Nothing quite like being there
This is the second August of moving what is fast becoming not a child into the residence halls at University Park. I know that President Spanier has long accompanied families and students as they get their first tastes of Penn State and he broadly shares his experiences. His experiences help make Penn State a better place to be, and there is direct impact on improving the boarding process for residence hall students from year to year.
My observations and reflections will be old hat for colleagues in student affairs and housing and food services. Even so, I wanted to take the time to share two observations from these past two years.
The first observation that has struck me both years is the preparedness and friendliness of everyone engaged in all of the move-in processes. Parking officers, move in volunteers, resident advisors, food staff, Computer Store staff all are eager to help with a smile. If THON is when the world learns about how great the Penn State student body can be, move-in is when the students find out how deeply Penn State staff care about students and parents getting off to a great start. I'm sure there are exceptions in some people's experiences, but in these two years the consistency and ubiquity of this attitude is remarkable. There are many ways in which I feel pride in being a Penn State employee, but nothing has matched the pride in move-in over 20 years here.
The second observation that strikes me hard is the anxiety level of some students. Everyone is putting on a good face in the craziness of moving; unpacking, setting up, and getting to know the campus. But if you take a moment to sit down somewhere, anywhere for a little while you can see unmistakable signs of high anxiety. For some, it is the specter of being far from home. For others, it might be coming to a campus of tens of thousands from a high school, other campus location, or even a community that is much smaller. The size of Penn State hits hard on move-in day. I can't imagine that too many people accurately envision the scale of what happens on move-in day until they actually confront it for themselves.
That anxiety doesn't always dissipate quickly. Once the family leaves to return to wherever home may be and the awkwardness of a new roommate takes hold, and the emptiness of the next few hours hits a whole new set of worries can rush in. College and department events, student group and club activities are aplenty, but with so many options it is hard to choose. Classes start soon enough, and a rhythm starts to take shape. But even then, there are classes of hundreds, classes of dozens, classes with clickers, and each in its own building. Bottom line for me, and what I'm carrying with me as I walk across campus at class change, is that for every 10 students I walk past at least several of them may be in a high state of anxiety about where they've so carefully chosen to study (and to afford to study). I don't often get a chance to start a conversation, but if I can hold a door open, make a comment about a text book, the weather - anything - I do it, just to try and keep the friendliness they encountered at move-in, last a little while longer.
Hear, hear! While I had to miss being a part of the "hall hauler" crew this year, the memories I still have as one of those freshmen years ago, and the later experience as a parent, and then a "hauler", combine to afford pride in the way we collectively are seen as welcoming, to those arriving here. From the signage to the traffic management to the procedures for check-in to the varied activities offered, we forget just how organized we do appear to those joining us. Carrying that beyond those first days is a great focus to keep in mind when encountering those students and parents seeming to be a bit overwhelmed or confused by it all....