Living Local & Commuting Your Freshman Year

“I’m local” or, “I’m a townie” are phrases that you will probably hear at some point as a college student at Penn State. You will also hear phrases that will astonish you; you will meet students from all over the world as Penn State takes pride in its diversity.  I am relating to you my experiences of living within a 30-minute radius from University Park and what I have learned from them.

Hidden Gems of State College

One of the most important things I have learned about living in a small town by Penn State is to take pride in being local!  It delighted me to teach others about the area.  If you are from State College, let your friends in on hidden secrets about the town they otherwise might not know about.  For example, on Tuesdays and Fridays, local farmers hold a Farmers Market in downtown State College. There is an animal shelter off campus called Paws for animal lovers to volunteer at near our Nittany Mall. Students can get discounted rates skiing and snowboarding at Tussey Mountain during the winter, and most importantly, State College features two delicious home-owned restaurants called Champs and Otto’s, only a short drive down North Atherton!

Connecting as a Commuter

I commuted my Freshman year at Penn State.  I went to a commuter’s orientation tour of campus. It was interesting to meet fellow commuting students from neighboring towns that were familiar to me.  I am in touch with some of those students today.  Once you become oriented to campus, use your friends who live on campus to your advantage!  Staying in the dorms can be a fun experience for you and your friend.    I stayed in my friend’s dorm in East to schedule classes at midnight.  Invite your friends to your home too.  They will appreciate a delicious home cooked meal, and it will mean a lot to them to spend a day or two off campus.

Dorm Living and Campus Involvement

As a commuter, I was just as involved as my fellow peers.  I participated in numerous clubs and went on trips with those clubs.  I chose to live in the dorms my Sophomore year because I wanted the dorm experience.  The fortunate thing about commuting your Freshman year is you don’t ever have to live in the dorms if you don’t want to, but if you do still decide you want to, you most certainly can!

I found that by being a commuter I got to know the ins and outs of the Penn State campus better than most students.  I learned about and took advantage of all of Penn State’s amazing resources.  I found the best study spots and made friends all across the campus, all while being about to live at home with my family!  If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to contact me!

Taylor Guelich is a junior majoring in Architectural Engineering and is a Mentor for WEPO'16!