Freshmen year is a stressful yet amazing experience. Going
into my second year and looking back, there were definitely many things I could
have done differently. I’m here to help you make the absolute most out of your
first year here at Penn State!
1. GO TO FOOTBALL GAMES! Hopefully you were able to get season tickets, but
if you didn’t there is still a way to go to the games! Online, there is a website that allows you
to buy tickets that other students are selling. At least go to one game, even
if it isn’t one of the better games (against Michigan or Ohio State). When I
went to my first game, I got chills. The entire stadium has so much Penn State
Pride, and it’s amazing. Also we have a great football team, and this year is
James Franklin’s first, making it even more interesting!
2. Try to get your time management in check as soon as
possible. This is always my advice to first year students. I struggled with
managing my time so much my first semester that I missed out on a lot of opportunities
with organizations and my grades definitely suffered. Get a calendar; write
down all of your exam dates and organization meetings. Plan ahead! You’ll feel
so much better when you get things done and can enjoy your free time.
3. Join different clubs and organizations! This mostly
pertains to your first semester. Join any club or organization that sounds
interesting to you! Go to a meeting or two and find out which you like. This
way you’ll know where you want to be for the next four years. It’s also a great
way to meet people!
4. Go to office hours for your classes if you need help. If you’re
struggling with a class, going to your professor’s office hours can be so
beneficial. I have never had a professor that was not willing to help answer my
questions about the class material. The professors want to help you, so don’t
be afraid!
5. Roommates can be tough, but try to make the best of it. I didn’t
get along with my roommate most of the time last year. We had different
schedules and course loads, and this made it difficult for us to live together.
Be willing to talk to your roommate about whatever is upsetting you. If she
stays up too late with the TV on when you have a Chemistry lab at 8 in the
morning, tell her that isn’t okay! You both live there, and you don’t want to
be miserable.
6. My last piece of advice for having a great freshman year is THON! This event is one of my favorite
memories from last year. Go canning with an organization you really like and
start getting involved. When THON finally rolls around, try staying until the
final four hours. I stayed at THON for 27 hours and made it through the final
four. It might not make sense to you why you should be there for the end, but
once you do stay it’ll make all the sense in the world. THON is such an
incredible and emotional experience. It’s so great to spend so much time there
with all of the families, supporting such a great cause. So go to THON, experience
it for yourself. FTK!
HAVE FUN! This is your freshman year of college. You are all
finally out of the house and on your own. Make the best of being in Happy
Valley. It’s my favorite place, and it should be yours too! Try to do
everything Penn State is known for and more, and have an amazing first year of
college!
Brienna Phillips is a sophomore in Biomedical Engineering, and she is a Rover for WEPO '14!
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