The transition to college is intimidating and can feel even scarier for folks who will be hundreds of miles from home.

As a native of Miami, Florida, this was certainly the case for me. Although move-in wasn’t my first time on Penn State’s campus, it was still incredibly daunting staring down a huge campus far, far away from my friends and family.

Well, I made it, and so can other folks.

Here is a mini guide for those who may be going through a similar experience.

What To Bring

Moving in can seem like you’re packing your entire life into a couple of bags.

For clothing, pack a variety of items. State College weather can really be all over the place and unpredictable. It can be super hot the first couple of weeks, but once it starts to get cold, it can get cold fast. Be ready with a winter coat, because one morning you could need your big puffer, and a couple of hours later you might only need a hoodie and jeans.

If you travel back home, you can always bring back things you don’t need, but remember it does get warmer again toward the end of the spring semester. Throughout the year, it’s almost inevitable folks will buy clothes along the way, so if you can’t pack a lot, don’t worry too much.

Other than clothes, Amazon is your best friend.

Ship as much as you can to your dorm, like bedding essentials, cleaning supplies, decorative items, and such. If you can’t or don’t want to get it online, there is also a HomeGoods and TJ Maxx a drive away where you can get plenty.

Learn The Campus And Bus Systems

Penn State’s campus is big, but before you know any of it or anyone, it seems even bigger.

To help with that, folks should walk their schedule before the first day of classes so they have a basic route of their days mapped out in their head. It will also help you time out when you should leave in the morning.

Pollock Road will definitely become your friend; it’s the one road that runs through the middle of campus. A couple of buildings you’ll also probably become familiar with are the HUB-Robeson Center, Willard, Thomas, and the Pattee and Paterno Library.

You likely won’t ever know every building on campus, but memorizing a few campus pillars will help ensure you’re never lost.

As for buses, the two you should try to figure out are the Blue and White Loops, also known as the Bloop and Whoop, respectively.

These two lines circle campus, with the Bloop going clockwise and the Whoop going counterclockwise, and you can track all the buses around State College using the myStop app.

You can also learn the off-campus bus routes, as these will get you to stores along North Atherton, but you won’t need that for a bit.

How To Meet New People

Meeting new people can definitely be the scariest part of the first week of college. If you can, leave your door open and become friendly with the people who live around you.

Depending on your building, you could live on a mixed-gender floor, or it could alternate by floor. Either way, your building is the best place to meet new people the first week. Even if they don’t become your best friend, the more friendly faces on a campus this size, the better.

Don’t skip the university-sponsored events.

No matter how boring they may seem, you never know; you could meet your next best friend in line for a hat, and I’m speaking from experience.

Go to whatever events you can and try to put yourself out there; the worst that could happen is you never see them again.

Finally, attend the involvement fair. The involvement fair typically runs for two days at the beginning of the semester, usually from noon until 5 p.m., where students can learn about the hundreds of student organizations across campus.

Student orgs help you meet like-minded people you might not meet otherwise. The different colleges across Penn State may also offer their own involvement fairs, where you can learn about college-specific clubs and organizations.

Getting Back Home

Getting back home during breaks, especially if home isn’t just a drive away, can be expensive or seem complicated. If you’re flying home, try to book your flight as far in advance as you can, especially if you’ll be flying out of State College.

Besides flights, there are also buses, like Fullington Trailways or Greyhound, that leave State College for other cities, where you can get cheaper flights or get closer to where someone can pick you up.

Miscellaneous

Although football will take up most people’s Saturdays throughout the fall, Penn State also has a variety of men’s and women’s sports, many of which are free for students. If you have nothing to do, attending one of the many games in the fall and spring is a fun use of time.

Other than sports, there are a variety of events throughout the year you can attend, from concerts and HUB events to THON and Movin’ On.

If you need help with anything more specific, Onward State has a guide to almost all of it. Whether that’s on-campus life, your first White Out or football weekend, tailgating, navigating your classes, or your first THON, we have it all.

Have a great first year, folks!