Your Concerns about Purdue: Debunked!

Have you yet to decide which college you will be attending in the fall? The decision date is just around the corner, and we are here to tell you why Purdue is the perfect place for you! When considering where to go to college, there are some common concerns that many people have. Our volunteers, women who are currently studying engineering at Purdue, helped us to address those concerns:

1.     Finances Concern: "Purdue is too expensive."

If you did not receive a scholarship to attend Purdue, don’t panic! There are many opportunities for scholarships once you arrive at Purdue. There are merit based scholarships offered through each Engineering discipline, leadership based scholarships offered through different organizations (such as Women in Engineering Program), and many more scholarship opportunities (http://www.purdue.edu/dfa/types-of-aid/free-money/scholarships.html). Additionally, studying engineering at Purdue opens up many doors for high paying internships and co-ops which will allow you to make money while you are earning your degree. Lastly, it is possible to apply for need based scholarships and loans after you arrive at Purdue.

2.     Size Concern: "Purdue has too many students, I will be “just a number”."

Based on your involvement, you will always end up finding your niche, becoming friends with groups of people who share your interests. Because Purdue is a large school, there are more opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. You can make a big school as small as you want, but you cannot make a small school bigger. The beginning of freshmen year offers so many opportunities to make friends right off the bat. Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) is the orientation program for freshmen, and it is an awesome way to start making connections. If you living in the dorms, the RAs plan many floor events, so it is very easy to meet and make friends with the rest of your hall. First year engineering classes are team based, so class becomes a small environment and you really get to know those around you. Also, once you transition into your specific engineering discipline, the class size becomes smaller and you will know many people in each of your classes. The large lectures (such as calculus or chemistry) have a breakout recitation section, which is the size of a high school class. This section is a great way to ask questions, but to also get to know others in the class.

A group of WE Link Volunteers
Joining an organization is a great way to make campus smaller!

3.     Campus Size Concern: "Purdue is too big and spread out."

Purdue’s campus is very organized with the residential buildings grouped on one side of campus and the academic buildings on the other side. Campus may seem big, but trust me, after only 1-2 weeks, you will be fully adjusted. There are many apps that are available for download that will help you navigate during your first week or two on campus. For iPhone, Purdue Boiler Up is a very useful app and for Android, Purdue by Pluto is a very useful app. Also, a helpful trick is to walk to all of your classes before the first day so you know where everything is. Compared to other large schools, Purdue’s campus is actually very condensed. The engineering mall groups of the engineering buildings together, so many of your classes will be very close together. Also, the bus loops are very helpful and run often from the dorms to the academic buildings (specifically the Silver Loop).

4.     Student Environment Concern: "Students are competitive, not collaborative."

It is a common misconception that engineering students are very competitive and do not collaborate with each other. This is not the case at Purdue. Group work is very common and the academic atmosphere is very friendly. Students are preoccupied with their individual grades of course, but they do not work to sabotage other student’s grades. You’ll often find groups of engineers at the library, working together to help each other understand certain concepts. Living in an engineering learning community is a great example of the collaborative community at Purdue.

5.     First Year Engineering (FYE) Concern: "I don’t know which discipline I want to study."

The First Year Engineering program at Purdue gives you the time to explore all of the engineering disciplines Purdue has to offer. Groups from each discipline organize events targeted at freshmen to help you learn more about the plan of study, the potential internship opportunities, the different career paths, etc. Throughout your freshman year, you will have the opportunity to talk with upper classmen and learn from their experiences. Your discipline decision does not happen until midway through second semester freshmen year, so you have plenty of time to explore all of the possibilities. In addition, there are seminars available for freshmen to take during their first semester, such as ENGR 194 (Women in Engineering Seminar). These 1 credit hour seminars offer advice regarding discipline choice and help you to network with upperclassmen and current professionals so that you can make an informed decision. 

WE Link LT Abby and Brittany at Grissom Hall, the Industrial Engineering building. Purdue helped them choose their discipline!

Have any other questions or concerns? Our team is here to help! Email us at welink@purdue.edu with any and all of your questions!

-Abby Trusler

WE Link LT