Life as an International Student: Dina Abdulaal

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Who are you?

My name is Dina Abdulaal. I am from Saudi Arabia and I am a junior pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Purdue University.

 What are your career goals?

Whenever I tell people I Saudi Arabian, I usually get the question "Why Purdue?” The answer is simply the following: engineering. As an innovator and entrepreneur my ultimate goal is to leave a mark with a positive social impact. For example, purchasing a certain type of car can help paint someone’s personality. Even utilizing an iphone inherently creates exclusivity through iMessage chats. These types of social impacts by technology never seize to amaze me! I hope to leave a similar impact through product development and social entrepreneurship.

How did you adjust to living so far away from home?

Many people do not even realize that I am studying abroad because I have managed to assimilate well into the West Lafayette culture. I remember my first journey from home all the way to campus. It truly was a mission. I had to fly from Dammam to Doha, Doha to Philadelphia, then Philadelphia to Indianapolis. Then I had to take a shuttle all the way to campus. My first surprise was in the shuttle—I did not expect endless rows of corn fields. However, we eventually made it to campus and the view of corn fields waned into a picturesque sight of a small-town American university campus.

Being away from home was overall a stress-free and good experience for me, partly because I participated in activities like Boiler Gold Rush (BGR). Doing BGR teaches you about Boilermaker pride and traditions like fountain runs and the Hello Walk. I really think traditions like these help form a bond to the university and somehow makes it a homey place. This is not the case for everyone, but it was for me due to my mindset. I was very excited to not only meet people from everywhere but also to be highly involved on campus. 
I also made the decision to join Phi Sigma Rho, the Engineering and Engineering Tech Sorority. They introduced me to the fascinating corn mazes of Lafayette. This way I managed to find a family away from home way before the homesickness hit. 


Even though I have cultivated many relationships within Phi Sigma Rho and Purdue generally, that sometimes still is not enough. Being homesick is a feeling that comes as an accessory with studying abroad. Nevertheless, I have some advice to tackle homesickness.

1.     Find your “spot(s)” at Purdue. I have quite a few: The WALC and Hicks are great places to get in the study zone. Greyhouse is also great if you need relaxed environment. Whenever I am craving a homey dish I tend to go to Blue Nile for a treat
2.     Join student organizations where you can meet people from/near back home. For example, I joined Purdue Arab Society just for kicks. It is always a good way to meet people you can bond easily with over your shared culture.
3.     Find a day where you can catch up with friends and family over Skype. I find that is spiritually refreshing to catchup with loved ones every once in a while.


What are your favorite things about Mechanical Engineering Program?

I love that we get to make a hammer in the machine shop. Although the program is challenging, there are many resources available:
1.     Supplemental Instruction: this is kind of like an additional hour you can attend for a class. They are student led sessions where you will play a game or be given a worksheet to further master the material currently being provided in class.
2.     Office hours: my advice is to learn to utilize office hours sooner than later. They are good because you will become well acquainted with professors and they can give you one-on-one instruction if you need it.
3.     Tutorial rooms: this is a super convenient commodity. It is great because you can work with other students from class on the same problems, and if you need help, you can ask the teaching assistant in the room!

Another big thing that drew me to Purdue University is its ranking. Mechanical Engineering is ranked number 6 in the country and 19 worldwide. As a result, opportunities will come to you. Purdue University also houses opportunities I would have never had access to back home. Last semester, I got the opportunity to be a Marketing Intern at Deaf Kids Code to raise funds for the translation of Khan Academy Programming Videos from English to American Sign Language. I was also introduced to a passion of mine—entrepreneurship—at Startup Weekend Purdue.

Would you recommend other international students to go to Purdue?

Yes. 10/10 would recommend Purdue University. There are too many opportunities here and Midwestern culture is always so welcoming! 

Boiler Up!

-Dina Abdulaal
ME 2019
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