The Student Experience

Your student’s transition to Penn will bring a series of personal, social, and intellectual changes. Once they arrive on campus in August, they will promptly begin participating in New Student Orientation activities. NSO will introduce your student to their new home, new friends, and campus resources and support.

The first year brings its own unique lessons to navigate. Adapting to living away from home, sharing space with a roommate, and the increased academic workload may prove challenging. As your student develops into an independent, young adult, it’s important to let them know you’re there as a resource and support system, but ultimately allow them the opportunity to solve problems on their own, using the robust resources available to them on campus. It may also be beneficial to set expectations on how and how often you would like to communicate with your student.

Your student will also experience many exciting “firsts,” including Penn Traditions like Homecoming, Econ Scream, and Spring Fling. They may even take their first trip without you during Fall or Spring Break! While there may be a few trials and tribulations, your student will feel accomplished when they complete their first semester and ultimately their first year of college.

During their second year, your student will settle into the community they have created for themselves. They will be living in a College House with a roommate they likely chose themselves. They may join new clubs, or take a leadership position in a group they were already involved in. They’ll begin to dig deeper into academic areas they’re interested in, and they may even declare a major or concentration.

Throughout the year, they’ll participate in various events as part of the Second Year Experience (SYE), which is designed to address the unique needs of second-year students and provides support for career development, engagement in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, selection of academic opportunities, and more! They will also experience Penn Traditions specific to second-year students, like Second Year Day and U-Night.

During their third year, your student will continue to refine their academic areas of study. They will immerse themselves  into the classes required for their major or concentration. Relationship-building and networking may be on their mind as they begin to consider future internships, jobs, or graduate school applications. At the end of the year, they may also begin exploring subjects for a senior thesis or project.

At the end of the year, third-year students will experience one of the most beloved Penn Traditions—Hey Day!

Senior year is a bittersweet time. Your student will wrap up their course requirements and leadership roles. They will also begin to solidify their plans for post-graduation life, whether it be beginning their career or furthering their education.

As they progress towards Commencement, seniors will experience many exciting traditions like Senior Club, Final Toast, and Senior Week.

Visit the Commencement website for more information.