Planning your Classes

So it’s your first semester.  A lot is on your mind.  Did you pack everything that you needed?  What clubs are you going to join?  What if you have issues with your roommate?  What if your classes are really hard?  And so on and so on.  Hopefully, this WEPO blog has provided many answers to these questions.  But what about the questions that crop up after you’ve arrived, the ones that hit you when you feel like you’ve already gotten the hang of college?  At this point, you’re simply trying to get all your stuff together for your current classes, when you’re already forced to look ahead to next semester.  This is when you start asking different questions.  What classes should I take?  Should I take this class with this professor or that professor?   Can I wait to take this class next year instead of next semester?  Will I be able to handle taking 2 math classes and physics in the same semester?  And that can get pretty stressful.

But it doesn’t have to be.  First of all, there are quite a few resources available.  You can talk to your advisor to make sure that you are meeting all of your academic requirements.  You can talk to Cheryl; she always has loads of advice.  You can ask your friends to see what classes they’re planning on taking to get a feel of what other people are leaning towards.  I think the best resource though is upperclassmen.  They can give you tips on which classes to take first because they can help with future classes.  They’ll be able to tell you the teaching styles of different professors which could help your decisions.  So go ahead – ask us anything.  We’d be happy to help.

Now for the main reason for this blog post.  Deciding what classes to take shouldn’t just be something you only think about when it’s time to schedule.  I’m here to tell you that it’s more important than that.  If you want to make the most of your time at college, you should plan further than just the upcoming semester.  You should sit down with you advisor to create somewhat of a roadmap for the next four years.  It doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed class by class and it’s by no means set in stone.  Even so, it’s incredibly helpful.  It will allow you to know where you stand if you have to retake a class.  It will help you plan around co-ops and study abroad so that you can still graduate on time.  Lastly, planning ahead will give you an idea of what room you have to maybe double major or add on minors.  This leads me to my second point – explore what you feel passionate about and how you want to use that passion.  Who knows?  You might end up really enjoying a topic and decide to learn more and add it to your curriculum.  As a senior, I feel like there are one or two minors that I would have liked to pursue.  I would have been able to fit them into my schedule, too – if I had just planned ahead more.  For instance, there were classes that could have double counted and given me room in my schedule, but I hadn’t thought of that at the time.  The bottom line is, with good planning, you can accomplish all that you want in college.  This is your education, so make the most of it.

Erika Arrojado is a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!

Fun and Free Things to Do at Penn State

What’s every college student’s favorite word? …FREE!! Free food, free admission, free stuff – whatever it is, we all can appreciate the wonderfulness of freebies. Your wallet might take a hit with all those expensive textbooks, but there are some things you can do at Penn State that won’t cost a cent.

You might have already heard from campus tours or orientations about Late Night at the HUB. It happens every weekend and is hosted by the Penn State club SPA (Student Programming Association). There are games, crafts, and sometimes a balloon artist will be there to make you a fun little hat. I still have a couple crafts on my desk from going to Late Night with my friends. Don’t feel like dropping ten bucks to see a movie? No problem! There are always one or two movies showing at Late Night, most of which are only a couple months old. This is definitely a freebie worth taking advantage of.

SPA also brings many performers and speakers to Penn State. Just recently, Damon John from Shark Tank came and spoke, Michael Ian Black did some stand up, and American Authors performed. Some artists that I’ve seen with my friends are One Republic, Nick Offerman, and Keenan Thompson. I’ve also seen some people that I hadn’t heard of before but really enjoyed, such as comedian Bo Burnham, the sketch comedy group Harvard Sailing Team, and hypnotist Sailesh. (I was actually one of the people who got called up to be hypnotized and it was quite an interesting experience – you can ask my friends if you don’t believe me haha.)  I had some really great times with my friends at these events and the best part was that it was completely free! That’s right – I saw One Republic for free. I think that’s pretty awesome.

There are also a few other free events that happen around campus all throughout the year. No Refund Theater produces plays and other productions for free admission at the Forum building on weekends. The new ice rink sometimes has free skate times for Penn State students. On special occasions, such as Founder’s Day, there are free concerts, free food, free prizes, and free games happening at the HUB or Old Main Lawn. I've even experienced free prizes and giveaways at Redifer Dining Commons too.

So whenever you’re low on funds and still wanna have something fun to do, there’s always something happening on campus. And if you know where to look, you might find something that won’t have you reaching for your wallet.

Erika Arrojado is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and she is a Mentor for WEPO '14!