"Work Hard, Play Hard"-Succeeding at Penn Garrett Bruer University of Pennsylvania 2009 School of Engineering and Applied Sciences As the fall breeze sweeps through the city of Philadelphia, I find myself among the happy and hard-working students of Penn. With a class of freshmen hailing from all 50 states and 72 different countries, it's no wonder I was so excited to begin college. As the first few weeks rolled by, I began to establish myself on campus, joining several of the diverse groups at Penn ranging from Glee Club to Wharton China Business Society. Of course, one cannot forget the classes. I plan to major in Materials Science Engineering and currently follow a related course: Economics, Chemistry, Advanced French, and upper level Calculus. The Social Scene is bountiful as there can never be a dull moment here at Penn. I have found college to be both exciting and stimulating trying to balance work and play, which is the motto of Penn: "Work Hard, Play Hard." For those who are applying to college, don't let your dreams fly away because of what someone else says. Go for the school which fits your criteria the best. The best way to make sure the school fits your ideal college experience is to actually visit and spend more than a day there. You really get a different feel for the college when you are with peers at nighttime. Of course, this is when most of college life takes place, so try it out and see how you feel. Pace yourself with applications and don't delay. Working on the apps little by little between all the pressure of school, activities, and family will really pay off in the end.