Alec Riggle
College is tough. Making connections with peers, keeping up with classes, finding time for yourself, and so many more things fight for priority in our everyday lives. None of these things are easy, and they definitely aren’t simple. There is no true solution to how we can properly balance our time, but I have done a few things that I’m going to share with you that have helped me make the most of my PSU experience, even with a busy schedule.
- Find an interest to pursue.
Interests can be anything! Whether it’s a sport, academic focus, or something to do with your career goals, finding something that interests you here at PSU can broaden your experience and lead to things you may have never expected.
This was very hard for me to do, especially as a new student not from the area (I’m from Maine). At a school as big as Penn State, it’s important to understand that it is okay to feel small in a student population of 40,000 people. This is why I found that pursuing my interest in hockey as well as digital media/marketing was so important.
Shrinking the school to create my own smaller community with other students that are similar to me was extremely helpful in finding my friends and giving me time outside of the classroom to further my student experience on campus.
- Explore!
Exploring campus, as well as outside of campus, will open up loads of opportunities for you. Making the most of your experience at Penn State means trying new things…and for me that means FINDING new things.
Restaurants, facilities to study in, places to exercise, anything! Going out and exploring has endless possibilities of where you could end up.
I personally love to bike off of campus, hike Mount Nittany, and find new places to eat with my roommate.
- Be smart with your sleep schedule.
Being at college means having your own bed time. Don’t take advantage of that in the wrong way. Your sleep the night before will affect how your next day goes.
Making sure you get a good nice sleep will positively affect how well you focus in class the next morning, how productively you are able to study the next night, and many more.
In order to make the most out of every day, I always make sure that I get enough sleep to assure that the following day is as productive and enjoyable as possible.
- Be yourself.
Cliche or not, being yourself is essential to making the most out of any experience.
Knowing who you are and being able to attribute that into your daily life at Penn State puts you ten steps ahead of anyone else. Whether this means joining a club that focuses on something you are passionate about or raising your hand in class with 700 people because you are a curious student, being yourself will help you breathe a whole lot easier.
- Go to class.
This one is big. It may seem obvious, but going to class everyday is going to make your day not only longer, but more successful.
Aside from the fact that going to class in the morning is going to get you out of bed early and get your day started at a proper hour, it will allow you to stay on top of your studies.
Consistently going to class is one of the main things that allows me freedom at college. It creates less stress, makes me feel accomplished, and means that I am taking advantage of the impressive classes that PSU has to offer.
So…I’ll see you in class!
Happy Valley Comm 