r/PennStateUniversity

I’m genuinely curious what can I do here for the summer. I’m too bored and I can’t travel and this place is a ghost town by now lol

I'm a recent alumni and plan on coming up this week for arts fest for a few days. I have an apartment to stay in but nowhere to park. Does anyone know of anywhere to park for a few days downtown that allows overnight and is at least decently cheap? I don't mind spending some money as long as it means I don't get towed.

i graduated from psu a year ago in mechanical engineering. i would like to further my education but im not sure which program will be the best for the career path im looking for. im thinking about environmental engineering but the courses dont seem like its what i have in mind. im interested in air pollution, renewable energy, sustainability, and anything that would better the planet. i see there is also environmental systems engineering but im not sure what the difference is between that and enve. would energy or systems engineering be better? i dont want to study mechanical again and i want a career im proud of and will make a positive impact.

any advice or experience in environmental engineering at psu would help!

ps: M.S. vs M. Eng ???

Hello, as the title says I’m an upcoming sophomore double major in B.S. Environmental Science + B.A. Plant & Soil Sciences at a state college in the midwest. I’ve lived here my whole life and have a house 40 minutes away I reside in, though the commute is rough as it usually takes 1:30 hours of my day. This entire post started as I met my current boyfriend who is an engineer graduated from Penn State, his family also attended Penn state and he lives in PA. (Not state college) I recently visited him, State College and talked to people in the Tyson building (for agri i believe) and another plant building, I also talked to an advisor, financial aid, and admissions. I can get into UP, I have a 3.18 GPA as of my freshman year + 24 credits from high school (AP Classes) so right now (before sophomore year) I have 54 credits. I plan to get my GPA up.
Anyways I loved it there, I’m so incredibly jealous, I could just imagine myself walking there, meeting new people, joining clubs.

My college:
Finances: I have a full ride + excess in scholarships. (Getting paid 3k a semester next semester + $500 every year, so senior year I’m getting 4k a semester) I project to graduate with 15k in my account (not accounting me working two part time jobs)
Mental Health: I hate it here, I’ve lived here my whole life, and there’s absolutely nothing to do, it’s filled with fast food, farmland, and mega churches. I don’t feel safe as a queer individual, and it’s painfully lonely here. There seems to be no people here that care for their future, everyone is a hick who drives a lifted truck and has children from 16-20. I also don’t have any family here, I’m living alone, how did end up living alone in my childhood town? I’m not sure, still processing that. I’m doing everything right to be happy here, working out, focusing on myself, networking (as much as I can in this place) and giving myself time, in therapy, but I’m realizing it’s my environment. My college isn’t like State College at all, it’s so spread out, not many trees, eduction is mediocre.
Credentials: not good

Other talents + info that may help
I’m a first gen student POC
I have full Pell Grant + work study + loans
sister can help with $100-200 each month if I move
dad can send me $200 each month
I have a pretty good volunteer + work resume, president of a club in my college currently.
Grandparents are stingy and wealthy, but kind of helpful, would let me take out loans from them without interest. Maybe would help with like 1k a semester if I really beg.

My goal
To become an environmental consultant, work in pollution reduction, or horticulture + plants, live in NYC, Seattle, Pittsburgh, or Chicago.

What I ask
Is there any way to lower this insane out of state tuition? Applying for the main scholarships on Penn state scholarships page, fasfa, RA (my boyfriend was on RA board at Penn state and can possibly help me get the position my senior year), and research are all I can think of, and even with that, a miracle would be 50k in debt and worst case is 100k.
Is there anything at all to help a student like me in this situation? Affordable housing, grants?

Other paths I could take
Move in with my current partner in his potential job offers in NYC and Seattle
If Seattle: Take a gap year and work to establish residency to qualify for in state tuition, then go to UoW
If NYC: Go to CUNY, they have cheap out of state tuition.

Or

Go to NMU in Albuquerque or NMSU in (town I forgot name of next to El Paso)
- Cheap out of state tuition that I qualify for
Bigger city and nearly debt free graduation

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated, please understand that I absolutely do not want to be here anymore so I will not hear anyone out on staying lol.

I want apply to pennstate for mechanical engineering, i want to know how the experience is for women in this male dominated field.

I spotted something at the bottom of Bald Eagle Creek, went down and grabbed it, and it was a phone inside a waterproof case. I took it home, gave it a little charge, and it powered up. Based on the amount of mossy growth on the waterproof case, it's been there for a while, and I'm sure the owner has replaced it and given up hope of finding it by now. However, if I can find the owner, I'll gladly return it.

Details: Samsung phone in otter box inside a waterproof case with lanyard. Phone is locked with PIN and no emergency contacts are saved. Phone wallpaper shows a family of 5 at the beach. Phone was found near the Dowdy Hole(between Milesburg and Howard), but could have been dropped anywhere upstream and carried here when the current was strong.

Do you know anyone who lost a phone in the creek?

I'm also going to stop at Tussey Mountain Outfitters and ask if they recognize anyone in the family photo.

Worried about if it's too much in regard to walking. I'll be in surgical recovery and am worried I can't walk to classes easily.

https://preview.redd.it/wefhetab05bh1.png?width=953&format=png&auto=webp&s=99760ae7f6b766e0675f22ecceae2f2be38829a4

Not necessarily the easiest or best rated one online, more the one that actually shifted something for you or made you reconsider your path a bit. Curious which course did that for people here and what made it stick.


Downtown State College Farmers Market Newsletter

Friday, July 3, 2026

One Nation. One Community. One Farmers Market. 🇺🇸

💧 Before You Begin Your Market Stroll…

Today is expected to be hot and sunny, so please remember to take care of yourself and those around you.

Bring a reusable water bottle, seek shade when you need a break, and stay hydrated while enjoying everything the market has to offer. If you’re bringing children, older family members, or pets downtown, be especially mindful of the summer heat.

A healthy community starts with caring for one another—and that begins with you.

Now, let’s celebrate together.

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, there’s no better place to experience what has always made this country remarkable than right here at the Downtown State College Farmers Market.

Long before grocery stores and overnight shipping, communities gathered in places just like this. Farmers brought their harvests. Bakers shared warm bread. Families exchanged recipes, stories, and news. Markets weren’t simply places to shop—they were where neighbors became friends and traditions were passed from one generation to the next.

Today, nearly 250 years later, that tradition continues every Friday on Locust Lane.

Take your time today.

Meet the people who grow your vegetables. Ask how they care for their gardens. Learn why one tomato tastes different from another. Discover the story behind a family recipe that’s been handed down through generations.

Every purchase supports someone whose hands helped create what you’re bringing home.

And while you’re celebrating America’s birthday this weekend, consider celebrating something else as well: curiosity.

After visiting the market, take a stroll through downtown and stop by the library. Pick up a book about the first settlers of Pennsylvania, the founding of our nation, or the agricultural traditions that helped build America more than 250 years ago.

History isn’t just found in museums.

It’s found in recipes passed from grandparents to grandchildren.

It’s found in family farms that still work the same land.

It’s found in communities that continue gathering, week after week, around good food and good conversation.

Today, feed your family with fresh food.

Tomorrow, feed your mind with history.

Both nourish us.

⸻

A Market That Connects Us

The Downtown State College Farmers Market has always been about more than buying food.

It’s about knowing where your food comes from.

It’s about shaking the hand that planted the seed.

It’s about supporting local families and preserving traditions that might otherwise disappear.

Every vendor has a story worth hearing.

Every product has a journey worth appreciating.

When you know the story behind your food, every meal becomes more meaningful.

⸻

Meet This Week’s Vendors

🍞 Woodfire Bakery

The aroma of freshly baked artisan breads and pastries has a way of bringing people together. Stop by Woodfire Bakery and discover handcrafted loaves, sweet treats, and baked goods made with skill, patience, and tradition.

☕ Idou Coffee

Whether you’re beginning your market morning or taking a break between shopping, Edu Coffee is serving thoughtfully prepared coffee that’s worth slowing down for. Grab your favorite cup and enjoy a conversation with neighbors.

🌱 Treaster Kettle Farm

Locally grown produce, carefully cultivated and harvested with pride. Ask about what’s freshest this week and discover seasonal flavors that remind us why buying local makes such a difference.

🥬 Moser’s Fresh Garden Produce

Colorful vegetables, fresh-picked goodness, and generations of farming knowledge come together at Moser’s Fresh Garden Produce. Bring home ingredients that will make your Independence Day table unforgettable.

🚚 Fatima’s Kitchen

Celebrate America’s diversity through food.

Fatima’s Kitchen continues to share authentic Persian cuisine prepared from the heart. Every meal tells a story of family, resilience, and hospitality. Whether it’s your first visit or your favorite Friday tradition, be sure to stop by and enjoy one of the market’s most memorable dining experiences.

🕯️** Peaceful Kingdom Farm**s

Before heading home, make your final stop at Peaceful Kingdom Farms.

Michael and Seamus invite you to explore their handcrafted, Reiki-infused candles, artisan soaps, and natural body care products—each created with intention, mindfulness.

Looking for something truly unique?

Ask Michael about creating a custom fragrance designed especially for you.

Light one this Independence Day weekend as a reminder that freedom is more than fireworks.

It’s the freedom to create.

To gather.

To care for one another.

To build community.

⸻

Food for Thought

This Independence Day weekend, celebrate with great food, meaningful conversations, and a renewed appreciation for the people who grow what sustains us.

Learn where your food comes from.

Learn your history.

Support your local farmers.

Visit your library.

Feed your body.

Feed your mind.

For nearly 250 years, America has been built one community at a time. Markets like ours remind us that our future is strongest when we know our neighbors, support local businesses, and pass our stories from one generation to the next.

Happy Fourth of July weekend from all of us at the Downtown State College Farmers Market.

We’ll see you on Locust Lane. 🇺🇸🌽📚🥖☕🌻

In mid august I plan to reach PHL aiport.

Need reccs on how to reach state college from PHL airport. Google is showing options but are lengthy and tiring and I don’t plan on renting a car.

If anyone on the same boat as me, let’s pool up.

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I procrastinated on doing my language credit so I’m taking span 2 this fall and span 3 in spring. Is it as bad as they say?

Just wanted to vent about the level of entitlement some of the new orientation students have. I was just minding my own business walking on my side of the side walk and the groups of students who take the entire space to themselves is absurd.

Like literally, why can’t we share the sidewalk? Do you guys expect us to courtesy you while you walk in rows and we move to the grass or road?

Title, + if anybody knows how I can see it too :)

title