If graduating from high school in 2020 taught me one thing, it’s to not take anything for granted. Starting out my university career in my childhood bedroom made it hard to feel like a true college student.
When I finally did step foot on Penn State’s campus the following spring, having never taken a tour or experienced an involvement fair, I truly felt like a chicken with my head cut off.
Now that my senior year has started, I do not want to miss a thing. So in an attempt to cross off a few more firsts during my time at PSU, here is my bucket list to make the most out of my limited time left in State College.
Visit the Arboretum
No, I’ve never visited the Arboretum. Sue me. It’s not because I didn’t want to either.
I lived in East Halls spring of my freshman year, but I never made the trek. Then every year after I lived farther and farther away until I almost forgot that it existed. So this year I need to make a trip at least once.
Try Meyer Dairy Ice Cream
Rumor around town is that Meyer Dairy has better ice cream than the Penn State Creamery (Penn State please do not revoke my degree). I have had the creamery ice cream plenty of times, so I am intrigued to try its competition.
Attend More Spa Events
If you do not know what SPA is, SPA is the Student Programming Association here at Penn State. They host events, concerts, guest speakers and give away some cool prizes.
Last year I was lucky enough to attend the discussion they hosted with Ross Lynch, but missed out on Jennette McCurdy and Corbin Bleu. I am excited to see what they have in store this year and I hope to attend more events.
Try New Restaurants Downtown
Every time I walk downtown, I always see restaurants I want to try but never take the time to stop. Instead of relying on my old favorites too much this year, I want to branch out before it is too late.
Some restaurants on my list include Green Bowl, Kaarma Indian Cuisine, Halal Cart and Fiddlehead to name a few.
Visit The Campus Museums
Penn State has a few on-campus museums and I am a nerd at heart. The top three I want to visit before I graduate are the Palmer Museum of Art, the Penn State All-Sports Museum and the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery.
Attend More Hockey Games
I went to my first Hockey game last year and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience. Not only did the student section have great energy, but they also had warm Duck Donuts in Pegula.
Dare I say, the student section even rivals that of football games?
A warm donut and a hockey game should be an experience for every Penn Stater and I am excited to attend more games this year.
Tailgate The Blue And White Game
This is another one that I think may seem shocking, but I have yet to tailgate a Blue and White game. The Blue and White game is Penn State Football’s annual practice where they host a scrimmage open to the public. Alumni, students and fans all return to the outside of Beaver for one last tailgate of the school year and some venture into the stadium to watch.
My freshman year they only allowed freshmen into Beaver and I remember not gaining much from the experience since we were still facing limitations from the pandemic. So my sophomore year I decided to avoid the event altogether. During my junior year, I worked for Penn State Athletics, so I decided to work the event on the field instead of joining the tailgates.
This year I am hoping to have one last tailgate as a student with my friends and soak up all the events of the weekend as we start to prepare for graduation.
Will I complete all of these items? Hopefully.
But even if I fall short, I plan on doing my best to give senior year my best shot and try to experience State College to the fullest.