10 Things I Would Tell My Freshman Year Self

After completing 3 years of college and entering my senior year, there are so many things that I wish I knew during my freshman year. If I could go back and tell my freshman year-self 10 things, these are what they would be.  

10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

 Entering college for the first time can be scary. It is probably the first time you are truly on your own, and it can be hard to handle at first. Between balancing classes, friends, and finding your way around, it is an adjustment. Your classes will most likely be more difficult than in high school, and it can be a little overwhelming. Don’t forget that there are so many people here to help you if you struggle with classes, or if you just need a friend to talk to. This is what your mentors and envoys are for! There are also so many resources if you struggle in classes, like tutors, office hours, and asking your TA’s for help too. During freshman year, I was sometimes afraid to ask for help since I felt like I should be able to handle it alone. No one expects you to be able to completely on your own right away, so use your resources! 

9. Call your family.

 Remember, they are going to miss you just like you miss them! I would sometimes get distracted with all of my responsibilities and not call my parents as much as I should have. Don’t forget to call them every once in a while, especially if you are stressed out. Just a quick phone call home will make you feel so much better, and your family will appreciate it too!

8. Make meaningful connections with professors.

 It is so important to build a meaningful relationship with at least one (try for more!) faculty member or professor. They will be so helpful for school and career related advice, and it is nice to just have a more experienced person to talk to. You will also need a letter of recommendation at some point in your college career, so having that relationship is so beneficial. Start early, and build at least one relationship early on in college, so that connection can build over your years in school.

7. You don’t have to get a 4.0.

 Coming into engineering, you are all smart. And you are all capable of succeeding more than you can imagine. However, college is more difficult than high school. I entered in freshman year thinking I would receive the same grades that I got all throughout high school. While some students do get 4.0’s , you don’t have to be perfect. You may struggle in a class and get a C and that’s okay. As long as you can learn from any mistakes you might have made and try your best, it’s okay not to get straight A’s. It took me a while to realize this, and it’s something I wish I would have accepted earlier on in college.

6. Don’t think you have to study 24/7.

 Take time to have some fun as a break. If you have multiple big exams coming up, you obviously need to put the time in to study and learn the material. But if a friend wants to get lunch for a half-hour, take that time as a break. There were so many times where I passed up watching a quick show with my roommate or grabbing dinner as a study break since I thought I needed study or do homework any free moment that I had. Looking back, I wish I had taken that time to grab lunch with my friends, since a break can really help you re-focus.

5. Meet as many new people as you can.

 There are so many incredible people at Penn State. Get to know as many as you can. You will learn so much from the amazing people here and the stories that they have to tell. For me, I came into college with a lot of high school friends. It took me a little while to feel comfortable enough to branch out, but once I did, I wish I had done it sooner. While my high school friends are still some of my best friends, I was so happy that I formed new groups of friends through classes or other organizations. With 40,000 other students at Penn State, you are bound to meet incredible people, so take advantage of that early on.  

4. Voice your appreciation for people.

 This is something I started doing recently, and I am so happy I did. If someone impacts your life, tell them. If you are appreciative of something they did, go and tell them in person. It may seem simple and obvious, but there were so many times that I didn’t take the time to go and thank the person and have a conversation with them about why I was appreciative of what they did. Whether it was giving you an opportunity or giving you a piece of advice, take the time out of your day to go and personally talk to that person, don’t just send an email. It will not only probably make their day, but it will inspire you to go out and impact someone’s life as well. This is one of the top things I wish I had done all throughout college, instead of just recently.

3. Take every opportunity that comes your way.

 You will have numerous opportunities to do so many things that you can’t even imagine in college, and you should take them. Whether they might scare you, or you might think that you might fail, try it anyway. It is better to fail at something than not try at all. Again, my freshman year I was so worried about adjusting (and definitely take some time to do that) but maybe after a few months, start trying new things that come your way!

2. Get out of your comfort zone.

 This goes along with #3, but get out of your comfort zone as much as possible. Do things that scare you, and you will learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of. This is something I didn’t do as much of my freshman year, and I think it could’ve opened up so many more opportunities right off the bat if I would have stepped out of my comfort zone. In the past two years that I have been doing things that scare me, I have grown so much as a person. For example, I have always been scared of public speaking; it made me really nervous and it was something I struggled with. At the end of my sophomore year, I signed up and was accepted into Engineering Ambassadors, where we give tours and presentations to teach middle and high school students about engineering (aka, a lot of public speaking). I’ve improved so much with talking in front of crowds and voicing my opinion. That wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t take that first step and do something out of comfort zone.

1. You can do it all.

 When you are at the point that you’re entering your senior year of college and you look back at the person you were freshman year, you will be amazed at how much you’ve grown. You can get the internship you want, you can get involved in anything you can imagine, you can succeed in school, and you can build long-lasting friendships. The experiences that you will have over the next four or five years are incredible, if you just know that you can handle it, even when it might seem like you can’t.   The number one thing I would tell my freshman year-self is that you can truly do it all.

Christina Cianciarulo is a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is the Lead Rover for WEPO'16!

Staying Healthy on Campus

The “freshman fifteen” can sometimes be the scariest part of college for some students.  I was really active in high school and love to workout, so exercising wasn’t too difficult for me.  However, I definitely have the biggest sweet tooth and really love basically any unhealthy food, so that was my struggle.  For students who don’t enjoy working out, it can be difficult to find time or just the motivation to exercise.  And with the thousands of options at the dining halls, it’s so easy to sit for 2 hours with your friends and go back for seconds and thirds and fourths.  However, use this advice for staying healthy on campus when there are so many temptations for the alternative.

Get outside when you can.  Running on the treadmill or using the elliptical or bike for 30 minutes every single day can definitely get boring.  I love to run, and even I can get really bored with the gym machines.  If you want to run, definitely get outside and run a loop around campus or downtown.  Of course, this only works when it’s warm outside, which is only for a couple months out of the year.  The gyms on campus provide maps with running/walking loops and their distances.  It’s a good way to switch up your workout, and it will definitely keep your interest more than staying in one place on a treadmill.  When it’s cold outside and running on campus just isn’t an option, go to the gym when your favorite TV show is on.  Most machines have TVs, and watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or Fresh Prince of Bel Air (a nice throwback) while you workout will definitely help pass the time.

Don’t be afraid of the weights.  I know, it’s intimidating when all the guys are lifting and you don’t want to be that one girl that’s over there pumping iron.  Get a group of your friends to go and it won’t be as scary.  At the intramural fitness center, there are weights upstairs too with all of the cardio equipment, and there is a good mix between girls and guys.  Using weights still gives you a great workout, and it’s a nice break from cardio, so definitely look up some exercises and try it!  Plus, who doesn’t want to show off their muscles?  GIRL POWER.

Play intramural sports.  It’s fun and you can do it with all of your friends.  It’s even a great way to meet new people!  If you played sports in high school, it’s a great way to continue to play them at a not-so-intense-level.  Even if you’re not the best at the sport, it’s still so much fun to just get out there and try it.  There’s an intramural team for basically any sport you can think of, so there’s bound to be something you find fun!

Have will power at the dining halls.  Trust me, there are so many options at the dining hall that you’ll be tempted to try one of everything.  DON’T.  You’ll soon realize that you’re eating WAY more than you did at home, which is totally unnecessary.  Plus, if you go to the gym right before dinner, everything will look 10 times more appetizing and it will be 10 times harder to resist (this was always my issue).  There’s an app that you can get for your phone that will have the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu for each dining hall.  My advice is to look at the menu ahead of time and pick out a few things you’re going to get and only go to those lines.  It will help you to avoid going into every line and getting more food than you actually need.  If you keep your portion sizes in check, staying healthy will be that much easier.

Don’t get dessert every night.  Cookies in the West dining hall could seriously be the death of you.  They’re so soft and warm and delicious (my mouth is watering just thinking about them) but you don’t need one every day.  Treat yourself every once in a while and they will taste that much better when you do get to have them.  The same goes for ice cream.  Passing up Creamery ice cream in the dining hall takes some serious will power, but trust me ladies YOU CAN DO IT.

Try not to snack too much and/or stress-eat.  When you have an exam coming up and you’re really nervous and stressed out, sometimes all you want is a half galloon of ice cream or a chocolate cake or a candy bar to make you feel better.  Trust me, I’ve been there, and like I said before, I have probably the biggest sweet tooth EVER.  But don’t give in, especially when you’re up late studying.  If you have to, lock away your snacks or have your roommate hide them for you (I’ll admit I’ve done both of these).  When you’re stressed out, you tend to not be as conscious of what and how much you’re eating, and avoiding this behavior can really help you to stay healthy.

If you make exercising fun and really be aware of what you’re eating, staying healthy will be a breeze.  And before you know it, you will have conquered the “freshman fifteen.”   

Christina Cianciarulo is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!

Top Ten Things to Do Before the End of Freshman Year

After just finishing my first year at Penn State, there are so many experiences that I already know I won’t ever forget. But here’s a list of things I did during my freshman year that you all definitely have to check out at some point. And don’t wait until your senior year because you could be missing out!

10. Go to the Creamery.

So you’ve all probably heard about the famous Berkey Creamery ice cream by now, and if you haven’t, it is literally the most amazing thing you will ever eat in your entire life. You have to go at least once (although if you’re anything like me, then you will be a much more frequent customer). And they even have a bunch of stuff other than ice cream (the bagels are great!). And it’s so close to East Halls, so if you end up living there, it’s awesome.

9. Attend a football game.

Again, most of you already know about the AMAZING school pride that we have here at Penn State. There is no better way to experience this pride than by being in the student section cheering on the Nittany Lions with 107,000 people. Trust me, you will find time away from your studying to go. (And it’s so worth it!) Also, I hope you all already bought your season tickets!

8. Do your homework outside.

I unfortunately didn’t take advantage of this until the spring semester, and I really regret it. It is so much better than sitting at a desk in a small dorm room. And plus, so many other kids are outside playing sports and socializing that it really does make studying a bit more enjoyable. As long as you can resist the urge to join in, it’s perfect! Make sure to do it this fall!

7. Order Insomnia/Wings Over/D.P. Dough etc… during finals week (or just during any normal week)

Finals week is really stressful, but good food can certainly make it much better. These places deliver right to the dorms, so all you have to do is walk downstairs! Insomnia Cookies are delicious and you will soon learn that they really help when you’re having a bad day. Or, if you’re in the mood for something other than dessert, Wings Over and D.P. Dough have you covered with wings, fries, and pizza.

6. Play a sport or join a club (or more than one!)

You will meet your best friends through what you choose to get involved in. It’s so important because you meet people that have some of the same interests, but are also different than you. I’m involved with THON (more on this later) and WEPO (obviously!) and I also run on the varsity track team. I love that I have so many different groups of friends and know so many kinds of people. There are clubs for literally everyone and every interest, so you’re bound to find one you like. And there’s club and intramural teams for just about every sport you can imagine! Get involved!!!!

5. Eat a West cookie.

Okay, so you probably all can realize know that I like good food and have a major sweet tooth. But seriously, I’m not entirely sure why the West dining commons have the best cookies, but they do. They melt in your mouth and sometimes you have to eat them with a fork because they’re so soft. It’s amazing.

4. Climb Mount Nittany.

So as freshman, this might be a little hard since you need a ride to get to this mountain. So find an upperclassman with a car, get a ride, and spend the day (or just a couple hours) hiking up Mount Nittany. The view is breathtaking, and it’s a lot of fun to do with your friends. Hey, you can even make it a tradition and go with your roommates once every year. But definitely do it when the weather gets nice!

3. Go to THON.

THON is another thing that makes Penn State famous and shows off how awesome our school pride is. It is so incredible to watch the entire school come together for one AMAZING cause. THON is a 46 hour dance marathon for pediatric cancer. And you definitely have to stay for the final four hours and the final total reveal. You will laugh, cry, and get to listen to some of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. Besides being for a great cause, it’s basically a giant party for the whole school, with bands, performances, dances, and games. THON is most definitely the most incredible thing I’ve seen in my life so far.

2. Make a meaningful relationship with at least one professor/advisor etc.

In a school with 40,000 students, it’s easy to fall into the background and become “just a number.” But at the same time, there’s so many resources that Penn State offers to make it seem smaller. As students, you have to do your part and really get to know some part of the faculty. Whether it’s your advisor, your calculus teacher, or your physics teaching assistant, form a personal relationship with someone. You’re going to need advice (and letters of recommendation!) so it really pays to have somebody on your side.

1. Get out of your comfort zone.

It’s so important to expand your horizons when going to college. It’s most likely going to be the first time you’re really on your own, which can be scary, but also life-changing. I learned more about myself and who I can be in my first year of college than in my entire life. You have to do scary things sometimes, the end result will be worth it. And don’t freak out if something goes wrong and there’s problems; they will only make you grow in the end and you WILL find a solution!

I hope this list helps you all to make your freshman year as enjoyable as it can be! You’re entering into a new time of your life and it’s really amazing to see how much you will change throughout the year. Just remember there is always someone to help you out when you get stuck! Enjoy your freshman year since there’s never going to be another year quite like it! 

Christina Cianciarulo is a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering, and she is a Rover for WEPO '14!