<p>I'm going into nuclear engineering and I have a list of about 12 colleges right now. I want to reduce the list to 8 or 9. So I want to find out some negatives on each college to help narrow it down. I can find positives for Penn State all day long. Its the negatives I can't find easily. So what are some negatives?</p>
<p>I'd also appreciate any advice if you care to give any.</p>
<p>O and I am OOS... just for the record.</p>
<p>People walking around and chanting “We are Penn State”.
The “need” to display paw prints on the back of your mini-van for the next 30 years.</p>
<p>1.) Your first physics class is designed to weed out 1/3 of you.
2.) Out of state tuition. Penn State can be expensive, but it’s definitely worth it.
3.) The party scene. If you’re not into it, the drunk people and screaming can get annoying. Especially in East, where everyone is experiencing freedom for the first time and decide the best way to use that freedom is to get hammered every weekend. Definitely consider a special living option somewhere not in East. I know 3 sophomores that live in Engineering House in West and they love it. West is close to the engineering buildings, closer to most of the campus than East, and as long as you participate in the activities you are guaranteed housing there for as long as you want it. If you apply to the honors college and get accepted, you’re guaranteed honors housing in South as well.</p>
<p>Because of the pure numbers receiving a housing contract from year to year is difficult .</p>
<p>Agreed. Definitely go for a special living option where you’re guaranteed housing for more than your first year. The lottery system is a pain and you don’t want to be scrambling to find an apartment when you don’t get a contract.</p>
<p>For this year, every upperclassmen who wanted to remain in campus housing received a contract.</p>
<p>Everyone might have received a contract but that is deceiving. Many were put into supplemental housing with six or more in lounges. Many find off-campus when they are not given housing too.Since they are so short in housing that is why Simmons dining hall is converting into housing.</p>
<p>My S was among those offered supplemental housing and who bailed.</p>
<p>Even die-hard Penn State lovers complain about the weather…at least the ones I know.
Even though the town is nice it is in the middle of nowhere.
A lot to love, a few negatives…kind of like most schools. Good luck narrowing down your choices.</p>
<p>Lots of positives…but little support if you encounter problems. Lack of cooperation between departments and policies not followed consistently. Probably the same at all large institutions, but we were disappointed in the response our student received.</p>
<p>One reason S chose PSU was the cooperation between his department (architectural engineering) and the architecture department (in another college). Architecture faculty actually teach the engineering students; at other colleges we visited the two disciplines would hardly acknowledge each other’s existence. There is also a great deal of collaboration between he different departments within the College of Engineering. (Obviously, I don’t know even know what college Knitkneelionmom’s child is in.)</p>
<p>Penn State has very few negatives and a lot of pluses! OneMoreMom did your son get housing? My son is an architecture major and was in the same situation looking for housing.</p>
<p>mrtagr, I sent you a pm.</p>
<p>Lack of diversity.</p>
<p>Penn State is like 85% white.</p>
<p>horrible weather.
HUGE party scene
a lot of walking
middle of nowhere
wayy too many people</p>
<p>i mean, these can be both a positive or a negative depending on the type of person you are.
Its so big/populated, that you can make the eperience whatever you want it to be, but the things i listed are the only things that limit your possabilities, or expand them</p>
<p>Whoever said that there is no diversity because it’s 85% white; the whole of US is 80% white so its not going to get much better. </p>
<p>Although State College is in the middle of nowhere, it has everything you need. It’s a regular town with lots of college kids. How often do you leave campus or the surrounding town in which a university is anyways?</p>
<p>About the weather. It’s in the northeast. Nothing surprising.</p>
<p>Some of the downsides:</p>
<p>As a freshman, you will most likely be in east which although is close to the stadium, it is farther from the rest of campus. </p>
<p>General classes are pretty big.</p>
<p>No wireless in the dorms! My biggest problem. Also you are only allowed 4G of download and 4G of upload every week. Basically, you cant watch movies and episodes online all the time. It’s not that restricting, just dont over due it. You can watch movies/episodes in wireless areas where it does not count against your limit.</p>
<p>football games are huge. this could be good or bad, depending on what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>I second the “no wireless in the dorms”. But all of them have ethernet outlets so it’s not terrible.</p>
<p>State College is most definitely in the middle of nowhere. 3 hrs from Philly and Pittsburg.</p>
<p>Not a huge mall, although the one in Altoona (30-45 min drive) is decent.</p>
<p>And it just snowed 4-6 inches. In October. <em>headdesk</em> ughh…</p>
<p>But PSU is pretty awesome, tons of school pride, amazing creamery… :)</p>
<p>Yup - That Tons of School pride can be a negative.</p>
<p>Not a Penn State grad, but I’ve worked with MANY. I had one office that the stadium statue was promin., the fight song played daily & JoePa greeted you when you walk in the door. I swear they brainwash you to be forever Penn State!</p>
<p>And if you don’t love football now, you will within 2 weeks of moving to main campus.</p>
<p>There is a place at PSU for the non-football fan. We bought S season tickets his freshman year. The first game was vs. Notre Dame. Huge crowds, total whiteout, families to visit at tailgating, all culminating in a Penn Sate win. It was the only game he went to; he just wasn’t into it. But he has found many other things to love about Penn State.</p>