Admissions Office
Student & Administrative Services Center, Rm. 1068 · (570) 327-4761 or (800) 367-9222 · Fax: 570.321.5551
Words of Wisdom
... from a Graphic Design student (Summer 2006)
I am glad to hear you are interested in furthering your education. My name is Nicole Crouse and I am currently in my fourth and final year at Pennsylvania College of Technology. I am obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design. I have had an amazing four years including a semester studying abroad in Australia! I am extremely grateful I made the decision to attend Penn College after high school.
Although I feel very confident about college life now, I can still recall my first year at Penn College, and the thought of starting all over again in a brand new environment can be scary. I remember being concerned about making new friends, and keeping up with the workload. Interestingly enough, most of my questions were answered within the first week. I moved into my unbelievably spacious on-campus apartment (Penn College’s on-campus housing is truly remarkable) and met my three other roommates. Living with people you’ve never met before can be quite scary, and I can’t say I liked everything about them, but for the most part I made some great friends and we helped each other get through our first semester. My roommates became a great support system for me. Another way I made friends was by getting involved. I’m a member of the women’s soccer team; I’m a student ambassador, and I attend many college functions. I think involvement was one of the key factors to my success in making it through college, and believe me; Penn College has plenty to offer.
In terms of the workload, to be honest it was quite a bit more than what I was used to in high school, but I was able to handle it and it really helped to get to know some of my classmates because we were able to help each other out from time to time. College work takes a lot more time and concentration than high school work did, but it’s not so bad because you are working on something that you are interested in rather than doing homework for classes that you were forced to take in high school. The teachers at Penn College are wonderful. You get a lot of one-on-one interaction and they truly care about helping you to do your best and succeed. As long as you keep on top of things, and do what is expected of you, there is nothing to worry about.
In general, most first-year students run into the same issues, so if you think about it, you’re not alone. One of the many reasons I chose Penn College over the other colleges was because Penn College goes out of their way to make sure you feel comfortable and that you succeed. Penn College has a variety of sports, and clubs, and not only that, their equipment and technology is always up-to-date and state-of-the-art. They want what is best for you, and I thought that was important. When I visited the campus and met some of the instructors, I knew right away that it was the right school for me.
I hope that my advice has helped to you make a better decision about what your next step will be. Just remember, you’re not alone.
Best of luck!
Nicole Crouse
2006 Graduate