Hi this is Ming, Here is a common question concerning housing (at White Course Apartments) and related to it a question about what to do in summer: "Hello, I am from Italy and I have been admitted to the Energy and Mineral Engineering department for a Phd. First of all thank you for all the usefull information. I have just received the white course single apartment lease agreement and I see that for the spring semester the lease ends 5/17/2009. My graduate assistanship is for the spring semester and for the autumn one. So what does usually happen during the summer semester? do you think it would be possible for me to find some kind of internship on campus? If I return home will I be able to store my belongings somewhere? I am asking you this because I am booking my flight and maybe you could advise me on a possible return date. A return ticket would be much cheaper! Any time I might be able to return to Italy for a couple of weeks. Thank you again" Answer: The white course apartment allows tenants to stay on throughout the whole year. What you need to do is to inquire from the housing office there once you are here (or even before you arrive if you could) the procedure to entent your apartment's lease. Be sure to do it quickly though as housing is in high demand. If you continue to rent the White Course apartment, you would have a place to store your belongings or you could ask a friend to help you out. Answer: Summer graduate assistantship is something every international student needs to "negotiate" with their advisors and department personally. Some graduate students gets a Research Funding for certain summer project, some becomes part of the ongoing reseach, some advanced students get to teach a summer course, some go for internships, some work part-time in the university's library or eateries, and there arel some who doesn't get any financial assistance at all for the summer. Note: as an international student, you can only work on campus even in the summer unless it is an internship (as part of your studies). Answer: Airline ticket prices fluctuate from month to month, so it is really depending on your schedule. If you have decided to stay here during Summer, then you could still go home for a couple of weeks before the Summer sessions begin or after they have ended. Check out the Penn State Academic Calendar. I hope these info helps. See you soon! |
Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Question on Housing (White Course) and Summer Internship
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A little bit about supplemental housing
Hi, my name is Mustafa. I’m a senior at Penn State, and I stayed in a supplemental housing room my freshman year…
The one thing I feared the most when I first applied for on-campus housing was being stuck in supplemental housing. Because the freshman class size has increased so much in the past few years, I’m almost positive some of you have to stay in these supplemental rooms. Well, have no fear! Living in supplemental housing was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had at Penn State.
I thought the supplemental housing was going to be a very hard experience. Sharing a room with 4-8 people is more challenging than sharing the room with just one more. I remember I was so worried about living in supplemental, but now I wish I could do it again! It gave me a chance to meet so many new people. There was always someone around, and I was never bored.
Let me tell you a little about my old supplemental room:
Our supplemental room was in Packer Hall (East). It was the largest room on our floor and everyone agreed it was the most fun. After getting together with my roommates, we moved our furniture around to give us the most living space. We put the closest to the side, two facing each other, with just enough room for one person to go in. Then we bunked our beds and put them to the other side. Then we put carpet in the middle of the room and put our appliances next to each other. We had two huge TV’s that normally would be too big for regular dorms. It didn’t matter, because our room was HUGE! We even had a disco ball attached to the ceiling. Everyone on our floor loved our room. We always had friends over because of the extra living space. We would hold video game tournaments, movie nights, birthday parties… a single dorm doesn’t have enough space to do all that!
Of course, living in supplemental requires you to work with your roommates. In my supplemental, we all had different schedules. I had class in the morning, and my roommates had class in the afternoon. When I got dressed for class, I made sure I didn’t make too much noise, and everything worked out fine. Another issue I thought would be a big problem was finding a quiet study place to do homework in the supplemental. With so many people, it is hard to have the room very quiet. But the great thing about Penn State is that there are so many other places to study. I found that I rarely worked in my room. I was always in the library, or the HUB, or outside!
So my point is simple: if you have received on-campus housing and you have to stay in supplemental housing, don’t worry. It will be a great experience and a chance for you to meet so many new people!
The one thing I feared the most when I first applied for on-campus housing was being stuck in supplemental housing. Because the freshman class size has increased so much in the past few years, I’m almost positive some of you have to stay in these supplemental rooms. Well, have no fear! Living in supplemental housing was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had at Penn State.
I thought the supplemental housing was going to be a very hard experience. Sharing a room with 4-8 people is more challenging than sharing the room with just one more. I remember I was so worried about living in supplemental, but now I wish I could do it again! It gave me a chance to meet so many new people. There was always someone around, and I was never bored.
Let me tell you a little about my old supplemental room:
Our supplemental room was in Packer Hall (East). It was the largest room on our floor and everyone agreed it was the most fun. After getting together with my roommates, we moved our furniture around to give us the most living space. We put the closest to the side, two facing each other, with just enough room for one person to go in. Then we bunked our beds and put them to the other side. Then we put carpet in the middle of the room and put our appliances next to each other. We had two huge TV’s that normally would be too big for regular dorms. It didn’t matter, because our room was HUGE! We even had a disco ball attached to the ceiling. Everyone on our floor loved our room. We always had friends over because of the extra living space. We would hold video game tournaments, movie nights, birthday parties… a single dorm doesn’t have enough space to do all that!
Of course, living in supplemental requires you to work with your roommates. In my supplemental, we all had different schedules. I had class in the morning, and my roommates had class in the afternoon. When I got dressed for class, I made sure I didn’t make too much noise, and everything worked out fine. Another issue I thought would be a big problem was finding a quiet study place to do homework in the supplemental. With so many people, it is hard to have the room very quiet. But the great thing about Penn State is that there are so many other places to study. I found that I rarely worked in my room. I was always in the library, or the HUB, or outside!
So my point is simple: if you have received on-campus housing and you have to stay in supplemental housing, don’t worry. It will be a great experience and a chance for you to meet so many new people!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Are you planning to live off-campus?
If so, and especially if you don't know where you'll be living yet, this post is for you! Rachel asked me (Ruth) to call up apartment complexes this week so that we could find out how many still have places available for the fall. So, after a few days of searching, I have some good news and some bad news.
The bad news is that most of the complexes and realty groups in the area are already full for this year. Since many students usually rent through a realty company or apartment complex, this could seem like a problem for all of you.
But, don't worry - I said there was also good news! Even though the companies that handle rentals are mostly fully rented for this year, using them is not the only way to find housing. Many people in the area rent out their apartments, condos, townhouses, or houses for a year at a time while they are away. This is called subletting, and means that you deal directly with the person instead of with the rental company. As in any rental situation, it is a good idea to be sure that you feel safe and that you know what you are responsible for in the agreements you make.
You can find information about available sublets at the Housing Board outside room 407 Boucke Building and on websites like http://www.craigslist.org/ , at the Marketplace on http://www.facebook.com/, and at the Penn State Off-Campus Living Office at http://www.sa.psu.edu/ocl/. Remember that Bellefonte and Boalsburg are nearby towns and that rent there is often cheaper than in State College. They are further away, though, and you would need to take the bus. Here is a link to the CATA Bus website: http://www.catabus.com/, to the Boalsburg schedule: http://catabus.com/centreline/routes/b/schedule.htm, and to the Bellefonte schedule: http://catabus.com/centreline/routes/x/schedule.htm. Bus fare is $1.25 per trip for off-campus routes if you just buy a single token, $49 for a one-month pass, $279 for a 6-month pass, and $499 for a one-year pass (for more options and details, see http://catabus.com/ssfares.htm).
And, while most of the rental agencies are fully rented for the fall, not all of them are. Here are a few that I found who said they still had apartments for rent:
Continental Real Estate Management at 814-238-1598 or cremapt@gmail.com
Copper Beech Townhomes at 814-867-2323 or statecollege@cbeech.com
Falk Realty at 814-238-8788 or info@falkrealty.net
Park Crest Terrace at 814-231-9677 or info@parkcrestterrace.com
Toftrees Apartments at 866-649-1340 or leasin-toftrees@rentberger.com
I hope this is useful information for you and that you are all a little further on your way toward getting a place to live for the fall! If you haven't started looking yet, it's probably a good idea to do that as soon as you can. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about housing! We're here to help. :)
The bad news is that most of the complexes and realty groups in the area are already full for this year. Since many students usually rent through a realty company or apartment complex, this could seem like a problem for all of you.
But, don't worry - I said there was also good news! Even though the companies that handle rentals are mostly fully rented for this year, using them is not the only way to find housing. Many people in the area rent out their apartments, condos, townhouses, or houses for a year at a time while they are away. This is called subletting, and means that you deal directly with the person instead of with the rental company. As in any rental situation, it is a good idea to be sure that you feel safe and that you know what you are responsible for in the agreements you make.
You can find information about available sublets at the Housing Board outside room 407 Boucke Building and on websites like http://www.craigslist.org/ , at the Marketplace on http://www.facebook.com/, and at the Penn State Off-Campus Living Office at http://www.sa.psu.edu/ocl/. Remember that Bellefonte and Boalsburg are nearby towns and that rent there is often cheaper than in State College. They are further away, though, and you would need to take the bus. Here is a link to the CATA Bus website: http://www.catabus.com/, to the Boalsburg schedule: http://catabus.com/centreline/routes/b/schedule.htm, and to the Bellefonte schedule: http://catabus.com/centreline/routes/x/schedule.htm. Bus fare is $1.25 per trip for off-campus routes if you just buy a single token, $49 for a one-month pass, $279 for a 6-month pass, and $499 for a one-year pass (for more options and details, see http://catabus.com/ssfares.htm).
And, while most of the rental agencies are fully rented for the fall, not all of them are. Here are a few that I found who said they still had apartments for rent:
Continental Real Estate Management at 814-238-1598 or cremapt@gmail.com
Copper Beech Townhomes at 814-867-2323 or statecollege@cbeech.com
Falk Realty at 814-238-8788 or info@falkrealty.net
Park Crest Terrace at 814-231-9677 or info@parkcrestterrace.com
Toftrees Apartments at 866-649-1340 or leasin-toftrees@rentberger.com
I hope this is useful information for you and that you are all a little further on your way toward getting a place to live for the fall! If you haven't started looking yet, it's probably a good idea to do that as soon as you can. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about housing! We're here to help. :)
Monday, June 30, 2008
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.
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.
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