Dear Out of State Students

Welcome to The Pennsylvania State University!

For the majority of our women engineers, you won’t be moving outside state boundaries. Indeed, from the class of 2020, 72% of students were Pennsylvania residents. Quite obviously, this means 28% of students are coming from out of state. This means for 28% of students, we’ll be leaving our homes and families and friends a long way away and coming to a whole new city.

I am one of those students. I’m from West Virginia, and I never thought I’d end up at a Pennsylvania school. My family and I committed to Penn State at the very last minute. We knew next to nothing about the State College area, and we didn’t know anyone coming to PSU. As it turned out, I was the first person from my high school to apply here in the last five years.

In comparison, most of my friends here at Penn State are Pennsylvania residents. My roommate told me a third of her graduating class came here for college. A girl in my English class grew up in this area, and her parents lived ten minutes away. So many of my friends were lucky enough to come here with lots of advice from upperclassmen friends and a support system of peers.

On the other hand, there were students like me. I came in knowing absolutely no one in State College or at Penn State. I was left on my own to figure everything out. Astonishingly enough, I made it just fine. I just completed my first year and I managed to settle in. If there are any out of state students feeling a little nervous, let me tell you: I promise you’ll fit in just fine.

In case you haven’t noticed, Penn State is huge. This means you are guaranteed to find a friend group that fits, with a little hunting. You won’t be the only person who doesn’t know anyone here! In addition, this area is called the Happy Valley for a reason. People here are very friendly! This is a wonderful place to blossom.

We also have several support systems to help underclassmen find their way. By joining WEPO, you’re already part of one! My closest friend here was my roommate for WEPO. Through her, I branched out and met the most wonderful people here. My mentor lived on my floor, and she gave me advice on everything from class schedules to restaurant recommendations. She even helped be back after I was locked out of my dorm! If you’re at all nervous about life in Pennsylvania, the amazing ladies you meet at WEPO will always have your back.

A final word of advice. One of the most enriching college experiences will be the people you meet and the memories you make with them. As engineers especially, difficult classes are much easier to survive when studying with friends! So don’t be afraid to branch out. You can learn something from everyone you meet. For out of state students, it always seems like a gamble to come to school so far away. But I promise, you won’t regret it.

Moujhuri Sau is a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering and is a Rover for WEPO'16!