Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Top Questions

I haven't had any distinct experiences. Whenever there are scenes/celebrations on campus I am never there in person. Someone who doesn't like sports and maybe someone who doesn't like socializing Comfortable clothes. Yes. A bunch of guys/girls from a sporting team. A few girls from a sorority gossiping A few kids studying while they eat A bunch of guys/girls being loud. "Outside Philly" or "Pittsburgh" Rich. No. Right. No.

I've been called a nigger a few times at parties. But I associate with everyone, race, religion, sexual orientation. I dont think anyone could really feel out of place here because since there are so many people, you can always find at least one person who is going your way. Students either look presentable (jeans a nice shirt) or they wear sweats- girls at least. Guys usually dress casual jeans or Khakis. Most Penn state students are from small towns 'right outside of Philly' or at least thats what they say- but from PA in general is where most students are from. You see people from all financial backgrounds- I cant really say what kind of financial background a person has because I could be completely wrong, but there is definately a wide range. Students dont talk about how much they earn but everyone expects to do well after Penn State.

You see a good diversity of students at Penn State, but not much mixing among groups. Depending on the student, some get somewhat dressed for class, atleast presentable (usually genes and a collared shirt, or a sweater.) Others then to wear sweatpants and a sweat shirt. Many students seem to be concerned with making a lot of money after graduation (who isn't?). In my experience, many people have started out in a very specific major and then decided to switch to something like business, a much broader major.

PSU is pretty accepting of all kinds of people (whether you look at race, religion, sexual orientation, and economic background). It's pretty easy to "fit in" with other students and classmates, mainly because every is so different. People from all over the country attend Penn State and everyone has a different story to tell, something unique they have experienced. Penn State is a diverse university, and while it's wrong to say everyone is happy-go-lucky and we're a big family, I think it's safe to say that safety is not something many people have to worry about (unless it's on a snow day, because Penn State absolutely refuses to cancel classes even if a blizzard hit us... I'm embellishing, but there is some truth in that).

One thing about Penn State that many notice and comment on is the fact that most of the students are white rich kids. I think that a lot of minorities may feel out of place someone like Penn State where there are so few students of color. Penn State tries to increase the minority groups and I'm not saying that they are not around, but in comparison to all the Caucasians,the number is few. Many students of different race seem to stick together at Penn State. The majority of student's wear either sweats and a sweatshirt to class and a small group of students like to get a little more dressed up- again, its strictly personal preference. A lot of students at Penn State are from either the Philadelphia or Pittsburgh area, though there are a lot from New York as well. It varies, but for the most part the students are from Pennsylvania.

Lots of students joke that Penn State students come from three places: Happy Valley, Pittsburgh, or "outside" Philly. Although the majority of students hail from PA and identify with one or the other side of the state, I've met people from areas as diverse as Texas and Hawaii. It's hard to break Penn State students into only four groups because it's such a large campus with so many different people with varying interests. At least one of the tables in the dining hall would consist of sorority girls, whose usual attire consists of a Northface fleece combined with black leggings and Uggs. This outfit is really popular among the sorority set and has spread to other parts of the campus. If you want to be sure to fit in with any group, you have to go no further than wearing any sort of PSU gear.

There are a wide number of groups on campus that can really spark the interest of any student. There are so many to choose from, and they make themselves so available to students through flyers and conversation that I can't think of any kind of student who could ever feel out of place at Penn State. Due to the often rainy and snowy weather in the happy valley, students often dress with the weather in mind. For girls, rain boots and Uggs are very popular, mainly because of their practicality. Generally students dress casually and comfortably to class, either in jeans or sweats. The students you'd encounter in a dining hall would all be friendly, talkative, and would most likely know each other. It's really amazing how many times you'll find that all your friends and acquaintances are in fact interconnected. The concept of "cliques" holds much less ground at Penn State than in highschool, or I would imagine, a smaller campus. Students are constantly interacting with each other; meeting new and interesting people is one of the most valuable experiences in college. Most Penn State students from PA are either from the Pittsburgh or Philadelphia area, while out-of-staters tend to come from Virginia, Maryland and New York. Although many of the students here are upper-middle class, it's very hard to generalize due to the campus's size. Students from all financial backgrounds come here to study. Political views and values vary greatly; there are students representative of all areas of the political spectrum, and many of them make an effort to be involved. Republican and Democratic clubs meet to debate, guest speakers are invited to give lectures about the world's political situation.

A major disadvantage at PSU is the lack of race diversity. The majority of students walking around campus are White, and many of which I've met have previously attended some several thousand dollar a year private high school. Most students are from within Pennsylvania (generally Philadelphia or Pittsburgh are). As a Hispanic New Yorker, my initial reaction to the PSU demographic was intimidation. I quickly learned that there is a place for everyone at PSU. There is no doubt that the minority population needs to increase,however, I can safely say race issues are not a big problem.

I think most religious, LGBT, and other groups such as these are accepted or more commonly, left alone. I have never observed racism or any other type of prejudice that was openly expressed. There are so many small communities of students that make up Penn State and they often just stick together. I don’t think it’s possible for any student to feel ENTIRELY out of place at PSU because he/she is bound to find SOMEONE that speaks his/her native language, has the same likes and dislikes, etc. It is possible, however, for someone to feel somewhat out of place. For example, I think that African Americans might feel out of place on this campus because not only are the students predominantly white, but the town of State College is as well. Students here do not dress up for class. Sweatpants are a staple, and PSU apparel is worn, on average, three times a week. The only time you see a student dressed up during class hours is if he/she has A) an interview, or B) a presentation to deliver. Most PSU students are from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, or Maryland. But our athletes are from all across the country and we also have many international students.

As I mentioned in the stereotypes prompt, Penn State is expected to be, and is in fact, a primarily white campus. While there are many racial groups on campus, they are somewhat independent of the masses. When I was a freshman, I lived in supplemental housing where 8 girls were thrown into a study lounge. Without privacy I got to know my room mates very well. Two were African American, well, one was a "white" black girl and the other was 'ghetto fabulous," to be politically correct. I also had a Hispanic room mate and an international student from the United Arab Emirates. These girls all had totally unique experiences, they talked about racism to each other often, but despite some confrontations they were very happy. Each joined cultural clubs and made friends of their own race easily, yet still kept my friendship over the years. It seems like students of different races are able to interact, but it is limited. We are always drawn to what's comfortable and for some people, telling a tall, feisty black girl to stop listening to hip hop at 3 am is not comfortable.