Episode 16 of our bi-weekly podcast, Liberal Arts Voices, features two first year students in the College of the Liberal Arts: Cathy Rogers and Michael Kramer, as well as CLA adviser Karen Sones. In this episode, the group discusses what the transitional experience is like for students new to Penn State and to the College of the Liberal Arts.

Although this is the first year at Penn State for both Cathy and Michael, they come from very different backgrounds. Michael is a traditional first year freshman from rural Pennsylvania. Cathy is an adult student returning to school after retiring from the United States Military. Both Cathy and Michael talk about how their previous experiences helped them to get to this point in their lives. They talk about why they chose to study at Penn State and more specifically in the Liberal Arts. The students also share stories about their recent transitions to life at Penn State. They discuss some of the difficulties they experienced in making this kind of transition, including learning how to navigate the UP campus and managing their time between academics and extracurricular activities.

Sociology and Crime, Law, and Justice Adviser Karen Sones also talks about how advisers can help first year and transfer students work through this period of transition. She mentions some of the most common issues that new students face when they arrive on campus and gives some helpful pointers. First year, transfer, and current Liberal Arts undergraduates should make sure to make use of the College’s new Undergraduate Studies website. Here students will find a variety of resources pertaining to academics, advising, enrichment opportunities, and more.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 16

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We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.