Courtesy of Dana Townsend

Shit to know about PSU

Study 

  • Book a room to yourself in the Millar Library 
  • The basements/sub-basements in most PSU buildings are quiet and contain study pods equipped with couches and tables 
  • Park Avenue Cafe has good food, coffee and plenty of spaces to study 
  • Empty classrooms throughout campus are unlocked and open for use 
  • There is a quiet study lounge on the fourth floor of Smith 
  • The sky bridges between Smith Memorial Student Union and Cramer Hall have a few tables for studying and large windows for natural light 

 

Convenience

  • Baby Vikings is an on-campus childcare center in SMSU
  • Trying to get a job? Career center offers resume and interview workshops, and Handshake is PSU’s job board 
  • The library is open 24 hours during dead week 
  • The Women’s Resource Center offers free pads/tampons/female hygiene products as well as crisis counseling 
  • Safety buttons are located around campus to ask police for an escort to your car if you feel unsafe and/or need emergency help
  • You get 500 free print credits. Places to print include the first floor of Cramer Hall and the library.
  • There are sky bridges and tunnels that link Lincoln Hall, Cramer Hall, SMSU, Fariborz Maseeh Hall and Shattuck Hall, so you can avoid cars and rain. 

 

Free or discounted shit 

  • Working out at the rec center is free for students, and there’s also exercise classes, a pool and rec teams such as fencing  
  • $5 unlimited coffee refill during dead/finals week in the library 
  • Free popcorn with purchase of a ticket at 5th Avenue Cinema
  • Students discounts 
    • Microsoft Office 
    • Powell’s Books 
    • Spotify/Hulu 
    • Madewell
    • Portland Japanese garden 
    • Living Room Theaters
    • Keller Auditorium 
    • Adidas Employee Store Pass   
    • Portland Art Museum (first Friday of every month after 5 p.m. is completely free) 

 

Commuting 

  • $28 TriMet pass for low income students
  • Term-by-term TriMet passes are discounted for PSU students who commute
  • Now have a much cheaper option for low income students. Proof needed.
  • Download Parking Kitty to extend your parking time from your classroom
  • Portland Streetcar is free with PSU ID
  • Biketown is free for PSU students 

 

Food 

  • The PSU food pantry offers produce, canned goods, and more for free. All you need is your student ID. 
  • $1 tacos at Tito’s Burritos every weekday between 2–5 p.m.
  • Best bubble tea house Bubble n Tea is now open on SW Broadway and College St.
  • The Free Food Market is held the second Monday of every month in the Park Blocks
  • McMenamins Market Street Pub has happy hour from 3–6 p.m. Well drinks $4.50, Ales $4.75
  • Best Burgers: Joe’s Burgers, double cheeseburger recommended 
  • Best coffee: Ole Latte coffee cart on SW 5th and Harrison St.  
  • Cheapest Coffee: Park Avenue Cafe 

 

Chamber of secrets 

  • Movie theater/bowling alley/pool tables in SMSU basement  
  • Water fountain behind the engineering building 
  • Spot the cow pigeons #psucowpigeon 
  • Rooftop garden on top of the Academic Student Recreation Center 
  • Free concerts in or outside SMSU with performances from a variety of musicians 

 

Stress relief 

  • Corgis come and love on you once a quarter. There’s sometimes llamas too. This usually happens during finals weeks. 
  • The Center for Student Health and Counseling offers acupuncture services for the days when you just can’t 
  • Free yoga classes are offered at the rec center 
  • Napping
    • Top floor of the Millar Library has cubicles suitable for napping 
    • Cramer Hall pods found on every floor 
    • Multicultural centers 

 

Enrichment 

  • Multicultural celebrations, ice cream socials and other themed on-campus events provide entertainment, cultural enrichment and free food and beverages. 
  • Littman and White Gallery is PSU’s own art exhibit
  • Music performances, opera, plays and more take place at Lincoln Hall seasonally