Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Campus Guide: Where to Study, Hangout and Explore

Hey Ladies! Hope your summer is going great! I know that one of my favorite things to do is to explore towns. see where all the coolest places are, and to try all the food. As a freshman, you probably want to do some cool things with your new awesome friends, so here’s a list to help facilitate some awesome memories.

Obviously, we all have different study styles. The important thing is that you are studying and using all of the resources available to you. Some great places to study are:
  • The Library- Penn State’s library has the really nifty things called The Stacks where everybody and their whole family tends to congregate during Finals Week but during the semester, it’s a good way to study if you like to shut everything out.
  • The Hub- The Hub is my preferred place of studying. (Say hello if you see me- I’m usually by the Starbucks) It’s loud enough where you can get work done and quiet enough that you do not feel like you’re sitting in The Cone of Studying Shame.
  • Empty Classrooms- I really like to study in empty classrooms in Willard or Hammond during exams because you get all this room to dance, draw on the chalkboard and belt out Disney Pandora. You can also bring a bunch of your friends and have a study party with food, hot men power points and Pandora radio… Trust me it’s a ton of fun :]
  • Otto’s Café- In the Keller Graduate Building, there is a café what has comfy chairs, tables and perfect lighting for studying. I really enjoy studying between classes in Keller because you can get a ton of coffee (I really love coffee) and enjoy the light streaming through the window.


The next thing that we love as college students, we love to hang out and make new friends. Sometimes it gets boring to hangout in the same places so here are some nifty places to go.
  • The Creamery- Some Creamery ice cream or frozen yogurt is a perfect way to talk about trouble with classes, boys and drama. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a far walk to burn off some calories and it has great salads to take home for dinner if you are like me and eat your dessert before dinner.
  • The Arboretum- While it’s nice out, you should take a walk through the Arboretum. You can really learn a lot about plants and if you go at sunset, the view from the pavilion is gorgeous. It’s a really relaxing place to me and perfect place to get to know people.
  • Kiwi – Downtown State College steals all of my money but Kiwi gets most of it. I love frozen yogurt and I think it’s a fun way to catch up with a friend that gets you off campus. I really love the flavor combinations. Last time, I got birthday cake frozen yogurt with sprinkles, chocolate chips, caramel and strawberries. That was delicious!
  • Chipotle- The haven of all Mexican lovers, Chipotle in State College is a great way to catch up with a large group of people. My friends from PREF and I always go to Chipotle and get these large burritos and bond over the messes we make.
  • Hub Late Night- This a great thing to do with friends when you want to do something low key and silly. They play movies at like 9 and 12 am, as well as offer deals on food and have fun crafts to make.

Lastly, you should explore the town you live in. There are a ton of things to do in State College that require a little forethought or begging someone to drive, but they are really fun and different than the usual escapades.
  • State College’s Library- This library is not the biggest library I have ever went to but it’s a fun play to study as well as read children’s books obnoxiously with your friends. You can walk here and it’s near Panera Bread for refueling.
  • Plato’s Closet- I had never heard of this store before I came to State College but it’s kind of like an upscale thrift shop. It’s filled with modern clothes that aren’t priced too badly and it’s a good place to buy a weird colored shirt for a contest or like the little things you need but do not want to pay the full price. You can take the V bus off campus, and stop and walk to get there.
  • The Movies- Sometimes you really need to see a movie, especially sequels and crazy awesome new movies like The Hobbit. You can take the M bus out to the movie theatre and then take the M bus back or a taxi. I love doing this with my silliest friends because I just laugh the whole entire time. One taxi ride back, my best friend was singing his new versions of popular songs and it was just a great memory.
  • Walmart and Dollar Tree- To celebrate people’s birthdays, I like to decorate their dorm room door or make them something fun. A trip to Dollar Tree or Walmart is required. These are places that you can find the weirdest things and create some of the sickest crafts with some neat supplies. You can take the V bus out and back for this trip.

I hope that this list can help you have a good time in State College and give you and your friends something to do with you that might be a little different from your usual. I made a little printable that you can keep with you or pin to your bulletin board for inspiration.





Taylor Lacey is a senior in Industrial Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!  To read more about Taylor visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!taylor-lacey/cffs

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