PSU 4 YOU!

Do you have questions about engineering at Penn State?

Carrie McElwain

Then Ask Carrie McElwain, the first women engineering graduate from the Penn State College of Engineering!  However, when Carrie graduated in 1893 it was called Pennsylvania State College and her major degree program was in Engineering.  You can find many questions and answers that you may have about the College of Engineering at Penn State on this page.  You can also ask Carrie any new questions you have by emailing PSU4YOU!

Current Questions:
Women in Engineering?
Advanced Placement
Roommate Requests
Searching for Scholarships
Concerned About Calculus
Getting Involved

What to Bring to the Dorms

Biking on Campus

How Much Study Time?

Non-Engineering Organizations

Dear Carrie:

I love math, science, and physics and would really like to go into a field like Engineering, but with so many engineering majors to choose from I can't decide.  Another thing that really worries me is that there wont be any other women.  I've heard that engineering is predominately male; is this true?  And if so is it an issue?

Engineering?!!,
Erie, PA 

That is a very good question.  You know when I graduated from Penn State I was the ONLY female in my class. . . BUT times have changed!  The College of Engineering has approximately 7,500 students out of the 33,000 undergraduate students at the University Park Campus.  The College of Engineering is about 19% female these days.  While it is still predominately male, you don't have to worry!  (That's right around the national average 20%.)  The number of women in engineering and science fields continues to grow each year, and here at Penn State the College of Engineering has some wonderful resources available to women just like you.

The Women in Engineering Program (WEP) is part of the College of Engineering and provides activities for women engineering students to meet each other and get involved.  WEP also provides facilitated study groups, resume help, advising, and many other services.  Another great program to get involved is Women in Science and Engineering Research (WISER).  This program provides undergraduate women with an opportunity to get involved in research within their field of study.  Additionally there is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) a student organization that participates in all the campus wide student events, strives to unite all women engineering students, and offers career development seminars with major corporations.

As you can see, there is no reason to feel intimidated by a male-dominated field because there are so many resources for you at Penn State.  I also realize that there is a lot to think about when choosing a college, a major, and what activities to get involved.  You should feel very lucky because in my day, it was a very small program with not anywhere near as many resources available to me.  I recommend checking out The Women in Engineering Program Orientation (WEPO).  It is a great way to ease into Penn State by getting to know other first year women engineering students and your way around the campus.

In terms of deciding on a major, you don't have to do that right away.  First year students are required to take a seminar.  Most students choose to take one about the major they have chosen or are interested in; however if you have no clue what you want to major in there is a seminar called Introduction to Engineering which is an overview of all the engineering majors offered at Penn State and how the disciplines are used in "real-life".  This course is designed for students that are undecided on their major with the College of Engineering or who are still unsure whether they want to do engineering at all.  Hopefully this will help you make up your mind about Engineering at Penn State.  To investigate the majors  some more, the College of Engineering's Web Site offers in depth descriptions of each major.  You can also find a listing of all the first year seminars here.

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Dear Carrie:

I'm currently a senior taking Advanced Placement Calculus and I am debating whether or not I should take the AP Exam.  Does Penn State except AP credits and if so what score is necessary?  Are there any advantages/disadvantages to testing out of of courses? 

Sincerely,

Aching over Advanced Placement

Philadelphia, PA

Penn State does accept Advanced Placement Credits.  The score required depends on the exam.  AP Calculus is a common exam for students majoring in engineering and the sciences to take, which allows students to skip math courses they have already mastered and move on to the higher level math courses that are required.  For both the AB and BC Calculus Examinations a 4 or 5 is required to receive credit.  Another benefit to taking AP Exams is that they expose students to college level tests.  

Most students choose to accept the credits received for their AP scores and start in a higher level math course; however some students choose to take the freshman mathematics courses 140 or 141 as a review.  An additional advantage to taking the AP credits is scheduling early.  Penn State, as do many other universities, bases when you can schedule for the upcoming semester on how many credits you have earned.  So if you start college with a few extra credits, you can schedule a little earlier than your classmates.  This is a nice advantage when it come to avoiding 8 am classes or getting a particular professor you want.  

To check out what Advanced Placement Exams transfer and how any credits are awarded for each, take a look at the following link: http://www.psu.edu/dept/admissions/steps/understanding/ap.htm.

Sincerely,
Carrie McElwain

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ROOMMATE REQUESTS

Dear Carrie:

I was looking over the housing application for the dorms and I noticed there was no place to write down your roommate preferences; for example, if you are a morning person or late night studier.  My main concern is that I'm a non smoker and I would prefer to room with another nonsmoker.   How do they match up roommates?

Sincerely,
Roommate Requests
Fairfax, VA

When I was a student at Penn State the dorms were very different, and women students even had curfews!  But today the dorms are much nicer with a card access security system 24 hours a day and a large number of the buildings are co-ed - something unheard of in my day.  While the housing application does not provide much space to list your preferences, the housing office does mach students up based on their year in college and similar major.  Don't worry about living with a smoker because all of the dorms on campus are absolutely smoke free.  To find out more about the roommate assignment processes or housing in general, check out the Housing and Food Service Website at http://www.hfs.psu.edu/UniversityPark/ or check out the Residence Life Frequently Asked Questions Page at http://www.hfs.psu.edu/faqs/.

Sincerely,
Carrie McElwain

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SEARCHING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Dear Carrie:

I was recently accepted to Penn State and I am very interested in finding out about some of the scholarships for women in engineering.  Are there any links or information about scholarships available?

Sincerely,
Searching For Scholarships
Cincinnati, OH

Dear "Searching For Scholarships":

Congratulations on your acceptance to Penn State.  Penn State's scholarship program is based on merit at the entering year and is integrated into the College of Engineering scholarship program. You do not have to apply to be considered because Penn State looks at everyone who is accepted.  You should also check out the Society of Women Engineers National web site, as they offer scholarships to first year women students.  There is also information on the WEP Web scholarship page.

Another thing you may want to consider is internships and co-ops.  These can help considerably in defraying the costs of college and sometimes can include scholarships as well, not to mention the fact that it is real-life experience and gives you an edge in the job market when you graduate.  Click here for more information on Co-op at Penn State.

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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Dear Carrie:

My high school math teacher told me that many calculus classes at Penn State don't allow calculators.  Is this true??  What will I be expected to remember?

Sincerely,
Number Cruncher
Pittsburgh, PA

When I graduated from PSU in 1893, we definitely weren't allowed to use calculators - we only had slide-rules!!  Nowadays, yes, it is usually standard that calculators (especially graphing calculators) are not allowed during calculus exams.  This is because much of what you are learning is the fundamentals behind your upper level classes.  It is important that you learn the basics, and not rely on your calculators.  But don't worry, you won't have to solve any difficult arithmetic, like 8670 divided by 0.98767 or anything!!   

You will only be responsible for knowing the trig values (like sin 1 or cos 0), basic arithmetic, standard graphs, and algebra.  You will be able to use your calculators for your calculus homework, as well as in other classes if you're thinking of purchasing one.  If you don't have one a graphing calculator already, you can get by with a regular scientific calculator; however with a graphing calculator you can solve more difficult problems much faster.  I would recommend at least a TI-83 or TI-83 Plus, but it is not absolutely necessary and I wouldn't worry about it if you are unable to get one.

Sincerely,
Carrie McElwain

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GETTING INVOLVED

Dear Carrie:

How can I join the Women in Engineering Program?  What is the difference between the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program?

Sincerely,
So Many Options!
Baltimore, MD

You actually don't ever have to "join" the Women in Engineering Program (WEP)!  By enrolling in the College of Engineering, you are automatically eligible to take part in all the activities that WEP has to offer, including classes, programs, career development, Women in Engineering Program Orientation (WEPO), leadership, and much more!  When you get to Penn State, make sure you sign up to receive email notification of all the upcoming events.   Check out the WEP web page to find out more about what we have to offer undergraduates.

Another group that you will have to join if you want to is the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).  This is a national organization under which Penn State has an active chapter.  The Penn State Chapter is student run and is involved in a variety of activities as well.  For more information, check out SWE's web page at http://www.engr.psu.edu/StudentOrganizations/OrgDetails.asp?Abbreviation=SWE.  You will be able to find information on how to join SWE and upcoming events on the calendar.

Sincerely,
Carrie McElwain

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WHAT TO BRING TO THE DORMS

Dear Carrie:

I have no idea what to bring to the dorms...  Please help!  Thanks!

Dorm Living

Philadelphia, PA

Dear "Dorm Living"

The general rule is bring what you need and leave what you don't need at home.  The rooms are probably smaller than what you are used to and you will have to share the space, so you don't want to have too much stuff.  However, you should bring some things that will make your room feel more homey and give it a personal touch.  Pictures of friends and family, some posters, and stuffed animals will make your new place feel more like home.  In addition to that advice, the housing office has compiled a list of things to bring to the dorm with you...  Please click here to access this list.

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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Biking on Campus

Dear Carrie:

Should I bring a bike to campus?  What are the pros and cons?

Love to Bike

East Stroudsburg, PA

Dear "Love to Bike"

This is a very good question. If you don’t like to walk, biking is a great alternative.  If I were allowed to bike in my day, I would have!  But my long skirts and petticoats would have been quite troublesome while trying to bike around campus.  Today, you girls are much luckier, considering you can wear pants and shorts.  

Although biking is a wonderful way to get around campus, it is sometimes frustrating riding on campus because there are so many people walking around that it can be hard to find a clear route. However biking generally makes it a lot easier and faster to get to class. It can also be fun biking around campus or the bike paths around town. 

The only real drawback to having your bike on campus is that there is hardly any good place to store it. You can take it into your room if your roommate doesn’t mind, but it will usually be in your way. You can keep it outside on a bike rack (locked) but it will be exposed to the weather. Some bike racks are under walkways and by building entrances, which is a good thing, but it can still get weather worn. There are bike lockers on campus, but a limited number, so you have to call housing early to reserve one (814-865-5423).  

If you are to bring your bike, I would definitely say you need a secure lock and to try to find a place near your building where the elements won't get to it as easily (like near the entrance to your building).  Lastly, there are some storage places around town that will store bikes during the winter if you don't plan on riding it around in the snow.  ;-)

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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How much study time?

Dear Carrie:

I've heard that engineering takes up a lot of time and there is a lot of work.  How much studying is actually needed to do well?

Stressed over Studying

Leetsdale, PA

Dear "Stressed over Studying"

First of all, there is nothing to stress over studying, as long as you are dedicated to putting in the time needed to get the work done correctly.  However, it is true that you need to devote a significant amount of time to studying and completing homework assignments to do well in your courses.  It is generally recommended that you spend at least 2 hours studying for each hour in class. This number can go up for classes that are more difficult or require more work. 

Typically, you should be studying about 3 hours a day or more. This seems like a lot, but you can fit in study time between classes and other activities so that you are not doing it all at once. You have to remember that you are in class about half the time as you were in high school.  You have to use that additional time wisely to study and do homework.  

The best way to survive in college is to set specific times to study and stick to it. You should also have a plan of attack (when you are going to do what). This will help you plan your time better and give you time to relax as well.  The way it works out for most people at Penn State is that they work really hard during the weekdays to get all their work done so that on the weekends they can relax and hang out.  As long as you plan your time, you will have enough time to do homework and enjoy yourself around Penn State.

For more information on time management and study skills, visit the University Learning Center on the web.  They also offer many different tutoring resources for first and second year general education classes.

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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Non-Engineering Organizations on Campus

Dear Carrie:

What non-engineering societies and/or organizations are available and how do I get involved?

Getting Involved

Mars, PA

Dear "Getting Involved"

This is a BROAD question because at University Park there is EVERYTHING that you could possibly think of to get involved in.  Although back in my day there was not too much that was available to women, today there are so many opportunities open for anyone to get involved!  There are sororities; social organizations; service organizations; political organizations; organizations pertaining to your major or career goals; Student Government including Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Government; IM, Club, & Varsity Sports; language clubs, theater clubs, choirs, bands, orchestras, and even some odd ones like The Monty Python Club or the Paranormal Research Society.
 

I encourage you to take a look for yourself at the web listing of all student organizations (http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/usermain.asp) to see what you would like to join when you get here. If for some reason you don’t see something you want, you can always start a new organization. To do so, you need at least 12 members and a faculty advisor and you need to apply through the Associated Student Activities Office. For more information, go to: http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/pdf/Recognized.pdf.

I hope that gives you some food for thought and good luck at Penn State!

Sincerely,

Carrie McElwain

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