Recommendation for what to see, Campus tour, prospective student?
- Thread starter katchthis
- Start date
Not a recommendation, but a caution. If you go to Old Main, be extremely careful as BOT snakes (11/11 variety) are sometimes seen there.
Well, that's hard to say and it depends what she may be interested in. A few suggestions include the Nittany Lion, Mineral Science exhibits, tour of Rec Hall, Beaver Stadium, BJ Center, Pegulla Hockey Arena, Nittany Lion Inn, HUB, Book Store, Library, Arts Building exhibits, and possibly quads and dining halls.Not a recommendation, but a caution. If you go to Old Main, be extremely careful as BOT snakes (11/11 variety) are sometimes seen there.
Taking a group tour? Or walking around the campus on her own?
Group Tour - stay near the top, and ask questions. On Her Own - hmm, depends on the time of day and who she's touring with.
Best approach -- she (the daughter's friend) probably knows someone that goes to Main. Stay with them for a night, and get a sense of what it's like to be a student. Also, either go with that person to a class, or contact PSU about sitting in on a class in her major.
Things to see -- the Hub, East Halls (if noting else go to a Commons), the IM building (problem to get into), walk up to Old Main from College Ave, stroll along College Ave, etc. She basically wants to be where students are, and if possible to try to talk with them whenever possible.
Lots of options; not sure how much time she has, or whether she's going on a group tour or not.
I'm a relative newbie, being a PSU parent rather than a PSU alum, but I have a few thoughts, and perhaps an alum can supplement or correct them.
1. Take a tour of East Halls, as this is almost certainly where your daughter will be living during her freshman year. (If your daughter intends to rush a sorority, you may also want to check out the South Halls dorms, which have just undergone an impressive reconstruction. PSU sororities do not have off campus housing, and most of them are in South Halls.)
2. The HUB, which is where a lot of the orientation activities take place.
3. Paterno-Pattee (SP?) Library, which is in the middle of campus, and a really impressive building. A fitting legacy for JVP, as well.
4. The Lion (Gotta take photos there. An absolute must.)
5. The Nittany Lion Inn.
6. Rec Hall (the place fairly reeks of history).
7. It is really a shame that Berkey Creamery is apparently closed for renovation. That place has the best ice cream I have ever tasted.
Off campus, I think you should definitely hit The Tavern for a meal. And McClanahan's. The place is a beehive of activity when school is in session. Textbooks can be purchased or rented there, and all manner of Penn State swag. Love the place.
1. Take a tour of East Halls, as this is almost certainly where your daughter will be living during her freshman year. (If your daughter intends to rush a sorority, you may also want to check out the South Halls dorms, which have just undergone an impressive reconstruction. PSU sororities do not have off campus housing, and most of them are in South Halls.)
2. The HUB, which is where a lot of the orientation activities take place.
3. Paterno-Pattee (SP?) Library, which is in the middle of campus, and a really impressive building. A fitting legacy for JVP, as well.
4. The Lion (Gotta take photos there. An absolute must.)
5. The Nittany Lion Inn.
6. Rec Hall (the place fairly reeks of history).
7. It is really a shame that Berkey Creamery is apparently closed for renovation. That place has the best ice cream I have ever tasted.
Off campus, I think you should definitely hit The Tavern for a meal. And McClanahan's. The place is a beehive of activity when school is in session. Textbooks can be purchased or rented there, and all manner of Penn State swag. Love the place.
I'll echo what Tom said about staying the night/weekend with someone who goes to PSU. That's how you get to experience what life is really like on campus.
Otherwise......there are the obvious stopping places.
My advice would be to take a look at some lesser known things about campus. There's a lot of neat study areas/offices in the libraries, there's also other libraries in other areas of campus (The College of EMS has a cool library in Deike Building).
Check out classroom buildings that classes will be held in (Thomas, Willard, Osmond, etc.) and don't get discouraged by the sight of Hammond & Sackett.
Most of all though.......observe and try to immerse/imagine yourself being there.
Otherwise......there are the obvious stopping places.
My advice would be to take a look at some lesser known things about campus. There's a lot of neat study areas/offices in the libraries, there's also other libraries in other areas of campus (The College of EMS has a cool library in Deike Building).
Check out classroom buildings that classes will be held in (Thomas, Willard, Osmond, etc.) and don't get discouraged by the sight of Hammond & Sackett.
Most of all though.......observe and try to immerse/imagine yourself being there.
I took my oldest daughter to check out the campus over New Year's, so UP was pretty empty. She's grown up out West, but is very interested in attending. She hasn't been on campus since she was a 4-year-old wearing her cheer outfit at an autumn game. She loved it all... we checked out East Halls complex, Beaver Stadium, The Nittany Lion Statue, The Library, The HUB (from the outside), Old Main, College Avenue, Beaver Avenue, McClanahan's, merchandise stores, The Corner Room, The Fraternity Area. We tried to find a good vantage point to see the whole campus, but most buildings were closed. I hadn't been on campus in years... It's changed so much, yet stayed the same overall. Simply awesome place.
