Five Things I’m Grateful I Didn’t Miss At Penn

1. Remember “Land of the free, the home of the brave” whenever you are choosing.
   My favourite thing about doing an exchange semester was the sense of liberty. At most universities you will get to choose what classes you take and how you spend your time (caution: try not to give your exchange advisor a heart attack). Within those boundaries, I took classes in the strategy and practices of family-owned companies, distressed investment and value creation, mergers & acquisitions, and more. Little did I know that you can even increase the maximum credits you are allowed to take beyond 5.5. This semester I loved being part of Chinese 1000 taught by Shihui Fan, a tremendous professor with a kind heart and the ability to bridge any language barriers. I also audited another finance class that is incredibly popular. You can try to guess which class I mean once you are at Penn :).

3. Don’t miss out on making friends with transfer students.
We got lucky, and it might happen again. This year, the exchange students and transfer students got along extremely well. Primarily because they are fun people, but also because we are in the same boat, arriving at Penn together. Going out, Homecoming, Friendsgiving, and Gavin’s parties were some of the highlights that come to mind immediately.

A large part of that magic came from living together in Mayer. It is, in my completely unbiased opinion, the greatest place to be. The fifth floor, David’s and Izzy’s room 512, has a special place in our hearts alongside the game room on the sixth floor. Beyond these two monuments, Mayer also has a gym, a movie room, a computer lab, a seminar room, and a study lounge, which are luxuries we are extremely grateful for.

Harnwell may be a shorter walk to class, and the Radian may be more comfortable for rooming, but to meet the most exchange students in Fall 2025, Mayer was the goat. The friendships and memories you can make during your exchange are incredible. I hope you get to experience
them too.

4. Don’t miss out on buying the right things.
As mentioned in my prior blog post, your Penn room likely comes with very few amenities, which may put you in a strange position of (a) wanting to buy things but also feeling like (b) you may not be at Penn long enough to justify non-necessities. You don’t need to go on a wild shopping spree, but please feel encouraged to buy a proper mattress. Laugh now, thank me later. I spent my first month at Penn in a strange duality of “I don’t need one” and then “it’s too late now.” It is never too late. One of the pleasant surprises I discovered recently is that furniture, clean clothing, unused school supplies, and books are accepted by PennMOVES to support a community in West Philadelphia. So buy the things you’ll want to use for half a year, with the awareness that they may find a second life with your friends at Penn or in West Philadelphia.

5. Don’t miss out on the broader than Penn things.
I became a huge fan of the stands cluttering Locust Walk on weekdays. One day it is a group of student associations advertising their upcoming performances, the next it is Google promoting Gemini, and thirty meters closer to Van Pelt you suddenly find yourself learning about cancer awareness. You can ask David, Oliver, and Laerge, friends exchanging from CBS (Copenhagen, not Columbia, as they insist on clarifying), how easily I get hooked into these conversations after our shared Advanced Corporate Finance class. Beyond campus, I recommend exploring major cities like New York, Boston, and DC for yourself. It feels almost revolutionary to connect how the idea of America has been shaped by thinkers and movements in these cities over the centuries (no pun intended). Hopefully one day, we will be an equally great steward of our countries and communities.

A heartfelt thank you is extended to my home university, the Rotterdam School of Management, for your confidence in me. In addition, thank you to Penn and Penn Abroad for your continuous support.

-FJ Knops