<p>For those who have just completed their freshman year, can you please give me your general impressions of PSU? Did it meet your expectations? How hard were the classes? How was it socially? How was your dorm? Was it easy to meet new friends? Any tips?</p>
<p>anything else you want to add would be great. Thanks in advance</p>
<p>I was very nervous at first about the size of the school and how I was going to make it to class on time. I think that every freshman that came to penn state had the same kind of nerves: roomates, making friends, fitting into a large school, and how hard the classes are. However I felt that through it all I have loved my freshman year at Penn State. The school met my expectations and so much more. The football games in the fall and THON (FTK) was amazing. The classes were a bit challenging, but it was manageable. I took 17 credits in the fall and 19 in the spring, the spring semester was very hard and my gpa went down because of the courseload I was taking. The one think I learned was to not take more classes than you can handle. The school socially was good also. People always say that we are a party school, even though a lot of people party at school, there are so many things to do here. I have hanged out with friends to carnivals, bowling alley's, movies, game night, and parties also. I think that the school does a great with balancing social with academic. My dorm was ok, not a 5 star hotel. I think if u live in East Hall's, its def. a lot smaller, but I lived in Pollock- Beaver Hall and loved it. I was in a Special Living Option (SLO), Discover House which is a option for students that are undecided about their major. I truly loved my experience there. We did so much and learned so much about career choices and how to pick our major. And throughout the entire year, we became a big family. I ended up knowing every person on my floor and we are still friends. I think making friends is not that hard, but you have to make the extra step to. Everyone is in the same position and if you open up and say "Hi" most people will warm up to you. Everyone here is greetable and they dont call us "Happy Valley" for nothing. Any tips? GET INVOLVED, Im involved in 5 or 6 different organizations, there are over 700 different clubs and its another way you can meet new people. GO TO THON, it is an experience of a lifetime. Yeah, use the 210 printing pages that are giving to you in the fall b/c printing them for your class notes can save you paper in your own room. Go to the football games. Go to Paternoville, i went last year for the Michigan game and it was awesome! Don't fall behind in your studies, go to the professor for help, they love to see students achieve in their classes. Take any class with Sam Richards, he teaches SOC 001 and SOC 119, he is such a great professor and funny too. Also, just try to friend different types of people whether it be culturaly or ethnic wise. A lot of people feel that the school is not diverse and I feel that if you put forth the effort than you will be fine. When you register for classes, do it at midnight of the scheduled day b/c you may not get into your class b/c you waited a couple of hours. Dont run out of meal points early, eating at the HUB and the little eateries on campus can decrease your meal points significantly, trust me, i spent an extra $300 on meal points and I weigh 125 pounds. I feel that freshman year will be such an experience for you guys, you will learn so much from other people and yourself. The times you spend here will be the best four years of your life. People say high school is the best four years of your life, I say that college is the best four years of your life. I know that I wrote a lot and probably forgot some things also, but Penn State is my second home and that is what you want in a school. I bleed BLUE and WHITE and I hope by the end of your freshman year you will too.</p>
<p>wow! psu sounds awesome. thanks for the great summary</p>
<p>I just finished my first yr at PSU Abington.</p>
<p>I'll be in UP in my jr yr.</p>