Academic calendar
Fall 2026 - Second 7-Week Session runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 20, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 - Second 7-Week SessionRelevant now
- Spring 2027 - Regular Session
- Summer 2027 - Regular Session
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 20 of 20 terms
A
- ARHS
- Association of Residence Hall Students, representing students living on campus.
B
- Blue Band
- The Pennsylvania State University Marching Band.
C
- Canyon
- Canyon Pizza, a popular late-night pizza spot known for its low prices.
E
- East
- East Halls, the largest residence hall complex on campus, primarily housing first-year students.
F
- Findlay
- The dining commons serving East Halls, frequently used by freshmen.
H
- Happy Valley
- The common nickname for State College and the surrounding Penn State community.
N
- North
- North Halls, the smallest residence area, consisting primarily of suite-style living.
P
- Pollock
- Pollock Halls, the second-largest residence area, located near the center of campus.
- Pollock Commons
- The dining hall serving the Pollock residence area, known for its central location.
R
- Redifer
- The dining commons located in South Halls, popular for its food court variety.
S
- South
- South Halls, a residence area housing many upperclassmen and members of the Schreyer Honors College.
- SPA
- Student Programming Association, the organization that brings concerts and speakers to campus.
T
- The Creamery
- The Berkey Creamery, the famous on-campus ice cream shop.
- The Mix
- A late-night convenience store and snack bar located within the Redifer Commons.
- The Phyrst
- A legendary local basement bar known for live music and Irish heritage.
- THON
- The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, the world's largest student-run philanthropy.
U
- UPUA
- University Park Undergraduate Association, the primary student government body.
W
- Waring
- The dining commons in West Halls, famous for its West Cookies.
- West
- West Halls, a residence area known for its traditional brick architecture and proximity to the library.
- White Out
- A high-profile football game where all fans are encouraged to wear white.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Bloop
- The Blue Loop, a free CATA bus route that circles campus and downtown in a clockwise direction.
- CATA
- The Centre Area Transportation Authority, the bus system serving campus and the town.
- creekside_market
- Creekside Market
- cyber_cafe
- Cyber Cafe
- Dining Dollars
- The currency included in meal plans, used specifically at on-campus dining locations.
- id+ Card
- The official Penn State student identification card used for building access and payments.
- LionCash
- A prepaid account linked to the student ID card used for purchases on and off campus.
- Old Main
- The iconic administrative building and campus landmark housing the President's office.
- Pattee
- The Pattee and Paterno Library, the main library complex on campus.
- Pegula
- Pegula Ice Arena, the home of Penn State varsity hockey.
- Rec Hall
- Recreation Hall, the historic gym used for volleyball, wrestling, and student fitness.
- The BJC
- The Bryce Jordan Center, the large arena used for basketball games, concerts, and THON.
- The HUB
- The Hetzel Union Building, the central student union for dining, study, and club meetings.
- tully_s
- Tully's
- Whoop
- The White Loop, a free CATA bus route that circles campus and downtown in a counter-clockwise direction.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 - Second 7-Week Session runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 20, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 20 approved campus terms and 15 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.