Pennsylvania State University - 2016

[Cat_Robutt]

And, for those of you who have a not-super-high income* but would like to buy a house, there is the State College Community Land Trust that has homes for families that fall within a certain SES. It's pretty neat!

Edited April 1, 2016 by Cat_Robutt
*our income was too low to be considered, I'm not being pretentious here :)

[Kristen Ackley]

@Cat_Robutt thanks! I've been wondering what area of State College to check out. Bellefonte and Boalsburg both seem like good options as well.

[Kristen Ackley]

Hi all! Am posting again to see if there is any more interest now that April 15th is approaching. My husband and I are looking to share an apt or house with a roommate (or a few roommates) to save on rent. We'd like to find a place with our own bathroom. We are down to earth and easy to get along with. I'd love to hear from others interested!

[hippyscientist]

1 hour ago, Kristen Ackley said:

Hi all! Am posting again to see if there is any more interest now that April 15th is approaching. My husband and I are looking to share an apt or house with a roommate (or a few roommates) to save on rent. We'd like to find a place with our own bathroom. We are down to earth and easy to get along with. I'd love to hear from others interested!

Hiya, I already have housing sorted but have you checked out the Penn State Housing reddit page? (https://www.reddit.com/r/PennStateHousing/) and Craiglist too. Might get more response there than on these boards. Good luck! 

[zephiwho]

On 3/31/2016 at 1:45 PM, Kristen Ackley said:

Hi all. I was admitted to PSU and am 90% sure I'm going to commit. I have been looking at housing options and am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all! I'm definitely going to be looking for a roommate based on prices. A few things about my situation make it unique:

1. I am married, so my husband would be living with us as well. We're both really laid back.
2. We are a bit older than the traditional graduate student. I'm 28 and he's 31.
3. We have a car, so we'd be willing to live outside of State College if that made things more affordable. I'd like to stay on the bus line, though.

It seems that we have similar goals in terms of finding a living situation. I was wondering if you were interested in talking more about finding a place. Like I said, my girlfriend would be moving in with me later in the year, but I would really like to find a house and I am not limited to living in State College (I would have a car also!)

[zephiwho]

I agree about having Two bathrooms and Two bedrooms! That would be ideal.

[Kristen Ackley]

@zephiwho I am very interested in talking to you a bit more. My email address is kristen.l.ackley@gmail.com and that's probably the easiest way to contact me!

[Cat_Robutt]

I was wondering if any of you have ever lived in a climate similar to State College? I'm from Florida originally and have never lived in a cold climate for an extended amount of time! I know about snow and layers and all-weather tires, but feel like there are a plethora of small things that are normal for people who deal with snow that I wouldn't even begin to know about. 

[hippyscientist]

3 minutes ago, Cat_Robutt said:

I was wondering if any of you have ever lived in a climate similar to State College? I'm from Florida originally and have never lived in a cold climate for an extended amount of time! I know about snow and layers and all-weather tires, but feel like there are a plethora of small things that are normal for people who deal with snow that I wouldn't even begin to know about. 

Sorry if these are really obvious but they're the ones I can think of off the top of my half-asleep brain.

Use your heating otherwise frozen pipes which burst are a possibility! We have that in the UK and it doesn't reach anywhere near the lows of State College. Things like cotton suck for keeping you warm - you sweat into them and they remain damp all day. Walking on ice don't walk heel heavy - that's how you slip. Don't pour boiling water onto frozen car windshields. Slow cookers are amazing. Throw food in them in the morning and when you come home you have a lovely warming stew/something. Uhh remember that while it's cold outside, buildings tend to be heated so wear comfortable clothing under your outer layers. Keep a good stock of whisky/brandy/port in the cabinet to make mountain medicine. If it's really cold outside, going out with even damp hair will cause it to freeze and break off into your tea (okay this one maybe not common because most people have an iota of common sense but it happened to me). Anyone else fancy chipping in with anything?

I should add there's a lot of info on the boards around the IHOG and random chats about moving to cold climates if you haven't found them already.

[jlt646]

2 hours ago, Cat_Robutt said:

I was wondering if any of you have ever lived in a climate similar to State College? I'm from Florida originally and have never lived in a cold climate for an extended amount of time! I know about snow and layers and all-weather tires, but feel like there are a plethora of small things that are normal for people who deal with snow that I wouldn't even begin to know about. 

Yes to layering, and not going out with wet hair! State College is shockingly windy all the time, so investing in a windproof layer and a mask for the winter will be in your best interest. LL Bean duck boots are the best boots for weather I've ever worn, and they have a lifetime guarantee. The company will replace them for you, for free, whenever anything happens. There are lots of options for insulation- I have the unlined version so that they work in the rain too, and I just put in a Goretex/Thinsulate liner for winter. I lived in Maine for a bunch of years, and I wore those all the time. Same with Yaktrax, if you're planning on walking a lot instead of driving. SC is really hilly, and Yaktrax help your shoes to grip the ice when it happens. Also, don't underestimate the power of wool for layering, and if you have jewelry (funky piercings or just regular earrings), remember that the metal will get COLD if you're outside for extended periods of time. 

 

[zephiwho]

Hello everyone. I am in the process of looking for place and many of ones I am interested in are 3 bedrooms, so I am definitely looking for roommates. I am in correspondence with a couple currently, but I am open to more because of the 3 bedroom options!

[zephiwho]

On 4/8/2016 at 5:07 PM, Kristen Ackley said:

@zephiwho I am very interested in talking to you a bit more. My email address is kristen.l.ackley@gmail.com and that's probably the easiest way to contact me!

I sent you an e-mail!

[Cat_Robutt]

21 hours ago, hippyscientist said:

Keep a good stock of whisky/brandy/port in the cabinet to make mountain medicine. If it's really cold outside, going out with even damp hair will cause it to freeze and break off into your tea

WHAT. How is this even....what....I guess it's a good thing I have cropped hair. None of these were obvious! I'm just new to the game. Also, may I ask what mountain medicine is? We would make cold medicine with peppermint syrup and bourbon back home; is this similar?

19 hours ago, jlt646 said:

Yes to layering, and not going out with wet hair! State College is shockingly windy all the time, so investing in a windproof layer and a mask for the winter will be in your best interest. LL Bean duck boots are the best boots for weather I've ever worn, and they have a lifetime guarantee. The company will replace them for you, for free, whenever anything happens. There are lots of options for insulation- I have the unlined version so that they work in the rain too, and I just put in a Goretex/Thinsulate liner for winter. I lived in Maine for a bunch of years, and I wore those all the time. Same with Yaktrax, if you're planning on walking a lot instead of driving. SC is really hilly, and Yaktrax help your shoes to grip the ice when it happens. Also, don't underestimate the power of wool for layering, and if you have jewelry (funky piercings or just regular earrings), remember that the metal will get COLD if you're outside for extended periods of time. 

 

Thanks! I will be walking/outside often, so all of this is really helpful.... looks like I have much to think about and possibly buy (whomp whomp).

[hippyscientist]

9 minutes ago, Cat_Robutt said:

WHAT. How is this even....what....I guess it's a good thing I have cropped hair. None of these were obvious! I'm just new to the game. Also, may I ask what mountain medicine is? We would make cold medicine with peppermint syrup and bourbon back home; is this similar?

Thanks! I will be walking/outside often, so all of this is really helpful.... looks like I have much to think about and possibly buy (whomp whomp).

Mountain medicine is a thing my dad and his buddies concocted when they were on "boys ski trips" and it was passed on to me when I became of age. You basically mix a bunch of dark, high-alcohol content "manly" spirits together in a hip flask, so if you become stranded in the cold it will "warm you up". Basically a good excuse to get blotto, but it does end up delicious. Of course, your traditional hot toddy also works wonders (hot water, lemon, honey and whisky). NB terrible idea for actually trying to survive, but it makes you feel badass. 

Glad to be of some service. @jlt646 those yaktrax things look amazing. Will second the recommendation for thinsulate stuff - I have timberland boots I'll be wearing which will be lined with cosy socks when it gets really cold. Also, thanks for the tip about piercings - I hadn't thought of that. It's been a while since I've been in the cold so I guess I will be investing in a few plastic bars. 

[trulytriaxial]

Hello everyone, I am joining Penn State's Geosciences PhD program this fall.

I've been trying the Craigslist and Reddit options as well with no luck so far. Ideally, I'd be living with newbies to State College who are also looking to establish a network of friends. This thread looks pretty dead but shoot me a message if anyone happens to be looking for a roommate at State College. 

[Cat_Robutt]

Hey @trulytriaxial, have you checked out the off-campus site Penn State curates? In addition, the graduate housing on-campus might be an option if you don't have pets––they may be able to set you up with a roommate? And current graduate students are a fantastic resource if you haven't already spoken to them.

[asurachm]

Hi guys,

I am an incoming grad student in Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. My classmate and I are renting a three-bedroom duplex located at 1117 South Atherton Street. We are looking for the third roommate to rent the third room (should be male). The monthly rent for the house is $450 before utilities (utilities around $50-$70/ month/ person).

We are somewhat geeky and pretty laid back, we'll be spend most of our time doing school works, and we are fine in terms of neatness. My friend will bring a 20 pounds friendly female dog, an Italian greyhound. If you would like to bring a pet, you have to pay additional non-refundable deposit ($250) and monthly pet fee ($20).

Please send me a message if you're interested or would like to know more about the place. Thanks....

[Cat_Robutt]

Hey fellow Lions(?)! I posted this on the State College page but am also posting it here just in case:

Hope you all have been able to find places to live and that things are going well for you all! AETNA's dental plan for graduate assistant/fellows is now live (you can find your ID number under Lionpath: Demographics); the medical plan for non-graduate assistant/fellow graduate students is also available; the medical plan for GAs is heavily subsidized, so once we get closer to the semester starting, hopefully we'll receive updates. 

Also, if you've been having any difficulty registering for your courses in Lionpath, let me know! It's a new system used by PSU and it's a bit buggy, but I made a tiny tutorial for a few other students in my cohort.

[Sakthi Kumar]

Hi all!! Gained admission to Penn State for MS in Industrial Engineering. Looking to become someone's room mate if anyone here is interested. Ping me @ sakthikap77@gmail.com.