Benefits of Living On Campus
First-year students at Penn State live on campus. We established this first-year residency requirement because students clearly benefit from living in an environment designed with their needs in mind. Living on campus is an important part of the Penn State experience!
"The residence halls are the ideal living situation for college students. Everything you need is right here: food, computer labs, study lounges, and even your friends. As a freshman, living in the dorms makes it easy to make friends because there are lots of people nearby who are going through the same things you are. Not only do freshmen share a lot of the same classes, but everyone understands what it's like to move from home to a new place."
—Taylor Olmsted, 2004-2005 Thompson Hall Resident
—Taylor Olmsted, 2004-2005 Thompson Hall Resident
• Cool Friends: You'll have a fellow first-year student as a roommate, of course, but there will also be many other first-year students in your building to hang out with. (Several of our residence halls are reserved exclusively for first-year students!) Students tell us that it's easy to make friends in the residence halls.
• Better Grades: We've found that first-year students who live on campus get better grades—especially those enrolled in a Special Living Option related to their major. (Learn more about our Special Living Options.)
• Great Location: First-year students are housed in East, West, Pollock, North, and South Halls, which are all conveniently located near classroom buildings and dining facilities.
• Supportive Staff: Your resident assistant (RA) will be available to answer any questions you might have as you get settled in at Penn State.
• Exciting Activities: The Residence Life staff sponsors many activities in and around the residence hall areas. The fun starts as soon as you arrive on campus for Welcome Week!
• Enviable Housing Options: On-campus students have the opportunity to request a suite, a single room in a standard residence hall, or an on-campus apartment for their sophomore, junior, and/or senior years. Housing in Eastview Terrace—which offers single rooms with private baths for juniors and seniors—is also available only to students who have previously lived on campus.
• Student-Friendly Housing Contract: If you live in the residence halls, you'll sign a Housing Contract only for the semester(s) or session(s) you'll be enrolled as a student-not a yearlong lease, which is typical if you live off campus. There's no need to worry about subletting your room. And if you plan to graduate a semester early, study abroad, or do an internship that requires you to live off campus, you can cancel the remainder of your contract without penalty.
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