University Park--Social/Drinking Scene

[ehart]

<p>or you could just… drink, it’s popular for a reason</p>

[Whistle_Pig]

<p>I assure you Madison … is if anything … worse (or better, depending upon one’s viewpoint, I guess) than State College. That would be going from the frying pan to the brewery. Nights are cold, snowy, and long in Wisconsin’s winter.</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>

Good luck to you MightyNick. It sounds like you’ve made your mind up and will likely transfer. But don’t give up too early. Even if you end up leaving, it will help to keep trying to branch out to meet others that have the same values as you. You know they’re out there among the many thousands of students- so keep looking. Pretty sad Late Night report though…
I hope you’re right about the other state school environments. I went to a big state school (many years ago) and there was a HUGE party scene. I have friends from other state schools AND privates and they report the same (with few exceptions - Univ of Chicago, Wheaton, BYU, MIT, for example). Maybe being near a big city is one of the keys - so you can escape if you want to. Do remember the “grass is always greener” rule though. Again, best of luck to you as you examine other options!

</p>

<p>Thanks. The general atmosphere at Penn State doesn’t bother me too much. It’s just that Ross appeals a lot more than Smeal, and I figured if I transfer to Michigan I have a better chance of getting in Ross rather than transfering directly to Ross from Smeal in juinor year. Even though I’m not a party-goer or drinker, I dont really care if everyone else is doing it. If you want to fit in, obviously you have to go with the crowd and do that sort of stuff. Personally i think its really immature and I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.</p>

<p>Late Night is pretty bad though in terms of atmoshpere. There were a few people there on Friday but no one on Saturday. People definatley prefer partying rather than late night, especially on the first weekend back from break.</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>

Mightynick, have you been to Late Nite Penn State when there have been a lot more students? I remember someone saying that it’s so crowded there. My son is really not into the party scene, but Late Nite sounded like a saving grace. You make PSU sound like a nightmare for non-drinkers. Any current students care to weigh in? I wonder if Wisconsin is any better; he’s choosing between the two.

</p>

<p>There are never so many students at late night, when you think about how big penn state is. I wouldn’t say its a nightmare…there are always a few people that dont wanna party and prefer hanging out at late night. However, there are times when you feel that you should just go to a party and drink to fit in the crowd. </p>

<p>I doubt Wisconsin is any better.</p>

[toneranger]

<p>mightynick - yes Ross > Smeal - although it’s quite a bit more expensive too! Good luck - I hope you get what you wish for! My son was rejected at his top business school choice- UVA - but he’s settled and quite happy at PSU so I think he’ll stay the course.</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>

MightyNick, what classes are you currently taking? I was thinking of going to late nate penn state yesterday as well to see a movie or something like that. Have you tried joining a club or anything of the sort? Toneranger, does your son sleep in the honors dorm, because that would explain why he does not need earplugs. </p>

<p>plaid, Psu is NOT a nightmare for non-drinkers; it is just that people who don’t drink might have a hard time fitting in since the vast majority of social interactions here revolve around the party scene. In other words, there are countless opportunities to have fun and be involved in school activities, but outside the classroom(after the class is over or on weekends) most students want to go bars/drink and if you don’t, it can get pretty boring. So, the problem is not with the school, but with the students’ attitude. I personally wish people here were more astute and diligent, but then again, it is a large football school.

</p>

<p>i’m taking accounting 211, english 30, business law, business ethics, astronomy, and Nutrition 100. </p>

<p>I went to late night yesterday and saw deja vu! I was surprised to see the hall half full!! Decent movie, but quite short though.</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>

mightynick - yes Ross > Smeal - although it’s quite a bit more expensive too! Good luck - I hope you get what you wish for! My son was rejected at his top business school choice- UVA - but he’s settled and quite happy at PSU so I think he’ll stay the course.

</p>

<p>I applied to UVA too! Hope I get in this time. </p>

<p>Schreyers is a top honors college and my psu experience (academically at least) would be a lot more better if I were in it. Infact, If I were in schreyers, I wouldnt’ even think about transfering.</p>

[CH121S]

<p>MightyNick I dont understand what makes schreyers so much more appealing to you than the regular school?</p>

<p>For the record im one of those students who does many academic opportunities (Research, job, orgs.) and goes out to parties.</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>

mightynick - yes Ross > Smeal - although it’s quite a bit more expensive too! Good luck - I hope you get what you wish for! My son was rejected at his top business school choice- UVA - but he’s settled and quite happy at PSU so I think he’ll stay the course.

</p>

<p>Schreyers is more appealing just because its an honors college. I’m not complaining about the regular school at all…its just that I feel I can be somewhere else that is better. </p>

<p>i dont’ go to parties because of the whole “hooking up mentality” of the people there, and not because i dont’ want to drink. Besides, frat parties are boring and house parties are disgusting (room full of smoke and bad smells).</p>

[frasifrasi]

<p>Yeah, I pretty much share the same views as you regarding the school. Does anyone one know the regular, or most common, deadline to apply for state schools (like upitt or uva) as a transfer for the fall semester ? Also, mightynick, it is funny to hear you are taking eng 30, my roommate is taking that course. He is in sect 12, I believe. What section are you in, if you don’t mind me asking, of course,. lol</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>the deadline for UVA is March 1st. Not sure about pitt. </p>

<p>I’m in section 10. Its funny coz we haven’t had much hw for english 30, while most of my friends that are in english 15 have had to write essays for tomorrow’s class.</p>

[frasifrasi]

<p>Lol, it seems that is the case with a lot of honors, and especially AP classes in HS as well. I wil be taking that class next semester(they wouldn’t let me take it from the start because I am a newly admitted international student, even though I scored high enough on the placement exams and sat), is there a lot of reading/class discussions in it?</p>

[CH121S]

<p>Well I guess its your life…but I dont think youll get much of a difference at other schools party wise…and if you really do deserve the honors college and feel you should be in it there always is sophmore…I guess thats just not your style…good luck wit your transfer process</p>

[frasifrasi]

<p>mightynick, Why didn’t you take eng 30 in your first semester? CH12, do you go to pen state as well? If so, what do you think of the school?</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>It really depends on the teacher. My roomate takes english 30 and he has to do a lot of reading, while we dont.</p>

<p>I couldn’t take english first semester coz all the classes were full when i registered.</p>

[frasifrasi]

<p>I think english 30 is a pathetic class. My roomate says he is doing a paper about slavery and that students are supposed to have a historical background. I rather write about literature and read books in an english class, so i don’t think I would take 3ng 30–rhetoric-- if I could. So, you didn’t take any english class on your first semester? How many credits did you earn and what were your classes?</p>

[MightyNick]

<p>LOL i’m also writing essay’s on slavery. maybe your roomate is in my class.</p>

<p>first semester i had 18 credits with 6 classes (soc, meteorology, stat, mis, seminar, french), this semester i have 15.5 credits with 6 classes.</p>

[frasifrasi]

<p>Umm maybe I will drop my eng class(esl) and add an art class or something. I just checked my roomate’s schedule and he is in eng 30, sect 10–I thought he was in sect 12. It is a small world innit?
mis=music?</p>

[CH121S]

<p>frasifrasi yes I do go to PSU and I like it here. I came in with the notion of possibly transfering to a “better” school, but Ive gotten the chance to do so many things here already…so im pretty sure that I will be staying. Im an Engr student for the record.</p>

[toneranger]

<p>parents and students - take a look at recent pulse surveys to get a feel for the satisfaction level and current issues on the PSU UP campus. The most recent new student survey shows pretty good numbers (96% would choose PSU again if they were starting over and over 90% are happy or reasonably happy).
Lots of info here (some good, some bad) and it’s quite rare for a university to have the courage to do this!
<a href=“http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/chronopulse.shtml[/url]”>http://www.sa.psu.edu/sara/chronopulse.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;