Undergraduate On-campus Housing

Living in the dorms. For most of us, there is no escaping it. I'm sure a lot of you have filled out your housing request forms already but for those of you who have not, I'll tell you a little bit about the on-campus housing options for undergrads (both 4 year and exchange students).

I lived on campus my first two years at Penn State but I've lived in East, South, North, and Pollock Halls. Dorm buildings may either be single sex or co-ed. Co-ed dorms tend to alternate floors (one floor is girls, the next is boys). Each floor has one Resident Assistant (RA) who's pretty much in charge of enforcing the rules, handling roommate disputes, and answering questions. It's a good idea to get to know you're RA!!

Most dorm rooms house two students of the same sex. For many people, college is the first time they have to share a room (with a total stranger, no less!) and this is often a cause of stress. You’ll always hear of roommates-gone-wrong stories, but most people are able to live peacefully with their roommates. If you are one of the unlucky ones, there is always the possibility to switch rooms. Usually there are room-swap lists posted in the halls, but when in doubt, ask your RA!!

Bathrooms tend to be centrally located on each floor, and yes, you have to share the bathroom with all the other students on the floor. It's amazing though...I've never had to wait in line to use the bathroom or shower!! It takes some getting used to, but it's not so bad. Be sure to wear flip flops in the shower stalls...they are cleaned every day but it's still kind of gross to share showers with sooo many people...

Your dorm rooms are fully furnished, which means they have a bed, a desk and chair, and a set of drawers/closet for each person. They also are all equipped with a small refrigerator/microwave unit (one per room). The following is a list of “must-haves” for your dorm room which you will need to bring with you or buy during orientation on one of our student-led shopping tours!
Pillow
Sheets/bedding (size: twin extra-long…must say extra-long on it or it won’t fit!!!)
Blanket
FAN (there is no AC in the dorms!!!)
Bowl/plate
Fork, spoon, knife
4 Bed risers (these are great because they make your bed taller so you can store stuff underneath!)
Shower shoes!! (flip-flops work well)

Those are the basic things you will need to make your dorm room livable!

So…where is the best place to live on campus?...I think most Penn State students would say West Halls. The dorms in West Halls are located near the big Pattee/Paterno Library. The rooms are fairly spacious (for dorms) and West Halls has the best dining commons!! West Commons is best known for its delicious melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies. The west side of campus is close to the engineering and IST buildings.

If you are a freshman, chances are you’ll be living in East Halls your first year. East Halls is the largest and is home to ONLY first year students. You guys will be isolate on the east side of campus away from pretty much everything except the creamery, Beaver Stadium, and Bryce Jordan Center. It’s not the best place to live, but at least you’ll be living with all the other first years who are eager to make friends and explore State College!

Pollock and South Halls are located next to each other and are close to the HUB (student union building) and downtown. I think the rooms in South tend to be a little bit bigger, but the two are similar and the dining halls aren’t bad! A lot of first years also live in Pollock.

North Halls are located near the business building and most of the halls there are newly renovated. It is the smallest of the living areas on campus and it’s far from downtown BUT it offers two and four person suites complete with a shared living area and bathroom. I wasn’t lucky enough to live here but I’ve heard these are really nice! You must be in a special living option to live here.

So what are special living options? They are special programs where students with similar interests can live together. They have special social and educational programs throughout the year. For example, my freshman year I lived in East Halls but I was in the living option for First year students in Science and Engineering majors (FISE). We had our own tutors who would come to our buildings and help with chem, math, bio, etc, and we had ice cream socials and other fun activities. There are also special living options for women in science and engineering (WISE), engineers, business majors, architecture majors, community-service based options, etc etc. The list goes on!! Check out the website!! http://www.hfs.psu.edu/housing/undergraduates/slo.shtml

For exchange and transfer students, you have the option of living in Nittany Apartments, Eastview Terrace (single room, single bathroom with shared kitchen and lounge), and possibly The University Club (must be 21 or older to live here, and it’s hard to get in!).

No matter where you end up, you are guaranteed to have a good time! There really aren’t dorms that tend to be more “party” than the others but I think that East and Pollock tend to be the loudest. West Halls houses a lot of upperclassmen so they tend to be quieter. North Halls is small and houses the least amount of people so it would be quieter there as well. However, you should note that underage drinking (legal drinking age is 21) is NOT tolerated in the dorms…and most people do get caught.

If you have any more questions check out the housing website: http://www.hfs.psu.edu/housing/


This blog entry was written by Beth Harvie (Orientation Leader 2006-2009) for Fall 2008 orientation.

The International Peer Mentor Program

As a new international student, you can sign up online for your own personal mentor. This mentor will be an upper-class student of the same nationality and/or field of study. Once you are matched with a mentor, he/she can help answer questions you have before you arrive at Penn State. You can send emails, chat online or call one another on the phone.

Your mentor can also help you once you arrive at Penn State. All of our mentors have been instructed to help you with important issues such as culture shock, home sickness, and making new friends.

In the event that a mentor from your same nationality is not available, we will try to fit you with a mentor from the same region. This program is available to undergraduate and graduate students.

To sign up for the Peer Mentor Program go to: http://www.international.psu.edu/iss/peer_mentoring.html

I bet you’ll find that the Peer Mentor Program is a great way to learn more about life at Penn State and to make a new friend!

FAQs: What to expect for your first week in State College?

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What to expect for your first week in State College?