Big College Campus Dos and Don’ts

With over 40,000 students at Penn State, when class lets out campus suddenly gets crowded…and fast. For your sake (and the sake of others), keep these dos and dont’s in mind while you’re strolling around on this beautiful campus at peak crowd times.

DO stay on the right of the sidewalk
Come on, guys. We learned this when we first started driving. Don’t be that girl (or guy) panicking on the wrong side of the sidewalk during a high-traffic time of day.

DON’T text and walk
It’s fine when there aren’t a lot of people around, but when there are, it can be super obnoxious. If your text is so important that you have to read it now, at least don’t slow down to a turtle’s pace while you read it. Especially in this weather, people want to get where they’re going as quickly as possible. Slow ‘em down and they’ll get angry― guaranteed.

DO watch out for bikers
Basically, they’re all over the place. And colliding with a biker on campus during a busy time of day would be just as embarrassing (and painful) for you as it would be for the biker. And on that note…

DON’T ride your bike through a crowded area
The environment loves you for riding your bike to class, but don’t try to weave through people walking every which way. A collision is bound to happen.

DO make eye contact with a cute guy and smile
Hey, it’s a big campus and you’re guaranteed to see at least one new face every day. Jump at the opportunity to do a little street flirting on your way to class.

DON’T (or DO!) talk to people on the phone using only your headphones
This could also fit in the “do” category, because it’s really convenient and you can keep your hands in your pockets to stay warm. But, I don’t know how many times I’ve thought someone was talking to me only to realize that they weren’t (awkward). Perhaps people just need to adjust to the technological advancement. Use your best judgment on this one.

Photo by Kimberly Bartner