Q&A on the College House system and advice for first-years

What is the College House system?

The College House system is meant primarily for first- and second-year students transitioning to campus, giving them a safe place with lots of support so they can thrive. My goal is for students to feel it’s a home away from home. We are really there to create a kind of transitional space between being at home and going out into the world.

What is it like living in a first-year house?

I love first-years because everybody coming in has high expectations, maybe a little bit of anxiety, and a sense of excitement about taking new steps. The first-year houses are important for face-to-face contact, for learning about academic culture, for finding the emotional support that you need, and for making friends. This is the moment where you form new social groups and find your home community.

What is it like being the faculty director of Riepe College House?

I use my apartment for student learning and well-being; I even teach my smaller classes there. I love the connection to the campus and students that living in a College House enables. I have a kitchen, so we make a lot of healthy soup. I find if I bake cookies or garlic bread, students smell it in the hallways—just like home. So, this builds a positive connection between home and campus for first-years. You can come to a meal or for late night cookies and meet and talk to somebody that you wouldn’t otherwise have met. 

This year we are experimenting with an interdisciplinary program on music and health, combining the arts and sciences so students can see the possibilities of interdisciplinary thinking from the outset. I want to encourage students, too, to make music together and to attend live performances. 

How do you help students adjust to college life?

I make cookies for students! I make a lot, like 300, 400, and tell them to bring a container so they can take some with them to remember through the week that they are cared for.

It might seem silly to some, but students say they like that they are given something they didn’t have to earn in some way. I call it a kind of unconditional love.

What’s one thing about Riepe that you wish every new resident knew before they moved in?

In the newly renovated Ashhurst Lounge, students can cook within certain hours. I have seen large Thanksgiving meals made for student groups in the house. If for some reason you forgot to reserve cooking equipment, knock on my door. Students have returned equipment with a little treat inside, too!

What advice would you give to all first-year students at Penn?

Get to know who lives in your College House, where you can find support. It’s your home community. Make sure you have a small group of people who will check in on you every day. Seek out academic and emotional support systems. Penn is a very well-resourced place, and the resources are there to help you. There’s no shame in seeking help. Being a college undergraduate at a place like Penn gives you access to knowledge you will never have anywhere else. Be curious, find your place, and thrive. Penn is a place of enormous connection and opportunity. Create your sense of belonging and possibility.

What is a lesson all students at Penn might benefit from?

Here’s something I learned from a Penn undergraduate one summer: Somebody else’s success at Penn was not her failure. Penn students are all high achievers. They expect to always be at the top of their game. And then they come into a very competitive environment, it can feel overwhelming. Remember that success manifests in different ways and at different times for each student.