Study Tips

I know what are all thinking right now, an entire entry about how to study? BORING! But if there is one thing that I have learned after completing my second year of college, it is that there is a way to study that is both effective and frankly…fun. Hopefully you will find these few tips on studying helpful as you are transitioning from the world of suntan lotion and flip-flops to number two pencil and scantrons.

Recognizing What Kind of “Studier” You Are:

 I think the first step to successfully studying is recognizing really how you operate best. All freshman year I found a group of girls that I would study with, but frankly, although it was nice to have friends to, for lack of better words, suffer through it all with, I really was not learning as well as I could have. I easily fell into the routine of convincing myself that I understood things that others in the group understood, even though I needed some extra practice. This year, however, I often studied primarily on my own, working through problems and reviewing topics. Only after making a short list of material that I was still fuzzy on, would I proceed to ask friends for additional help.

This is the key to success, I believe. Only you understand yourself best. If studying with a group of others helps you to focus or bounce questions and ideas off each other, then that’s great and there are plenty of opportunities to form study groups. If however, you are more like me, don’t be afraid to tell others that you need some time alone to really wrap your head around everything. At the end of the day it is your grade, so you need to do whatever works best for you.

Good Places on Campus to Work:

I am a big fan of moving around when it comes to finding a study spot. And although it is tempting to simply work at your dorm desk, my suggestion would be to try out some of these other locations on campus. I typically find it helpful to separate work from play- since the dorm room is not only where you sleep, but hang out with friends as well (not to mention the clutter that generally forms), it is a good idea to not only mentally but physically remove yourself to keep the boundaries between fun and work. Here are some places on campus that I have found to be good study spots. I hope you test some of these out and find some of your own:

The Library: An obvious choice, the library on campus has lots of open tables to study. Large tables toward the entrance of each floor are great places to meet with friends and study. If you head towards the bookshelves on each floor, you can typically find individual desks that are great for those days you really need to buckle down and get work done.  There are also multiple rooms throughout the library that are equipped with a whiteboard and large tables. These rooms are great for working through problems and need only be reserved.

The Business Building: The Business Building on campus is conveniently located near East halls and is one of the newest buildings on campus. With comfy couches, table-side lighting, floor to ceiling windows, and dozens of conference rooms with chalkboards, whiteboards, and overhead projectors; the Business Building is really an ideal spot for working.

Commons: Another convenient spot of campus to study is the commons associated with each residence hall. Usually there are nice places to work when you are just looking to get some homework done and don’t mind the distraction of people as well as enclosed study rooms for more serious work.

Classrooms: I really find it productive to find a classroom over the weekend, perhaps Hammond, or Willard, or one closer to your particular dorm in order to really get some quality studying in. Sometimes it just feels right to study in a setting already designed for focus and attention. In particular, I enjoy being able to claim an entire classroom to myself, or with a few friends, and having wall upon wall of nothing but open chalkboards for working problems.

Just like there are lots of different ways to study, there are lots of different places in which you can work. I encourage you to experiment and find what works best for you. It’s kinda fun to go explore campus and find your own study room!

Making Studying Fun (…and yes it is possible):  The last thing I would like to leave you girls with is a few tips to help turn the studying process from something dreadful to satisfying. Here are some things you might want to try:

• After claiming a classroom on campus, have fun working on problems by signing into your favorite Pandora station on the computer and just go at it-it certainly is not a rarity to find someone jamming out as they scribble away free body diagrams or physics problems.
• Bring along tasty snacks to munch on as you work. You can stop by the commons before finding a spot to study and stash up on all those irresistible junk foods that you can now allow yourself to eat as a reward for your hard work.
• On a similar note, take a break and grab some food with friends. Whether it means breaking for a quick to-go meal from the local commons, or perhaps treating yourself to food downtown; it is important to recognize when it is time to take a breather and re-energize.
• For all you coffee drinkers out there…Starbucks is located just down the road from the Hammond building, in the HUB, and downstairs in the library. Needless to say, I plan my study areas based on the location of a Starbucks.
• Don’t be afraid to get off track or distracted every once and a while. Although it is important to find a spot where you will be productive, bringing a friend or two along that you can rant to about how much you wish you could use a calculator on that math test or analyze why you and that boy from your physics class are meant to be together can actually help keep you going. And frankly…keep you sane as well.
• Be an active studier. It is important to keep your brain going and so quick little exercises can provided a good study break and boost your energy to tackle more problems. And believe me, there is plenty to do to keep you energized! I’ve studied with ROTC guys who did 50 pushups every thirty minute interval (although I completed about ten…), girls who had me doing handstands in a classroom at 2:00 AM before a final, and study sessions where I shot empty water bottles into the trashcan across the room. We’re all engineers here, so the innovative outlet to keep you going I’m sure will come effortlessly.

I hope you have found some of these tips to be helpful. I wish you ladies all the best of luck as you navigate the college world of coursework and tests and please feel free to contact me with any questions at all! I look forward to meeting you all in person soon!

Veronica Dallas is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13! 

Exploring the Exciting Fields of Engineering

Hey ladies! My name is Jamie and I’m a rising junior here at Penn State majoring in Industrial Engineering. While I’m completely in love with Penn State now, I can remember how overwhelmed I was during my senior year of high school when faced with the daunting task of choosing a college. I was so excited to have finally committed to Penn State, but the tough decisions didn’t stop there, next I had to decide on a major.

When debating what major to choose, I remember thinking, ‘how am I supposed to know what I want to do with the rest of my life.’ Good news- I didn’t need to know then and you don’t need to decide now. You have almost two years to explore the different engineering curriculums and decide which major seems like the best fit for you. Nevertheless, I do have some advice on how to best find your niche in Penn State’s world of engineering.

First, research the opportunities offered by each engineering discipline. A great place to start are the Penn State Engineering websites- each department has its own site where you can explore the required courses and descriptions for each major. But don’t stop there; reach out to WEPO mentors or rovers in those fields you are considering. Learn about the classes they take, where they work, and what they find so interesting and rewarding about their major. Don’t be shy -we all wanted to be a part of WEPO in order to make your transition easier and are more than willing to talk.

Another helpful tool is “Major Nights”! Each discipline in the College of Engineering offers an informal information session during the fall semester called a major night. These programs can be extremely informative and rewarding as they often act as an open forum to allow you to talk to current students in the major and hear about their varied experiences. (The College of Engineering will provide information about their dates, times, and locations.)

 Lastly, talk to advisors in the different engineering departments. They are extremely knowledgeable on the specifics related to their assigned discipline of engineering and are super qualified to answer questions and offer advice as many have seen tons of students throughout the years, many with the same questions as you.

Most importantly, don’t forget that it is totally okay to change your mind, and your major. I’ve encountered tons of students who change engineering disciplines within the first two years of school, me included. I came into Penn State thinking Chemical Engineering was the perfect fit for me. However, after getting involved in Chemical Engineering research on campus, I realized it wasn’t the right fit for me as I was more of a big picture person. Luckily I had great WEPO mentors who got me in contact with many different students, professors, and advisors to discuss my interests and goals. Ultimately my conversations with these people resulted in my switch to Industrial Engineering. Nevertheless, if I hadn’t kept an open mind and explored all that Penn State Engineering has to offer I may have never found this perfect fit for me.

Ultimately, I want you all to remember not to feel overwhelmed and pressured to commit to an engineering major right away. Feel free to explore all that is out there and don’t be afraid to try something different. Even if you end up discovering an engineering discipline which isn’t the right fit for you as I did, at least you know what you don’t want to be when you grow up, and you are one step closer to figuring out what will truly make you happy.

Jamie Sweeney is a junior studying Industrial Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!

Engineering House Special Living Option: Why you should live here

Nerdy Lion (c) Engineering House

Living in E-House (Engineering House) was probably one of the best decision I made coming to Penn State. I love the fact that if I need help with my homework, I can just knock on my neighbor's door. Everyone is incredibly friendly and always more than willing to help.

As a freshman, I was not only concerned about making friends with a bunch of nerdy engineers, but I also wanted friends that were freshman. Peers who were going through what I was going through, at the same time I was going through it. Not just upperclassmen who could say, "Back in my day..."  Not only was everyone very sociably, but there were more than enough freshman to befriend.

Also, location, location, location. E-House is close to the engineering buildings: Hammond and Sackett. The Pattee-Paterno library is a less than two minute walk away. Furthermore, if you have classes in Willard and Sparks (which you probably will), you are golden.

Even if you are not living in E-House as a freshm
an, I would recommend learning how to live there as a sophomore. More information can be found on the E-House website: http://www.engr.psu.edu/e-house/home.aspx.

Engineering House is located in McKee Hall
(www.engr.psu.edu)

Emma Tierney is a sophomore studying Engineering Science and is a Rover for WEPO'13!

5 Tips to Survive Freshman Year

Freshmen year is hard for so many reasons. It may seem a little scary right now, but I promise, you’ll make it through in one piece! The first semester was the hardest for me. That probably sounds a little weird since all you take first semester are pre-requisite classes (chem, calc, etc.). Major classes won’t even start until your fourth or fifth semester. However, even though your classes get harder, you get smarter. You know what kind of studying works best for you, how to juggle classes, clubs, sleeping/eating, and a social life, and what you have to do to be successful. I narrowed the list of things I wish I had known going into freshmen year down to five important points. Here’s what you need to know!

5. It’s okay to not know.

Not knowing what you want to do with your life isn’t the best feeling, but it’s not they end of the world! This is the time to change your mind. Don’t know what kind of engineer you want to be? That’s fine! Switch around.  It seems scary when your future has no definitive direction, but it will the farther you get into your classes. The first year of engineering is almost the same for everyone, so you have plenty of time. If you try one and decide you don’t like it, pick a new one. You aren’t actually in your major until your fourth semester (after spring break), so you can switch right up until the last minute. In fact, I know someone who switched about three weeks into her fourth semester. If you need to switch, do it.  Talk to an advisor. Talk to someone in your current and prospective majors. Find out what you’ll be happy doing. Happiness is what’s most important!

So moral of the stoty is it’s okay if you’re unsure. It may seem scary, but you don’t need to know everything the second you walk in the door. You have so much time. Use it wisely.

4. You’re going to fail. But that’s perfectly fine.

That probably sounded a little harsh, but it’s true. No, you’re not going to fail out of college. Exams, on the other hand are a different story. Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, it makes you sick in your stomach the first time it happens. But you know what? You recover (I swear, I’m living proof!). You’re probably sitting there thinking, yeah right, that’s not going to happen to me! However, I promise you, it will happen. When it happened, it hit me like a brick wall. I panicked about my grades, I thought I was going to fail the class, and I was a nervous wreck.  And then I moved on.

So, what do you do when you fail? First, relax. Talk to someone who will make you feel better. Sleep on it. Once you’ve cleared your head, look at your past exam grades (if it’s the first exam, it’s time to buckle down and hit the books). If you’ve done pretty well on the last one or two, you should be fine. If not, talk to your professor. He or she will give you some good advice about how to study for the next exam and tell you if recovery is possible.  Worst comes to worst, you have to drop the class (which really isn’t that big of a deal). The final step is to move on. It happened. Dwelling won’t do you any good!

This is coming from someone has failed two count ‘em two finals. On the flip side, I’ve never failed a class. I swear. You really can recover!

3. Professors are people, too!

Okay, time to be honest. I STILL have a hard time talking to some of my professors. Approaching someone who has a master’s degree in this and a PhD in that and a second PhD in something else is terrifying. However, professors are still people. If you have a question, GO TO OFFICE HOURS. They get paid to answer your questions! Not only will your professors get to know you and see that you’re actually trying to learn the material, but you get to know some pretty cool people that you wouldn’t otherwise get to talk to.

Here’s another reason:  I got my first real job because of office hours. I went to a lot of office hours for my math last spring semester of freshmen year and my professor and I would talk about different things occasionally. One day I mentioned to her that I love math and was (at the time) considering getting a math minor. The next time I saw her, she asked me if I wanted to grade for her. That was the best decision ever. Seriously, I get paid to set my own hours and look at some homework. It’s a great job and I make a little cash on the side.  Now who wouldn’t love that?

Bottom line, talk to your professors. They know what they’re talking about. Your  professors will be more than willing to help you. Take advantage of that!

2. Plan everything, then double check yourself.

As soon as you walk in the door, you have to keep on top of your commitments! From assignments and projects to club meetings, you’re going to be so busy you won’t have any idea what you need to do when. Keep a planner. Now, if you’re an over-achiever like me, you can color code it. I make sure each class has it’s own color, and then everything else (like WEP, SWE, appointments, etc.) gets a different color as well. That may be a little over the top for you and that’s fine. Plus, a planner keeps you from overbooking yourself. If your friend asks to get lunch, you know whether or not you’re free! I tend to also put really important stuff in my phone and set alerts. If you have a project that’s worth 50% of your grade due in two weeks, you’re going to want to remember that. Plan, check, and then check again. I can’t stress how important that is!

1. When in doubt, just call your mom. 

So, we’re all big kids now. It’s time to be independent. We have to get our own food, do our own laundry, clean up after ourselves… It’s a big adjustment for some people. However, just because you’re out on your own now doesn’t mean you can’t call home. Sometimes, the best stress relief is just calling home and seeing what’s going on. You’ll find out really soon that Penn State is it’s own little bubble. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in your classes and forget that there really is life outside of Penn State. Call home and see how your family is. I legitimately call my mom everyday. Sometimes you need the comfort of home, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The most important tip I can give you is to just breathe and enjoy your freshmen year. It’s going to be stressful, but you’re going to have more fun than you thought possible. It goes by quickly, so make sure you do it right!

Kaylyn Hannon is a junior in Bio-Medical Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!

Register for WEPO! Deadline is June 8th

At Penn State there a unique opportunity for women to engage in a community whose mission is to promote women in engineering (Women in Engineering Program or WEP).  Within this community incoming first year women have the opportunity to participate in a 3 day orientation. I attended WEPO as a first year and it made a HUGE difference in my time at Penn State! This year the WEP Orientation is being held August 21-23rd and I encourage you to register if you haven't already!

What is  WEPO (wep-o) ?? 

WEPO will give you the chance to:

• Move into dorms early!
• Work on a FUN design project with a team of women engineers
• Meet your peers:  180+  first-year PSU women engineering students
• Meet 50 junior & senior women engineering students who will be at WEPO as mentors and leaders (…I’m one of them!)
• Get a head start on Penn State computer software & Angel course management tools in WEPO professional development workshop
• Network at a career dinner where you’ll meet women engineers from industry, government and faculty!
• Important resources available to you in the College of Engineering
• Learn your way around campus with a WEPO team scavenger hunt
• Play Broomball—a Penn State tradition!!

When classes start on August 26th, you’ll already know lots of people and important resources available to you!!

You can register at www.engr.psu.edu/wep (Incoming Freshman > WEPO > Application). Deadline is June 8th! Sign up now, registration is filling up quickly!

Check back to this blog regularly over the summer for fun and interesting tips on transitioning to college and things you can get involved with during the school year!

I hope to see you at WEPO'13! 

For the Glory :)

Erin Miller

Penn State WEPO'13 Lead Mentor

Erin is a 5th year Super-Senior studying Architectural Engineering at Penn State.

Mother Know's Best

One thing I recall about starting freshman year was how my mother could not stop inserting herself into the packing for college.  Each day, it felt like she was bringing me something that she was “absolutely sure I needed.”  I guess some of this was to be expected—I’m an only child and this was a big deal for both my parents.  (For the record, don’t lose sight of the fact that Mom and Dad have some adjusting to do as well.)  My mom’s trips to Costco were particularly distressing as her packing started to resemble doomsday prep, more than college prep.  She’d already insisted on the biggest meal plan (I did not use it all, but PSU is great about letting you reduce it in spring semester), and I worried that my roommate might be alarmed by my store of beef jerky and paper goods.  In the end, my mom backed down and I managed to get to PSU without a tractor trailer.  I guess she just had to work though this phase; you know how parents are.

One thing she did manage to get me to bring was a little gift from her-- season 1 of Grey’s Anatomy on DVD,  although I really didn’t see why she purchased this—I’d never watched a single episode of the show or shown any interest those hospital-based dramas whatsoever.  Why would my mom think that was a good gift for me?  Further, when was I supposed to watch an entire season of anything when I would be so busy making new friends, joining every club on campus,  attending football games, and squeezing in some school work now and then?   It was after I was at school for a couple weeks, when I’d lucked into finding rock-solid compadres who made even the rough parts fun and bearable, when I realized that 3 clubs was a more manageable approach and when I figured out that I needed to hit the books hard, that I learned the value of the DVD gift. 

You all will learn quickly that there will be a night where you just cannot differentiate another equation, and you don’t feel like joining your friends for whatever insanity they are chasing.  You need some veg time.  For me, that’s when the doctors of Seattle Grace stepped in.  I’m sure you’ve heard time and again, that college is a balance between studying and fun with your friends, but added to that should be a little “me time” every once in a while too.  It is time when you slap on some headphones and send your psyche to a state that isn’t State College.  Mom nailed it on this one; I did absolutely need those DVD’s and I was so happy that McDreamy was always on-call.  Some days the DVD’s were my reward for slogging through another hour of work, and other days they were a personal “escape key” when I needed some space.  Figure out what might provide that relief for you and make sure you bring it to PSU.  It needn't be television.  I have one friend who likes to knit, and having extra scarves and hats for winter in Happy Valley is not a bad strategy.   My roommate has become a master at Angry Birds, and while the birds took a serious blasting all year, I never saw her angry at anything or anyone else. 

You’ve clearly chosen a rigorous program of study.  Every engineer knows that pressures can build and having an appropriate relief valve is always prudent.  For me, I plan to spend my junior year in Downton Abbey.  I wonder if this counts as a semester abroad?

Kathleen Lauser is a junior studying Chemical Engineering and a mentor for WEPO’13.