Certain actions at Penn State can feel like you’re doing something wrong…even though the reality is that you’re not.
Like, no one is stopping you, no one is questioning it. And yet somehow, it feels illegal.
Here are just a few experiences that should be crimes, but somehow aren’t.
- Walking Into Class 20 Minutes Late, Like Nothing Happened
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The door opens. Every head turns. Even the professor pauses for half a second.
And you just…keep walking. Sit down. Open your laptop like you’ve been there the whole time.
No explanation. No apology. Just vibes.
- Leaving the Library at 12 a.m. and It’s Still Packed
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You’re beyond exhausted, eyes are barely staying open. Your brain stopped working hours ago.
Yet somehow, there are still hundreds of people sitting there…completely locked in.
At that point, it stops feeling like a library and starts feeling like a stimulation. You might catch yourself looking around for the cameras because you still can’t comprehend it.
- Spending $8 on Coffee Like It’s Completely Normal
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You don’t even think about it anymore.
It’s not “should I get coffee?”, it’s “which coffee am I getting today?”
At this point, it’s less of a purchase and more of a daily necessity for survival.
- Not Knowing a Single Person in a 300-Person Lecture
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You sit down. Look around. Recognize no one.
And somehow…no one recognizes you either.
You could disappear for three weeks, and nothing would change. I promise no one would even notice.
- Seeing the Same Person Everywhere but Never Speaking
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Class. The gym. A random walk to your friend’s apartment.
It’s always them.
At this point, you’ve made eye contact enough times to acknowledge each other… but you don’t.
And now it’s too late.
- Saying “I’ll do it Later,” Knowing You Absolutely Won’t
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You say it with confidence.
Like this time, it’s real. This time, you mean it.
You don’t.
- Going Out on a Random Weekday Like You Don’t Have Responsibilities
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It starts with “just for a little.”
Suddenly, it’s 1 a.m., and you’re fully committed to the night.
Your 9 a.m. self will deal with it.
- Opening Canvas and Immediately Closing it
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You log in. You see everything.
And then you log out.
Because sometimes ignorance really does feel like peace.
- Sitting in Silence With Your Friends but Still Being on Your Phones
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No one is talking.
But no one is leaving either.
It’s not awkward…it’s just how it is.
- Walking Past People You Know and Pretending You Didn’t See Them
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You both saw each other.
You both know you saw each other.
And yet…nothing happened.
At Penn State, everything is a little chaotic, slightly confusing and somehow completely normal at the same time.
And maybe that’s the weirdest part of all…
None of this is illegal.
It just feels like it should be.
I personally think that this is also what makes it kind of perfect. Living through these weird, slightly uncomfortable and oddly specific moments is the thing that everyone at Penn State experiences, but no one really talks about it. These are the unspoken parts of college life that somehow connect all of us, even in a place where it is so easy to feel anonymous.
Because at the end of every day, everyone has walked into a class late, all have avoided that Canvas notification and have all convinced themselves they will be productive “later.” We are all just figuring it out as we go, pretending that we all have it more together than we actually do.
Somehow, though, all of this shared chaos is what makes Penn State feel like home.