, which features dozens of restaurants-pizza parlors, sandwich places, chinese, italian, and dessert places that you can order food right to your dorm or apartment. you can pay with cash, a credit card, or lion cash. downtown features over fifty restaurants and bars including chili's, subway, coldstone, dp dough, wings over, and other restaurants traditional to penn state. lets just say there are more than enough options when it comes to dining. most restaurants take lion cash.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
aside from greek life and the frat scene, there is much more to do. different restaurants and ice cream places downtown, free concerts for students, comedians, guest speakers, and a free movie in the hub every thursday-sunday night. there is a local mall just ten minutes outside campus as well as several movie theaters. there are many bars for students of age, and a new nightclub coming this spring for students age 18 and older called levels. there is a sporting event for a different team almost every night. football season tickets are a must! football season is a lot of fun. there are also several shops downtown for some light shopping.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
endless opportunities. if you can dream it, it's there. that is the only way to describe the activities available to students. with the 40,000 students on campus, there is bound to be something to do for everyone. volunteer opportunities, im and recreational sports, dance companies and clubs, and much more. there are clubs for almost every major as well as many organizations that fund-raise for thon, the university's largest philanthropy.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
i pledged my first semester to a national service sorority, omega phi alpha at penn state. it has been the greatest decision i have made their thus far and it helped me find my place. their are so many options for students wishing to be a part of greek life at penn state: service sororities and fraternities, panhellenic council, ifc council, national panhellenic council, and even fraternities for certain ethnicity's and majors.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
i never feel scared or afraid, even when going back to my dorm at night. they offer bus services for free around campus and downtown. the buses run until 2 am through the week and until 4 am on weekends.
i couldn't be more content with my choice of university for undergraduate education. penn state has so much to offer for students like me who don't put a limit to their dreams: highly-ranked academics, endless extra-curricular activities, greek life, study abroad options, and more. the campus is named one of the safest in the country, and the atmosphere is so serene that i never want to leave.
if you want a campus-y school, you're in the right place. some people may first feel overwhelmed by the large size of the university, but within two weeks you will be comfortable with your schedule and the locations of the most important buildings. my best advice for students finding their niche? get involved. there is so much to do and so much to be involved in if you just look. also, thon is the most amazing organization i've ever had the chance to be involved with, and a lot of freshmen hesitate to get involved right away in the fall, so be on the lookout for ways to get involved with it! most importantly- do not get caught up on the social scene. you have to learn to time manage from the get-go or you will have trouble staying on top of your grades. you just need to keep the end in mind, and you should do just fine. this means that you should remember that you are at penn state to get a great education, so your classes and schoolwork should remain your first priority. college is the step before your career, and that is something that needs to be taken very seriously.
penn state is named one of the country's public ivy universities. the academic rigor at penn state definitely reflects that. the professors are all highly acclaimed and the work load depends on how many credits you are taking that semester, as well as your major. as a science major, my classes are very challenging as i compete against thousands of others for entrance to my major in the next two years. professors teach in ways that challenge the students. no class can be labeled as easy, and the challenge is something that you want to look for as an undergraduate because it means that you are getting a quality education and that you are really getting the most out of it.
because their are so many students who attend penn state, the dorms are rather small. i don't have any complaints though. the bathrooms are cleaned daily, each floor has several different trashcans that follow an exclusive recycling program, and the rooms each have enough room (in my opinion) for all of the essentials. their is heat in the winter because it gets really cold, just not air conditioning in the summer. i didn't find that to be a problem because it starts to get cool in september, and you can just open the windows to get fresh air. each ra has floor bonding activities planned every once and awhile, so there fun things to do. each dorm complex has its own dining hall and study area, and each building has a floor designated with rooms for studying. there are also vending machines on the first floor of every building.
there are five dining halls located around campus, each offering a variety of different foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. there are places to eat in the hub which is located in a central location on campus. the hub offers fast-food places like sbarro, panda express, chick fil a, and burger king, as well as sandwich places and salad bars. it can get expensive eating in the hub-so beware. their are also two coffee places in the hub. there are convenience stores located in each dining hall. penn state also offers a website called lion menus, which features dozens of restaurants-pizza parlors, sandwich places, chinese, italian, and dessert places that you can order food right to your dorm or apartment. you can pay with cash, a credit card, or lion cash. downtown features over fifty restaurants and bars including chili's, subway, coldstone, dp dough, wings over, and other restaurants traditional to penn state. lets just say there are more than enough options when it comes to dining. most restaurants take lion cash.
aside from greek life and the frat scene, there is much more to do. different restaurants and ice cream places downtown, free concerts for students, comedians, guest speakers, and a free movie in the hub every thursday-sunday night. there is a local mall just ten minutes outside campus as well as several movie theaters. there are many bars for students of age, and a new nightclub coming this spring for students age 18 and older called levels. there is a sporting event for a different team almost every night. football season tickets are a must! football season is a lot of fun. there are also several shops downtown for some light shopping.
endless opportunities. if you can dream it, it's there. that is the only way to describe the activities available to students. with the 40,000 students on campus, there is bound to be something to do for everyone. volunteer opportunities, im and recreational sports, dance companies and clubs, and much more. there are clubs for almost every major as well as many organizations that fund-raise for thon, the university's largest philanthropy.
i pledged my first semester to a national service sorority, omega phi alpha at penn state. it has been the greatest decision i have made their thus far and it helped me find my place. their are so many options for students wishing to be a part of greek life at penn state: service sororities and fraternities, panhellenic council, ifc council, national panhellenic council, and even fraternities for certain ethnicity's and majors.
i never feel scared or afraid, even when going back to my dorm at night. they offer bus services for free around campus and downtown. the buses run until 2 am through the week and until 4 am on weekends.