Welcome to Happy Valley, Class of 2028!

It’s only the first week of class and the seniors here at Onward State are already getting sentimental about their final ride as Penn State students. As they begin their nine-month emotional rollercoaster, our seniors gathered advice for incoming freshmen about how to make the most of their time at Penn State.

So let’s hear from some of Onward State’s more ancient staffers to hear what gems of wisdom they care to bestow upon the younger generations.

Joe Lister: Fail

Fail. Fail early and fail often. The more you fail, the more you learn. The earlier you fail, the less it matters down the road. Miss out on that gig you wanted. Get broken up with. Miss your first class ever. Get locked out of your dorm. Failure’s the best, and often the only, teacher. You’re going to be fine, kid. You’re just going to have to screw up along the way.

Mikey DeAngelis: College Is More Than Academics (Sorry, Parents)

This might be bad advice to give to some of you, but college, as a sum of its parts, is so much more than academics. Don’t get me wrong, getting good grades and actually learning is such an important part of college. Academics are what get you across the finish line and get the job you want, but that’s not all of what college is.

True “learning” goes beyond academics. College is the period of time when you learn about who you are as an individual and independent member of society. You learn what sort of people you want to surround yourself with, the sort of people you want to be in a relationship with, what sort of values are most important to you, and what you want for your future. College is the place where you truly find your footing as a human being.

So yes, try hard in school. Learn the material and set yourself up for success, but don’t miss out on the memories to be made. Don’t skip a soccer game or night out because you’re overstressed on an exam that’ll be the difference between an A and an A-. Go out, have fun, tailgate, ride spin bikes, play board games, go to sporting events, make friends, do dumb things responsibly, and make memories. You’ll literally never have another four years like this.

Hailey Stutzman: Soak It All In

You need to secure downtown housing in September, so find your roommates fast! And most importantly, time flies way too fast. This is cliche, but enjoy every single moment. Go out and do activities with friends. You’ll blink and be a senior and never have these moments to be young again. Soak all of Penn State’s glory in while you have it!

Dillon Williams: You’re Not Tied Down To Any Club

As a freshman, I wish I knew how common it was to leave a club. When I was a freshman, I always felt so compelled to stay rooted in a club even if I wasn’t having the best time within it. As I’ve become a senior, I’ve realized that people don’t care half as much as I would’ve thought. Now, this isn’t your sign to just ghost a future club, but just know that you don’t have to be tied down to anything/anywhere you don’t want to be.

Dennis Wilkins: You Can Use LionCash Off Campus

This might seem like common sense to some, but I genuinely had no idea you could use LionCash at many stores and restaurants downtown until I was a sophomore living off-campus. Looking back, this would have been a great way to eat something other than the buffet at East or a frozen meal from East Market.

Nolan Wick: Don’t Hesitate

Don’t put hard things off. Getting them out of the way as soon as you can will save you trouble down the road. Got a hard class you’re required to take? Don’t wait until next semester. Need to pick something up at the market? Buy it now before it’s gone. Want to join that club or organization? Apply here, now.

By now, you probably get what I’m saying. If you get that thing that’s bugging you over with now, you’ll thank yourself later.

Evan Halfen: Slow Down

Now that I’m officially a senior, I’ve been looking back at the last three years of my life a decent amount. Although graduating in May will be one of the hardest goodbyes, all I want to do during these last two semesters in Happy Valley is make every second count.

If someone were to tell little freshman Evan this in my first semester here in 2021, I probably would’ve just laughed it off and gone about my day. However, after some intensive reflection, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. College (and life in general) moves at a pretty fast pace with its ups and downs, twists and turns.

Rather than wasting time sulking during the lows, I wish I was told to use those experiences to keep on chugging through and not let the silly, little obstacles that once seemed like huge deals get in the way of my college experience and growing into the person I am today.

To sum it up, I wish I was just told to slow down, relax, and soak in every minute here at school; the good and the bad. I also wish someone told me to start saving up for bars way sooner than I did.

Aidan Conrad: Everything Will Work Out

When I arrived at Penn State, I was undecided about my major and unsure of what career path I wanted. This stressed me out often during my first three semesters. Fast forward to the current day, I am exactly where I want to be and doing what I love.

Mara McKeon: It’s Okay To Be Alone

It is okay to be by yourself and do things alone. On a campus of more than 40,000 students, it is easy to feel like you are doing something wrong if you are not with a group of friends all the time. Starting college brings a wave of independence, and with that a lot of time by yourself. Embrace it, and find yourself a new routine. It all works out in the end!

CJ Doebler: It Goes By Way Too Fast

Moving into McKean Hall three years ago still seems like yesterday. Walking into Thomas 100 can be daunting, and it was probably the worst place for me to start my career with Penn State seeing as there were more kids in that one lecture hall than my entire high school graduating class. After the first week, though, any nervousness had disappeared, and my college experience hasn’t slowed down since. It’s cliche, but be sure to enjoy every moment before something that seems like yesterday becomes the distant past.

Kyra Birmingham: Nothing Matters

I wish I knew that nothing matters. Certain things may seem to be a big deal in the moment, but they really aren’t. You’ll get bad grades, you’ll have drama with friends, but it will all work itself out. If you’re too worried about things that aren’t all that important you won’t enjoy your short time in college. Also, don’t buy textbooks — you probably won’t ever touch them.

Samarth Kulkarni: Try New Things, Even If You Think You Might Hate Them!

I started my time at Penn State with the mindset that anything that’s not related to my major isn’t a good way to spend time. It was, to put it mildly, pretty limiting. Then I started meeting people who were taking courses and doing things that I had never even imagined! It took me a year, but I started trying out some new things, starting off small with courses that seemed really interesting to me, which led to bigger and bigger changes (like trying out a bunch of different jobs on campus), and most recently joining Onward State as a photographer! Now I can’t imagine my time in college without all those tiny experiences! So go out there, experience the people and things around you, pick up a new hobby, but most importantly, find things that make you happy!

Keeley Lamm: A’s

In my old age, I’m grateful to have learned about the delectable sandwiches that can be purchased at the Agostinelli Deli, or McLanahan’s, if you will. I would’ve loved a comfort sandwich as a freshman. Simply put, once you learn A’s, college is a breeze.

Mitch Corcoran: University Park Is Awesome

The biggest thing I wish I knew as a freshman was how awesome this place really is. As a senior, this is only my second year at University Park because I was a transfer student.

I spent my first two years at Penn State Altoona, and while I have no hate for Penn State Altoona or any branch campus, it wasn’t the best fit for me. I feel I missed out on a lot of things, especially with my major. As a broadcast journalism student, I was only able to take COMM 260W and most of my gen-eds in Altoona, but there wasn’t really anything to do outside of class regarding my major. I didn’t even publish my first-ever article until the summer going into my junior year.

That was until about a year ago when I transferred to University Park and my life completely changed.
One of the first things I did was join as many clubs I was interested in as I could, including Onward State. From there, I dwindled the list down to just a few clubs and organizations that I liked the most and that would fit my schedule the best and the rest is history.

I’ve made a bunch of friends in the short time that I’ve been at University Park, and I have had so many awesome experiences that I could’ve only dreamed of as a freshman. Luckily for me, there is some time left to make more memories, but man do I wish I had those other two years.

My message to all the freshmen is to not take this place for granted and to make the most of your opportunities here. And to the new transfer students, go out and do as much as you possibly can because those two years will be over before you know it.

Brendan Wagner: Don’t Buy Textbooks

Don’t. Buy. Textbooks. Yes, this may vary from major to major or class load to class load, but I could count on one hand how many times I truly opened up a hardcover textbook and used it for how it was intended. If you need one, ask your friends, look online, and do not pay those crazy prices if you can avoid it. 

Charlie Pegler: Don’t Take 9 A.M. Classes

The first class I took at Penn State was Spanish 3 in the Willard Building (far from East Halls) at 9 a.m. When scheduling my freshman year classes, a class at nine felt fine to me after waking up much earlier every day in high school. I soon learned that you can easily schedule classes at noon. EVERYDAY. If you’re someone like me who loves to sleep in, I highly recommend scheduling absolutely zero classes before 10:10 a.m. Don’t be like me or you’ll have the Willard Preacher yelling at you every morning at 8:30 a.m.