Whether this is your first year at Penn State or your last, chances are you aren’t using all of the resources PSU has to offer. Our school has made so many opportunities available to its students, so in case you’re looking for some more, here are some of the best and most underrated!
Counseling & Psychological Services
It’s not uncommon for Penn State students to be told about the benefits that CAPS has to offer. But trust VALLEY when we say, the recommendations are made for a reason. Counseling and psychological services can be extremely helpful when keeping your mental health in order, and considering the fact that CAPS sessions are free, why wouldn’t you utilize it?
Library Databases
One thing a lot of students at Penn State don’t know about is the amount of library databases there are for entertainment. One of the best is Swank Motion Pictures, Inc., which has so many more movies than you’d expect from a school library! They’ve got everything from “Crazy Rich Asians” to “Ghostbusters.” You can browse the database’s selection for yourself by following these steps:
- Go to “libraries.psu.edu”
- Click on the “Databases” option in the toolbar
- Go to the S section and select Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
- You will be redirected to a page with instructions, but the first link given is the one you want to click. It says, “Movies from Swank Digital Campus at Penn State.”
Another great option for movies is Kanopy Streaming Services, which offers more of an educational selection, filled with interesting documentaries, biographies, independent films and more. Here’s how to access it:
- Go to “libraries.psu.edu”
- Click on the “Databases” option in the toolbar
- Go to the K section and select Kanopy Streaming Service
Adobe Creative Cloud
Everybody at Penn State knows that students get a free account with Microsoft Office, so with it comes a number of programs like Word, PowerPoint and Excel, but did you know students also have access to Adobe Creative Cloud? That’s right, a program that is usually hundreds of dollars is free and ready for use at the click of a button, complete with Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere and more. To download the programs through your Penn State account:
- Go to “software.psu.edu”
- Select the “Available Software” option
- Log in with your Penn State account
- Click on the “order” button under Adobe Creative Cloud
MediaTech
If you’re a creative, and the Adobe programs piqued your interest, then you should also be sure to check out MediaTech. Through the service, Penn State offers free media equipment rentals with options from cameras to tablets and even to computers. All you need to do is schedule a rental online, by following these easy steps:
- Go to “libraries.psu.edu”
- Click on the “Services” option in the toolbar
- Select “Technology & Equipment”
- Click on the “Media and Technology Support Services” link
- Schedule a rental on the MediaTech portal
Discounts
There is also a page on Penn State’s Human Resources website that lists a good amount of local businesses that offer discounts to Penn State students! And they’re totally random – you can get 10% off a pottery item at 2000 degrees, 50% off paint at Sherwin-Williams, and so much more!
VALLEY encourages all Penn State students to get the best of what our school has to offer, so if you use any of these resources – or any that weren’t mentioned – let us know what you think! You can tweet us @VALLEYmag or tag us on Instagram @VALLEYmag.
