Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Top Questions

I don't think there is a stereotype.

The stereotype of students at Penn State are students who party all the time, but know how to get their work done when they need to. They're also stereotyped as having a lot of school spirit, which includes attending sports events and raising money for kids with cancer through THON. While I would say a large portion of students do go out and party, it's definitely not everyone and there's no pressure to go out and drink or if you do go out, no one pressures you to drink if you don't want to. Most students definitely buckle down for tests and finals though. Students don't party every night either - most students keep it to Thursday, Friday and Saturday except for syllabus week. Even if you don't like sports, most students attend the football games, and campus is pretty empty and isolated if you're not at the game. THON is a pretty big event for students as well and continues to grow every year.

Penn State is such a diverse school that it is virtually impossible to pin a stereotype to the entire student body. There are students from all over the world with a variety of interests and passions. No matter what you are interested in, you can find peers who enjoy the same thing. There is often a stereotype of Penn State being a party school. While you certainly can find an abundance of good parties, if partying isn't your thing, there are plenty of other things to get involved in. Having such a large student body is an extreme positive in this case. There is always someone on campus that you haven't met before that might share the same interests as you, or open your eyes to something new.

I believe most people think think Penn State students are crazy about partying.

Many people think of Penn State students as rowdy and partygoers. This stereotypical image is one that is conveniently attached to many colleges. While this is definitely true that Penn State community boasts an environment of entertainment, one cannot belittle the other aspects that the university promotes, such as THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.

I think this is a very difficult question to answer because Penn State has such a large student body. We seem to have a little bit of everyone, which is makes it fairly easy for someone to find his/her own place, and part of the reason that made me choose to go here. There are a handful of "nerds" (for lack of better term) who love to play the game human vs. zombies. They will run around with nerf guns and socks and play this game, it is apparently very extreme and fun. Then there are the long islanders who have a very strong personality and know what they want and how to get it. The jersey girls are pretty much the same way, and yes, there are a handful of guidos. We have a good amount of prepsters as well. Overall, Penn State is a very active campus and many students can be seen jogging around campus or working out in the gym. We also have strong collegiate, club and intramural sports programs which brings the jock stereotype to our school. A typical Penn State student has immense pride in the school and walks around campus with Penn State apparel on and a huge smile on his/her face.

When people think of Penn State they think of the number one party school in the nation. People think I go to Penn State to party, and that is absolutely not true. While there is a night life at Penn State, it is not what students revolve their lives around. Most students know how to enjoy themselves, but also know when their school work needs to come first. Penn State has so much more to offer than drinking and partying. The stereotype that students at Penn State revolve their lives around THON is absolutely true. We love being the largest student run philanthropy and working hard to do all we can to help our little heroes. As for the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State; those students have the reputation of being geeks. Also not true. Yes, we like to study and get good grades, but very few of us wear glasses or suspenders, and carry calculators in our pockets. I may take harder classes but that doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun. As a scholar I make sure I ace my classes, but I also am involved in many clubs and take the time to just chill with my friends.

Honestly that's one of the best things about Penn State, we don't label. Everyone is free to express themselves just the way they are, and believe me...you will always find people like you. If there is any stereotype, it is that we are a family and once you join it, you'll always have a PSU brother or sister by your side.

People think that we are all rich, but this is totally not the case. A lot of people are here on scholarships. Also, people think that everyone is obsessed with football and that's all we care about. Truth is, there are many interests and causes that students stand for.

When people think of Penn State most immediately think of it as a huge party school consisting of thousands of students who just like to get drunk and party. This is not true. Although many students do know how to have a good time, most are very intelligent, determined students who were at the top of their class in high school.