(Penn State/PSU) I was fortunate enough to get out of PSU

How this student rated the school

Educational Quality	C+	Faculty Accessibility	B
Useful Schoolwork	C+	Excess Competition	B
Academic Success	C+	Creativity/ Innovation	C+
Individual Value	B-	University Resource Use	B
Campus Aesthetics/ Beauty	B	Friendliness	B+
Campus Maintenance	B	Social Life	B-
Surrounding City	D+	Extra Curriculars	C
Safety	A+

Describes the student body as: Friendly, Arrogant, Closeminded Describes the faculty as: Friendly, Helpful

Male

Quite Bright

Lowest Rating Surrounding City	D+

Highest Rating Safety	A+

He cares more about Surrounding City than the average student.

Date: Oct 23 2012
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
I was fortunate enough to get out of PSU when I could, and now I'm here at USC (Southern California) and it's the best decision I've ever made. First of all, the film program is weak. I came in as a Business major, but I realized film was my ultimate passion through an intro film course, so props to PSU for that! But in comparison to the intro film course here, PSU doesn't even hold a candle. A lot of the PSU courses were so multiple-choice-heavy; while I did do well on the exams, I never felt I was learning anything except on how to work the system. However, I highly recommend anyone to take a class with Dirk Mateer.

This institution was simply not my fit. And while I've made some fantastic friends here who I keep in touch with, it wasn't enough to get me through another three years. Not to mention the outrageous out-of-state tuition price vs. USC's amazing financial aid package I received. Transferring eased a lot of money tension in my family, which was another huge reason.

My biggest issue about this school were the students' attitudes. Had I gone to a metropolitan school somewhere in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, maybe I wouldn't have been so jaded by the largely disproportionate narrow-minded student population. I'm also at a disadvantage as a gay minority. I've dealt with instances where I've been verbally assaulted walking home by drunk students. The style of clothing on campus is too casual, in my opinion. I come from a huge city on the west coast, so I'm used to wearing bright colors, different layers, and so forth. The standard outfit here is: PENN STATE shirt, with basketball shorts, and sneakers. If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and be bold, you will get the most intimidating stares from your peers.

The downtown area of State College is a huge lackluster. While the walking distance is very convenient, the variety of restaurants, shops, banks, etc. are all very limited. But the one thing that irks me about the culture here is the fake holidays and the outrageous drinking/party scene. I get that State College is a quintessential college town and the experience, but it is way too out of control here (mainly due to its rural location). USC has a huge party scene too, but it is very easy to avoid and find a more creative outlet in film - I couldn't find this creative outlet at PSU.

However, I did have great times with my friends there, hanging out at the HUB and around downtown area. The school itself didn't cater to my interests and I felt the location diminished my chances of gaining valuable experiences and sets of skills as an undergrad. I've already found an internship here at USC. The work feels much more intense and it fits my interest in film. I don't have any opinions about the recent football scandal, so I was not very influenced by that.

Responses

Silas Redd, is that you?

Do you think that students in more technical majors would have had a better time with their classes? I've heard that Penn State is a technical school. And I'm sorry that any jerk-off would be mean to you just because of your sexuality. That's just wrong.

Reading reviews help a lot. We appreciate everybody who gave their honest reviews for the potential students to balance everything before studying. - Hans (https://www.roofingrepairswellington.kiwi/)

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