First-Year Engineering Classes

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 First-Year Engineering Classes
            Looking ahead to classes next fall may seem overwhelming and even scary; but I am here to give you a sneak peek into what your freshmen year classes may look like. Since you come into Purdue as an undeclared engineering major, your first semester classes are going to be a lot about figuring out what major is right for you. So here is a little bit about the main classes you’ll take during your freshmen year:
LT Megan and Allison in front of their favorite
engineering building :)
Engineering 131/132: Unless you are in EPICS or the honors college, this will be the first engineering class all Purdue Engineers take. This class operates with a flipped classroom approach, meaning you watch lectures and take notes outside of class, so that class time can be spent working in teams. From the start of the semester, you will be placed in a 4-person engineering team, whom you will sit with and complete the majority of your projects with. These projects vary from excel based to hands-on, all following the multi-step engineering design process. A current Purdue engineer recalls that “my biggest takeaway from this class was how to further my problem-solving skills” (Alyssa Lee, IE ’19). Another student explained this course as “a great class to learn excel, even if you have no experience, and a great overall experience learning to work in groups of diverse people” (Sarah Bell, ABE ’19).

*Engineering 133: If you are a part of EPICS, you will take this engineering class that combines the concepts of engineering 131 and 132 into one semester. The format of engineering 133 is very similar to engineering 131/132 in that it takes on a flipped classroom and a 4-person engineering team approach for the entirety of the semester. The class meets twice a week as a 2-hour lecture, where you will spend the majority of time working hands on with your projects. One student explains “I took this class because it put me on an epics team where I am able to gain real world design experience” (Cece Maginot, CE ’21). Plus, as an added bonus, “I was shocked how positive job recruiters are when seeing and hearing about EPICS”(Marya Redmond EEE ’20).

Chemistry/Physics: Chemistry and physics are the two-core science classes required for first year engineering students. Typically, students split them up and take one each semester. The format of both classes is fairly similar with a larger lecture setting 3 times a week and then a classroom size lab and recitation once a week. Recitation for each class is where you work through problems in groups and review material covered in lecture. A cool thing about each class is the use of I-Clickers in lecture. I-Clickers look like remote controls for a TV and include four buttons with the letters A-D. During class, professors will ask questions and each student can respond with the I-Clicker to stay engaged and test themselves on what they just learned. When asked about both courses, WE Link LT Brittany explained how “the labs were an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other STEM majors and apply the material learned in class” (Brittany Allen, IE’20). As a whole, unless you test out with AP credit prepare for engaging and challenging classes within chemistry and physics.


Math: No matter what level math class you start in at Purdue, you can guarantee taking one math class each semester your freshmen year. Somewhat similar to the layout of chemistry, all math classes have three lectures a week and one recitation in a smaller classroom setting. During these recitations, you will learn how to solve problems with a different approach from that learned in lecture and have the chance to test your knowledge with a weekly quiz. Reflecting back on her math classes, student Brooke Walsh explains how she “learned more material than in high school and this surprised [her] in a good way because it is providing a strong basis for future classes” (Brooke Walsh)


 English/Communications: Although not directly engineering related, all freshmen engineers are required to take a semester of English and a semester of communications. The English class takes place in a small classroom setting and includes group discussion, a research paper, and various other projects. Typically, this is one of the less challenging freshmen year classes, but still offers a lot of learnings for growing engineers. In a similar sense, communications class takes place in a small classroom environment and includes individual and team presentations. After successfully completing the course, one student explains how “all of our assignments kept in mind that the class was preparation for giving presentations in a professional engineering setting” (Gabby Selvia, ABE ’21). Again, although the curriculum is not as challenging as some of the core math and science classes, it still teaches students key presentation skills which come into play later within the workplace.

Even though the transition to college can be scary, Purdue’s classes are engaging and created to help you succeed as an engineer. Plus, Purdue offers a plethora of support and help resources to ensure that you can make it through your freshmen year with a bit of hard work and persistence! If you have any questions about the classes discussed above or what a freshmen year semester typically looks like, feel free to reach out, as we would be more than happy to help!


-Written by WE Link LT Megan Tandarich

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