Josh (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at Pennsylvania State University

I was lucky to spend S2 2023 at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. I had always hoped to spend at least one semester studying abroad, and my time at Penn State was more than I could have asked for. I chose Penn State for a few reasons:

1. Penn State is a campus university. The main campus (University Park) is just over 3 hours away from Philadelphia and nearly 2 and a half hours from Pittsburgh. Consequently, almost every student at Penn State spends most of the semester on, or very close to, campus. Coming from The University of Auckland, where so many students commute to campus every day, I was particularly interested in attending a campus university.
2. Penn State loves sports. On a list of the planet’s biggest stadiums, only three rank higher than Penn State’s Beaver Stadium. Rather than trying to describe the experience of sitting in the student section to you, I urge you to search “Penn State White Out” on YouTube.
3. University in the United States distinctly differs from anywhere else in the English-speaking world. Regardless of where I chose to go, I had hoped to make at least a few close local friends while on my semester abroad. At the same time, I wanted to go somewhere culturally different from New Zealand. As I currently only speak English, I limited my search to English-speaking countries. I eventually found that the US was the country that best fit my criteria.

First Impressions

My first impression of Penn State was formed well before I arrived on campus. The Education Abroad team at Penn State were highly responsive and very helpful throughout the pre-arrival administration phase. Because I was completing an internship in London before travelling to the United States, I had to complete the visa process several months ahead of what would typically be required. Penn State’s Education Abroad were very helpful and worked with me to ensure I had all the necessary documentation in time. After arriving on campus, the team continued to be accessible and helpful throughout.

Accommodation

My application for on-campus housing was unsuccessful. Consequently, I was forced to find accommodation independently. Through Facebook, I (reluctantly) found a room in a house with six local students. In hindsight, the people I lived with were the single most crucial factor that affected my exchange. The people that I lived with are now some of my closest friends. I cannot understate the degree to which the people I lived with impacted my experience. Unfortunately, I don’t have much advice for students looking to complete an exchange at Penn State from an accommodation standpoint. I quite literally moved in with the first group to engage with me on Facebook, seriously. The fact that I got along so well with the people I moved in with was more down to luck than anything else. If anything, keep an open mind, be flexible with your criteria, and try to find something within walking distance of campus.

Courses & Teaching

Three of the four courses I took at Penn State were 400-level advanced undergraduate courses. Consequently, the majority of my classes were small and had Undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD level students. Two of my classes were taught using only a blackboard in the classroom. I particularly enjoyed these classes because students were always engaged, discussions were regular, and professors could interact with each student personally. Across the board, I found teaching staff and academic support easily accessible and willing to engage. It is important to note that most people at Penn State will only know you are an exchange student if you tell them. For me, this was a positive.

Extracurricular Activities

Penn State has more to offer from an extracurricular standpoint than I could have possibly explored in a single semester. Interestingly, I didn’t formally involve myself with any of them. For me, the purpose of engaging with extracurriculars would have been to meet local students at Penn State. In my case, I didn’t need to (formally) involve myself with extracurriculars. My flatmates were deeply involved with a range of extracurriculars to the extent that our house hosted events almost weekly. Excluding a situation where an incoming exchange student is similarly fortunate to be in such a socially active house, I highly recommend incoming exchange students at Penn State involve themselves with extracurriculars.

Highlights

I had done a decent amount of research into Penn State, and as a result, many of the best experiences I had at Penn State were things that I had expected or at least hoped to do. One thing that I massively underestimated and immensely enjoyed was the tailgate culture at Penn State. Before every (American) Football game, tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of students, alums, parents and locals come together in the fields around the stadium. From late morning until kickoff, Penn Staters of every age and stage eat, drink, play yard games and watch Football on portable televisions. For the biggest games, more people turn out for the tailgates than could ever fit in the stadium. The vibe around State College on a game weekend is unmatched.

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Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

• Small Classes
• Focus on discussions in class and online
• Willingness of teaching staff to engage with students

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

• Go to as many sports games as you can; find tailgates before every football game
• The eateries around Penn State often have weekly specials. Every week, a group of the exchange students would meet at McLanahan’s for Meatball Monday. Similarly, every Sunday, Primanti Bro’s had a Chicken Wing deal. On Thursday night, Champ’s does Vodka Soda for $1. The list goes on. Find your favourite deals, make a group chat and start your own weekly traditions!

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

• Try to meet at least a few people in a Fraternity/Sorority (especially if you are under 21)
• Fraternities and Sororities host many events and also offer an opportunity to meet a large group of people relatively quickly
• Penn State has a lot of small events and random traditions that you likely won’t have heard of or be able to prepare for; if you hear that something’s happening, go!
• The legal drinking age in the US is 21. This is strictly enforced at all but one of the bars in State College. If you are under 21, this factor is worth considering. I personally would not have come to Penn State if I wasn’t 21. To be fair, none of the exchange students I met who were under 21 had any regrets about attending Penn State. To each their own.

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I had budgeted $20k for my exchange. I ended up spending significantly less than this. I had budgeted to spend much more on food and recreation than required. I cooked in bulk and made the most of deals whenever we went out. I am happy to speak directly with any students looking to understand in more detail the costs associated with being a student at Penn State.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

• Yes is the right answer more often than not; say yes
• People are nicer than you think
• Ask for help, it’s almost always available

Final Comments

The gap between conception and fruition is much smaller than you think. Take the next step. By doing so, I’ve been able to experience so much more than I thought possible.

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