Being a freshman can be overwhelming in so many ways, especially when it comes to keeping track of all the websites you’ll need to succeed. It’s easy to get lost among all of the Penn websites out there, so The Daily Pennsylvanian has put together a list of 20 websites we think you’ll need as you transition into life at Penn. From academic information to the latest event details, these are websites you’ll definitely want to bookmark:
Penn InTouch — upenn.edu/pennintouch
Penn InTouch covers some course-related functions as well as other important financial and contact information. You’ll need it for registering for and dropping classes, sending course absence reports, viewing semester grades, accessing and ordering copies of your transcript, creating mock schedules and viewing class locations. You’ll also use it to apply for and view financial aid awards, manage student loans and update your personal profile and emergency contact information.
Canvas — canvas.upenn.edu
Canvas will cover the rest of your course-related needs. It serves as a hub for all your classes once the semester gets started. Your professors will post announcements, files, assignments and grades for you to access.
Three-Year Academic Calendar — upenn.edu/almanac/3yearcal.html
The three-year calendar lays out important dates for all students. You can find the dates of all breaks, advanced registration, reading days, final exams and other campus-wide events.
Penn Course Review — penncoursereview.com
Penn Course Review provides student-submitted ratings of course quality, instructor quality and difficulty level for most Penn courses.
Campus Map — facilities.upenn.edu/maps
For your first semester on campus, the campus map is a useful tool for getting acquainted with the many buildings you’ll need to find.
PennPay — sfs.upenn.edu/pennpay
PennPay is used to view and pay bills for tuition and other Penn fees.
Campus Express — www.campusexpress.upenn.edu/
Campus Express has a variety of purposes: You can view your housing assignment and mailbox number, select or change a dining plan and view its current balance, view campus transportation options, add PennCash and link your PennCard to a bank account.
Penn Libraries — library.upenn.edu
The Penn libraries website gives students access to both print and online resources in the libraries on campus, the ability to renew library books and access to borrow a specific book from other select college libraries. Another useful feature allows students to book group study rooms.
The Student Employment Office — www.sfs.upenn.edu/seo/
The Student Employment Office’s website has a regularly updated list of both work-study and non work-study jobs that are available on and off campus. Students can also find important forms for employment and a payment schedule.
VPUL — www.vpul.upenn.edu/
The Division of the Vice Provost for University Life’s website is home to Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Greenfield Intercultural Center, Student Health Service, the Weingarten Learning Resources Center and many other campus-wide resources.
Penn Book Bazaar — www.pennua.org/textbook/
The Penn Book Bazaar is a good resource for purchasing from or selling used textbooks back to the Penn community.
Events@Penn — eventsatpenn.com/
Events@Penn has the latest Penn event details, submitted by student group leaders. You can view the full list of campus events or filter the list by event type.
The Daily Pennsylvanian — theDP.com
The Daily Pennsylvanian is the independent student newspaper of the University, and its website is constantly updated with breaking news, event recaps, student columns, multimedia and so much more. It has everything you need to know to be an informed Penn student.
Under the Button — underthebutton.com
UTB is your 24/7 online source for all things happening at and related to Penn. Check underthebutton.com for weekly event recaps, what’s happening on Locust walk and the latest sightings of Amy Gutmann.
34th Street — 34st.com
34th Street Magazine is a weekly arts and culture magazine. On its website, you can find playlists of the week, TV episode recaps, interactive quizzes, compelling feature stories, student profiles and much more.
Pennlets — pennlets.com
Pennlets provides a free option for Penn students to post and find sublet listings.
CURF Research Directory — upenn.edu/curf/research
The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships has an online research directory with projects by Penn faculty who are looking for participation from undergraduate students.
GrubHub — www.grubhub.com
For all your food delivery and pick-up needs, GrubHub is an easy-to-use platform that includes many restaurants on and around campus.
Venmo — www.venmo.com
Venmo is a service for sending money securely to friends. Receiving money is completely free and sending money is free when you connect your account to a bank account or supported debit card.
Laundry Alert — www.laundryalert.com/cgi-bin/penn6389/LMPage
Laundry Alert breaks down all of the on campus laundry locations by college house and displays the number of washers and dryers available for use.
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