The Circle | Prompt 1

Being a Penn Stater or Circler comes with many ideologies and practices, especially with the vast size and influence both have on the real and fictional world. Like Mae, when I arrived on campus I was completely awestruck at both the size and near perfection of my new home, and how I would ever be able to find my place. While Mae had an experienced friend to help her navigate and settle in, I only had my roommate I found on Facebook and a friend from high school I was somewhat close with. Also like Mae, I found myself overwhelmed easily by how much there was to do and how quickly I was expected to jump into this new place and get acclimated. Being a newbie to a community like Penn State or the Circle comes with expectations that we are supposed to learn easily and quickly, like that "we are!" can be chanted anywhere or that the creamery only serves blue and white sprinkles. But in all seriousness, as Penn State students, we are taught to keep our grades, social life, involvement, and many other aspects as high as possible. During the first few days of classes, we had the Club Fair, and although freshman are encouraged to join in, it is difficult to do so when you are still figuring out your classes, homework, and how to eat and sleep all in one day. Similar to Mae, while she has a full day of just figuring out how the Circle works and meeting people, there is already an extremely high standard set on her for work the next day, and while she does well, more things keep piling up, and it is frowned upon for her not to get involved in every aspect of the Circle. When first coming to a place like the Circle or Penn State, one is initially exposed to the new lifestyle, and it only takes a short amount of time before the lifestyle applies to us, and we don't even realize it. Soon, we will participate in THON, and attend more football games and realize that, we are in fact Penn State, just like Mae will soon be a part of the Circle. The community aspect of both of these places is huge, and it is what makes us all feel like a part of something great. Both the Circle and Penn State strive to make the world better, by research, technology, and community. Students at PSU as well as Mae join places like these to get a sense of what that is like, to be a part of something so vast and influential, a place so well known and with great reputation. However, that comes with some cons, as the expectations are high for balancing many things including one's own personal happiness and success as they join a place it is so easy to get lost in. While I personally have been loving Penn State, I also find it difficult to meet the expectations of doing it all, similar to Mae trying to understand the lifestyle change of the Circle.