Class work may keep Penn State students busy, but not enough to limit the sales of magazines.

According to recent surveys by College Store Executive and Magazineline.com, the largest student and educator magazine subscription agency in the U. S., magazines are as popular as ever with Maxim, Newsweek and Playboy topping the most read choices by Penn State students.

On a national level, college students most frequently read Cosmopolitan, Maxim and Glamour.

Dana Bolcato (sophomore-business administration) said, "I like to read Cosmopolitan to see the latest in fashion and make-up. It's the magazine I read when I need to be girly."

Bill Keister, head of the trade department of the Penn State Bookstore said Cosmopolitan, nationally the No. 1 choice of college students since 1992, has long been the most popular magazine at the store.

"We typically don't sell out of a particular magazine on a regular basis, except for Cosmopolitan," Keister said.

"Each month we continue to increase how many we order, and each month we continue to sell out," he said.

Keister said that other highly popular magazines include Maxim, Sports Illustrated and People.

"We've also seen a large increase of sales for People in Spanish," Keister added. But the magazine failed to make either list.

Men's magazines like Maxim, Gear and Stuff have seen the largest growth in sales according to College Store Executive.

Jim Herman (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said, "Maxim's intelligent articles and flashy photos appeal to me because of the magazine's ability to understand its target market."

He added, "Although it may seem trashy by some, its writings are worthwhile and often very intelligent. Plus the chicks are hot!"

However, the most popular category remains women's lifestyle.

At Penn State, Glamour placed fourth on the list and Mademoiselle ranked ninth.

In addition, College Store Executive notes that despite the surge of Internet usage throughout college campuses, students are still picking up magazines.

"I don't feel the Internet has played a role in how frequently I buy magazines. I think it's much more convenient to have a magazine show up at my door or pick one up at the store than to have to search through a Web site," said Leah Benedict (sophomore-public relations).

"Also, when I read a magazine, it's usually something I want to do as I relax and curl up on my couch, not behind a computer screen," Benedict said.

Other titles that rounded out the top favorites at Penn State included Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, New Yorker, ESPN: The Magazine and Business Week.