Branching Out

I graduated from a high school that was 130 strong – in the whole high school.  It’s small, I know.  I was really unsure about going to Main Campus first.  I will finish there, but I didn’t know if it was for me.  So, I decided to start with a small school first.  Starting at a branch campus helped me adapt to college in a smaller, easier way.  I went to the Altoona Branch Campus, and I will be continuing there in the fall.  About 4,000 people go to school there, and it’s one of the larger branch campuses.  Even if you are coming from a branch campus, WEPO can be beneficial to you.   

Going to WEPO helped me in more ways than one.  I will have to go to Main Campus eventually, and WEPO introduced me to many people that I might have class with in the future.  Having a few familiar faces at Main Campus makes it a little bit less scary.  You’ll have a few connections, so that you won’t get overwhelmed with the size of the campus.  You might even meet some people from your campus.  WEPO actually introduced me to my best friend.  If you’re worried that you won’t get the same experience as you would at Main Campus, don’t worry.  Since many branch campuses aren’t that far away, many people drive to Main Campus to go to football games, other athletic events, cultural events, etc.  Plus you’re getting the same education as the people that go to Main Campus, but there are fewer people.  There are more one on one interactions with your professors.  Branch campuses also have many of the same things as Main Campus.

Now I can’t speak for all branch campuses, but I can tell you specifically what Altoona has to offer.  Again, the stuff I mention is similar to most of the branch campuses, but it could not be exactly what they have to offer.  Altoona has a Learning Resource Center (LRC) in the library, which is basically where a bunch of tutors are if you are struggling with a class.  There are also campus clubs: Student Government Association (SGA), Baja Motorsports, Campus Ministry, club sports or intramural sports, and Altoona Benefiting THON – just to name a few.  There are even some sororities and fraternities.  There are plenty of things at branch campuses to keep you busy. 

Branch campuses are just as good as Main Campus, and have their own benefits.  When attending a branch campus, you learn how to handle college life on a smaller scale.  You’ll have experience with college life which will make your transition to Main much easier.  Even if you are starting at a branch campus, WEPO can still give you the tools you need to succeed in life.  Most importantly, the branch campuses may be smaller, but WE ARE all PENN STATE!

Amy Tomasko is a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering, and is a Rover for WEPO'15!