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Words of Wisdom...
from a Residential Construction Technology & Management: Masonry Emphasis student. (Summer 2006)
Worried about college, huh? Don’t know what major to chose, let alone what college to go to? Not sure whether to live on-campus or off? And what about making new friends? After all, you haven’t had to do that since Kindergarten! Well sit down, take a breath, and let’s talk. I’m Andy and I’m in my third year at Penn College, working toward a four year degree in Residential Construction Technologies and Management.
If you are at all like me, the idea of going to college is the last thing you want to think about right now. You’re graduating high-school, finally gaining some freedom, and your parents tell you that you have one summer before its back to the grindstone. What you really would like to do is just find a good job, make some cash, and never have to worry about homework again. Let me tell you, even a high-paying job probably won’t bring you happiness if you don’t like what you’re doing. My advice, go get that education now. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure what you want to study. Sometimes you have to discover what you don’t want, before you learn what you do. Find out what you’re passionate about, what you love to do, and attack it full force. This is the time to do that, college is the place, and you’ll find it really isn’t that bad!
Well hopefully by now you’ve chosen which college or university you want to attend and have been accepted. If not, you should really take a closer look at Penn College. Again, I was the son with college farthest from my mind, but mom and dad said, “You’re going!” I had no idea where to go or what to study. I knew that I enjoyed working with my hands and wanted to build custom homes. I heard about Penn College from a friend who was here studying Heavy Construction Equipment Technology. Now I know what you’re thinking, “You can go to school to play with backhoes and bulldozers and walk away with a degree?” Absolutely! And that’s the beauty of Penn College; we specialize in hands on, technical degrees that you can’t find anywhere else. So when I learned PCT had a B.S. in Residential Construction Management, it was the only school to which I sent an application.
Thankfully, I was accepted. Now I had to start making decisions on housing and so on. If you aren’t familiar with Williamsport and its surrounding communities, I highly advise living on-campus at least your freshman year. On-campus housing rocks at Penn College, is convenient to anything on campus, is safe and accommodating.
Now, probably the best advice I can give… GET INVOLVED! Whether it’s with an organization, club or job on campus, or any such thing off, people make the difference in the amount of enjoyment that accompanies your college career. I am a firm believer that in this life, it’s not always just what you know, but who you know. Friends, co-workers, professors, mentors – they all make a difference in how you handle different situations and perform in life. So put down the X-BOX controller, get out of your dorm room and meet people!
Hey, I really do hope this helps. And by the way, I am a real student at Penn College. This letter to you isn't just something someone in administration typed up to try to convince you to place your tuition money at PCT. It really is an excellent school, and definitely worth looking into. Especially if you're looking for a hands-on, technical degree that works!
Hope to see you around,Andrew J. Hamelly