Four years ago, I started the crazy journey that is college. Though it doesn’t seem like four years ago; the entire experience flew by. It felt like just yesterday that I stepped foot onto Penn State’s main campus and now I’m packing up my apartment and heading off into some crazy unknown direction, also known as the casa de mama and papa.

Sitting at our graduation, I remember thinking, ‘how is this end?’ It just doesn’t feel real. I’m still waiting to wake up in my old dorm room, 4 years ago.  I feel like I should still be attending classes, where I stopped going to learn the material, but more to hang out with the friends I’ve developed along the way.  I feel like I should still be partying it up with my crazy friends who have made this one of the best experiences ever. I will never forget all our numerous inside jokes, and to be honest, I am petrified of a life without them.  I know graduation changes friendships and it sucks.

College has been a great time and I’m by no means ready to say goodbye, or even see ya later.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is I’m not all that excited about having graduated. Yes, it’s exciting to have accomplished a major milestone, but it’s also a big life change that scares the living crap out of me.  And to be honest, graduating didn’t help me in my book of life.  Young freshman me thought by this time I would have such a clear understanding of “who I am.” And although it’s challenged me, at times I feel like I’ve only learned little tiny bits (like I actually do like wings, I’m a terrible beer drinker but awesome pong player…), if anything. Read More »

I thought, like most people, that I did well freshman year. I made it through, I managed to get decent grades, I didn’t fail or anything bad like that. So I went home pretty confidant that sophomore year would be the same…

Boy was I wrong.

I’ve been back for about 5 weeks, and I feel like my head is about to explode! My classes seem like they’re a million times harder than last year. Last year, 15 hours left me bored with way too much free time. This year 17 hours feels like it’s going to kill me!

Now don’t get me wrong, I most likely brought this on myself. I’m in the middle of trying to switch majors (my application is almost due, yet another thing on my to-do list) and I’m trying to make sure that my freshman year in the school of fine arts wasn’t a total waste. But I can’t be the only one, can I?

Maybe it’s just my school, but it seems like they go too easy on freshman, and then go way too hard on everyone else. It leaves too much of a gap that no one can make up in one summer. Read More »

Welcome to college, freshmen!

You may have made it through Welcome Week without any run-ins with the campus police (congrats!), but you still have plenty of opportunities to meet them up close and personal.

There are going to be many times this year and well into your college career that you will find yourself surrounded by alcohol. And, naturally, you are going to want to partake. Just beware–while you are navigating the university party scene, your RA’s, Campus Police, and Public Safety units are gearing up to bust underage revelers.

Here are some tips on how you can avoid getting written up before your first semester is over.

1. Don’t act like ‘The Freshman.’

Just because you suddenly have access to alcohol, it doesn’t mean you need to consume ALL of the alcohol at once. Even if the cops are out and about, they don’t have the manpower to hunt down every single underage boozer. So, they’ll zero in on the kid stumbling around with a trash can on his head before thinking twice about the passive mingler. The same goes with your RA, who really doesn’t want to walk in on you peeing in the corner of elevator. Read More »