Hi
WEPO ladies! My name is Mimi Overbaugh, and I am a junior studying mechanical
engineering at Penn State. This year I will be a mentor for WEPO ’13, and I am
so excited to meet you all soon!
Within
the next couple of weeks, you will be getting your housing assignment for your
freshman year at Penn State. While it is exciting to finally know where your
home will be for the next year, it can also be nerve-wracking if you receive a “supplemental”
housing contract. Basically, supplemental contracts exist, because Penn State
has to house as many students as possible. Therefore, they are required to use
larger rooms in dorms to house 4-8 students.
During
my sophomore year, I lived in a supplemental room. I was really nervous to be living with 5
other women who had different majors, schedules, and lifestyles, but I decided
to go into the situation with an open mind. If you find yourself in a similar
situation, do not fret!! Here are some reasons why you should be excited about
living in a supplemental room:
You have more
space and are free to rearrange your furniture whenever you want. When you get to your room, you will be
surprised at how big it is. The layout and type of furniture (bunked vs. regular
beds) vary from room to room and from building to building. However, I would
suggest emailing housing when you get your room assignment, and they will
supply you with a room layout so you can better plan for what to bring. Some of
the rooms are 2 stories, with a lofted closet area, whereas others are one
giant room. In my room, we each had a twin bed, a desk, a dresser, and there
was a separate room for closets and microfridges. Once people moved out during
the second semester, we had double the storage space! You and your roommates
can also rearrange the furniture so that you each have your own personal space,
which I found to be helpful (in double rooms, most of the furniture is fixed). Plus,
if you participate in WEPO, you get to move into your room early, meaning you
can pick the best spot.
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| WEPO'12 |
You get the
chance to meet more people. When you live in a supplemental room,
you could have up to 7 roommates, or as few as 3. Living with more roommates
exposes you to people with different majors (since you will be spending a lot
of time with your engineering friends!) and different backgrounds. You get to
request 3 of your roommates, so chances are you might already know someone when
you move in! Regardless of if you know any of your roommates, you don’t have to
be best friends with them. However, friendships sometimes form in unexpected
circumstances, so if you have an open mind and are willing to get to know your
roommates, you can broaden your circle of friends.
You most likely
will have the opportunity to leave your supplemental room for a double room at
some point. Because students transfer to different
campuses, move onto their sorority floors, or move for other reasons, there may
be openings in a regular, double room. If these openings occur, you will be
notified by housing that you have the opportunity to leave your supplemental
room. If you choose to do so, they help you with the move by letting you borrow
a van and carts to transfer your belongings to your new room. If you decide
that you like your supplemental room, you can also choose to stay, like I did.
It is nice to know that you may have the option of moving out if you do not
like your current living situation.
If some of your
roommates decide to move out, you have a giant room for only a couple people. If some your roommates decide to move
out and take the option that I mentioned above, then you might have a giant
room for just a few of you. There were originally 6 of us in my room at the
beginning of the year, and by the second semester, we were down to 4 of us.
Most of the time, my roommates were not there so I was able to have peace and
quiet to get work done.
Remember, if you are
offered a supplemental contract, it is not the end of the world. It could
actually be a great experience, so make sure you go into the situation with an
open mind. If you ever have any questions about living in a supplemental room
or Penn State in general, feel free to reach out to me! I am so excited for you
to begin your journey at Penn State!
Mimi Overbaugh is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering and will be a Mentor for WEPO'13! To read more about Mimi visit her WEPO Profile: http://raindancer45.wix.com/ladyengineers#!mimi-overbaugh/cifm
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