1) Professors and Courses

Mr. McLaughlin’s Guide to Penn State

1) Professors and Courses - Dr. Christopher Uhl – Env. Science and Ecology professor – courses BiSci 3 and Field Ecology. If you like BiSci 3, you can apply to be a teaching assistant after you take the course. (www.chrisuhl.net) - Dr. Barbara Anderson – Ecological Design (Sustainable Living course) - she also used to run The Center for Sustainability (Science, Technology, and Society courses - Dr. Burkholder – Literature and Nature Course – take it in the Spring, he used to invite the class on a whitewater rafting trip in Colorado during spring break. - Dr. Sam Richards – take his race and ethnic relations class – only professor I had at

Penn State who had a ponytail and brought his dog to class. His wife is also a professor. - Dr. Catherine Wanner – she teaches Anthropology, History, and Religion classes. - ESACT courses – you must take two exercise courses to graduate – check out fly-fishing and snowboarding

2) Outdoor Activities - Get a copy of the Purple Lizard map from an outdoor store. Great map of local outdoor area - Hike, run, camp, and mountain bike in Rothrock State Forest – only ten miles away - Join the intramural sports teams (I recommend Coed Softball and Soccer) - Go the cycle shop on West College Ave. to buy vintage cruiser bikes - Check out the Penn State Outdoor Club: http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/outing/ - Kayak on Spring Creek in Bellefonte – there is also a good kayak shop in Bellefonte - There is great road biking all around Penn State. Skiing – Tussey Mt. www.tusseymountain.com/ 3) Residence - After your sophomore year you can live off campus, I recommend living in the West College area. 4) Restaurants/Food - Allen Street Grill and the Corner Room – Great bistro and diner style - The Green Bowl – cheap and good Asian food - Indian Buffet on Calder Way - Chewy’s Pizza – check out the Pokey Sticks - Spat’s Café – Great Cajun Food - Thai Restaurant on N. Atherton - Burritos As Big as Your Head - The Diner – try the sticky buns - Check out the Farmers Market in the warm months - Go the PSU Creamery for home-made ice cream 5) Music - The Crowbar if it is still there. Eisenhower auditorium and the Bryce Jordan Center. - There is a free concert during Earth Day on Old Main Lawn - Café 210 West

6) Misc. - The first month or so at Penn State can be a bit overwhelming. Just trust that you will eventually find a core group of good friends and as you take upper level classes, the class size will become smaller. Make sure you have a map and take a practice run to find all your classes. Most of all enjoy your time there and don’t take it for granted. Your college experience will be complete before you know it. Also, keep in touch with friends and alumni after you graduate. Networking is often the key to finding a good job that you like.