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Very Freshman, Every Freshman

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Laura Zaks
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Allie Maniglia
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

So…there I am on the ground. My backpack is five feet away, my arms bruised and my legs numb. That’s right, I had just collided with a biker two feet from the HUB. (Someone let me know how this is even possible?) I think every freshman has stories of pain, embarrassment and home-sickness, but these are the stories are that make our first year at Penn State so memorable.

We’ve all had that moment where:

1.  We realize that wearing that key on a lanyard immediately gives away our status as a first-year student.

 

2. We realize the GPS is working against us by taking us on these windy, twisted pathways for our next class. Weeks go by and you realize the path to psych is straight and you did not have to trek through dumpsters to get there.

 

3. We expect that girl we exchanged numbers with to text us to hang out…but she never does. And you feel like a loser in your dorm room, wondering when your life became such a failure.

 

4.We literally “piggyback” everyone who enters our building for the sake of not having to pull out our ID.

 

5. We make awkward eye contact with everyone in the elevator, including that hot junior who you wish you could invite back into your dorm room (or is that just me?).

 

6. We have this weird urge to go through pictures of our friends from high school, crying as we think about how much we miss the glory days that were senior year.

 

7. We eat pounds of macaroni and cheese bowls, only to complain about how we still haven’t achieved a prom (yes, it’s long overdue), summer, football season or frat party body that everyone else seems to have.

 

8. We try and find the right bus stop. Apparently, there isn’t just one. There is the Green Link, the Blue Loop, the Loopty Lollipoop…and only after you get on the wrong one do you learn your lesson.

 

These small failures are shared among all of us and it’s okay to laugh at yourself when they happen! Yes, these are the moments where we are humbled into eternity, but also where we learn that college life is full of surprises and humor.

If only that biker felt the same way, though….

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Born and raised in a suburb, I feel as though my upbringing can be as ordinary as they come. However, I find the idiosyncrasies in my personality and life in general to add the sparkles I need. I come from a Russian background, and so culture and appreciating language and diversity is very important to me. I have been taking French lessons, as a result. Therefore, I am almost trilingual:)). I love to write, and have kept countless notebooks throughout my life, documenting random experiences. I am a firm believer in seeing each moment for its purity and value. I love to make the most of each day by trying to find a way to laugh, dance, and sing at least four times. My life motto is "Be yourself—unapologetically". And with that...that's me. Laura Zaks, at best.
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Allie Maniglia served as the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus at Penn State from 2017-2018. She majored in public relations with minors in international studies and communication arts and sciences. If she's not busy writing away, you can find her planning her next adventure (probably back to the U.K.), feeding an unhealthy addiction to HGTV or watching dog videos on YouTube.