Major: Human Development and Family Studies

Minors: Vocal Performance, Rehabilitation and Human Services, (all one minor) Crime, Law, and Psychology

Certificate: Diversity Studies

Email: lch5223@psu.edu

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Questions about Academics and COVID-19

 

What were your classes like in your first year or in your major/concentration, especially transitioning from Shen? 

Different in classroom size wise. A lot of them were small or large. Classrooms can fit 15 to 650 students at a time

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What academic experiences have stood out to you at your college in either positive or negative ways?

Singing in an A Capella Group

Participating in philanthropy

Being a Research assistant

Being a Teaching assistant

Working a job

Creating relationships with your Professors

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How was your online learning experience at your college? What resources did your college provide you during this time?

The experience was tough to adapt to. My school gave us the choice to opt out on receiving grades that would affect our GPAs. In case you did badly in a class because of going online, your transcript would say Pass or Fail. But not the grade that you received. Some professors were very flexible with us. Some were not.

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What did your college do well or poorly to support students and communities when COVID-19 first hit?

They communicated as much as they could. They offered zoom appointments and made sure to help us getting the resources we needed.

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Questions about Student Life

 

If students are interested in your major/concentration, what extracurricular activities do you recommend they do at your college?

Being a research assistant if you in the STEM field. For extra curricular activities, it depends on your own interests. My school offers so many types of clubs/groups that people can take part in. It’s not hard to stay busy at Penn State.

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What are common things to do on weekends? Do students commute back home for the weekend or are there events on campus?

There is a lot of things to do on the weekends . A lot of students do go back home for the weekend while some don’t. We have football season in the fall and basketball in the spring. We also have THON (philanthropy). Clubs do meet on the weekends. You can meet with your friends for lunch or dinner. Or you can just stay home or go to the library to do work. There is much more to do and if you want more information, I’ll be happy to give more.

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Do you have a job during the school year, or is it common for students to have on-campus jobs? What is that experience like?

I do have a job during the school year. It is common to see students working a job. The experience can be good if you don’t work all the time that it messes with your academics and extra curricular activities. As long as you don’t over extend, you should be fine to work a job. It is also not a bad thing if you don’t work a job. It’s a personal choice.

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Extra Questions

 

What advice would you give to current Shen students when applying to your college?

Expand your horizons. Get out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Visit your prospective colleges if you are able to. Meet with an advisor. See if the curriculum a college offers best fits you.

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What makes your college special to you?

It gives me the opportunities that I know that most colleges wouldn’t have been to give me. And I’m entirely grateful.

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What do you wish you knew about your college when you were a senior at Shen?

Exciting as college sounds to venture forth and being on your own, the transition can be very difficult. You think you have everything perfectly planned out, but things change all the time! And that’s perfectly okay.

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Before COVID-19, what was the housing like at your college? What would you recommend to Shen seniors to find their roommates?

Facebook groups are really great in searching a roommate if that makes you comfortable. Some people are okay with being assigned to a random roommate. My school has freshman living on campus. After that, it’s a free for all in deciding where to live in next. Making it more flexible to find roommates and a place to live after being at school for at least a year.

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How is the financial aid situation at your college?

My college is a public state school. They hardly give very generous academic scholarships. But they are so many scholarships that students can apply for. It varies from Academia, involvement, research, sports, and work.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your college experience that hasn't been addressed yet in this questionnaire?

It is okay to feel lost or confused at times. The good thing about that is that many students will feel the same way. But once you find what makes you happy and passionate, you are in the right place at your future college.