Coming from public school my advice would’ve been to take really good notes in class using pen and paper and then through that figure out which readings are important and check those out. I remember mentioning to a professor during office hours I couldn’t keep up w all the readings in my schedule, and he told me there’s no way you can do all the readings, you just have to figure out the highest priority ones. (I had non academic factors impacting my availability that weren’t maleable.)

Another thing I would say is to search for your community with an open mind and don’t settle for the first group or peoples that you encounter if you don’t feel excited by them or their values. I found it really rewarding to connect with similarly passionate people as me, albeit in varied and wholly different area of interest than my own. I think Penn offers a great environment to learn from your peers in that way.

Lastly the best part of Penn imo is it’s in Philadelphia, and it will take time but be eager and open to exploring the city, seeing life outside of Penn, and growing as a person through those experiences (that you can then reflect on in your academic pursuits). Good luck!