Branching Out!

Being in a new place with over 40,000 new people can be scary and over whelming. I know when I went to school, I was absolutely terrified. I was so comfortable in my environment at home and wasn’t sure if I was ready to branch out. I wanted to meet new people and try new things but I wasn’t exactly sure how.

One of the easiest ways to start branching out is to open your door that first week at school! People will stop by and say hi and you can do the same with other people who have their doors open. My best friends are girls I met that first week of school on my floor. And even if you don’t meet the best of friends on your floor, it is nice to know all of them since you will be seeing a lot of them!

My next piece of advice about branching out is to not be scared to talk to the random boy or girl that you are sitting next to on your first day of classes! Most likely they don’t know anyone either and could use a smiling face to help calm their nerves as well. Meeting people in your classes is very beneficial for when you have questions about the class or just want someone to work with.

PSU has so many clubs and organizations. Anything you can think of there is most likely a club for it. Get involved in the things you love and are passionate it about! You will be amazed how easy it is to develop friendships with the people who love and believe in the same things you do! But don’t be afraid to try something completely new and out of your comfort zone! You may end up loving it and meeting great people through it! Go to the involvement fair and see what sounds fun or interesting and go to a meeting! You can always drop out if you don’t like it, but if you never try you will never know! Since I went to school I’ve tried to be a lot more adventurous, I love trying new things and I never used to before. PSU is full of so many opportunities to learn about something new and develop new and exciting passions so don’t be afraid to branch out to something you would never have considered before.

There are so many free school sponsored events from concerts to celebrations to movie showings, take advantage of them! It is an amazing way to get out of your room forget about your school work for a little, meet new people, and maybe even get some free food! And who doesn’t love free things!

Whatever you do, just do not be afraid to branch out! It is so important to try to remember that many people are in the same shoes as you. Sometimes it is difficult to find where you truly belong in college and that is okay! Trying new things helps you experiment with that and truly find what you are looking for at the best four years of your life!

Jessica Buchanan is a sophomore majoring in Industrial Engineering and is an Envoy for WEPO'16!