5 Reasons Why First Year Engineering is Your Path to Success

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Purdue University’s Engineering program has many unique features including its exceptional professors, invaluable resources, passionate students and more. One specific aspect that stands out is the First-Year Engineering (FYE) program. Students admitted to the College of Engineering complete this program in which they enroll in a common curriculum of core classes before transitioning into their preferred engineering discipline for their sophomore year. In this way, Purdue stands out from other universities who have their students dive right into their majors. Here are 5 benefits of partaking in the First Year Engineering program:


1. Understand your Options Before you Choose

Choosing your major is one of the most monumental decisions made in our careers, so the choice must be made thoughtfully. However, the common core classes you take in high school may not provide sufficient experience and knowledge of career choices to help you decide. This is a major reason why First-Year Engineering can help you make the right decision to ensure a happy future in the right field. Throughout the year, you will be offered countless opportunities to go to presentations and interest sessions to explore each major. You can acquaint yourself with staff and students in those departments to understand various perspectives and environments. Moreover, in our engineering classes, projects are often based on different engineering disciplines, allowing us to see real-world applications those majors could have. All of these wonderful resources allow students to make educated decisions about their careers. 

2. Find your Passions and Interests

As students have to complete the common first-year curriculum which consists of various science, math, engineering and communication classes; they have the opportunity to revisit certain subjects they may have emphasized less during high school. These experiences can help students discover certain unexpected passions in subjects that they haven’t explored in a while. For example, I thought I hated physics based on my experience from taking 9th grade physics. After revisiting the subject as a first-year in college, I realized the material can click for me and be super interesting, so I was more excited to do more physics-related classes. Therefore, the FYE program acts as a period of reflection during which students can evaluate their strengths and interests so that they can properly navigate the rest of their college experience and career. 


3. Build a Solid Foundation

One of the main requirements of the FYE curriculum is to take engineering classes in which students learn about data analysis, team work, generating innovative models and much more. The information taught in these classes is invaluable and their applications are plenty. For example, certain engineering courses take the time to teach students about the functions in excel and how to use the tool to analyze sets of data. While most people understand how to work excel more or less, the in-depth review you do in the engineering classes cements these skills which will definitely be utilized in any office space or lab that you will find yourself in. Overall, FYE instills a lot of skills that will be instrumental for our careers but specialized classes may not necessarily have the time to focus on. 

4. Work in Diverse Groups

Once you graduate and enter into the real world, you will probably find yourself working in teams of people who come from various backgrounds with different disciplines and strengths. The FYE program gives you many opportunities to gain experience of working in such diverse groups. In engineering class, you will likely work in teams with FYE students who are aspiring to enter into different departments. In other core classes, you may even work with students outside of the engineering department. Working in diverse groups highlights various strengths of each group member, which allows people to learn from each other and fosters innovation. It’s also a great opportunity to make friends with different interests that you may not have usually met. 


5. Adjust to the College Experience

The shift from high school to college can definitely be drastic and require some adjusting. FYE is a great time to adapt to these changes. Taking general courses that you already have some experience in allows for a smoother transition. It allows you to focus on other important aspects of the college experience than just homework and studying. You can understand what kind of schedule works for you (morning classes or afternoon classes), how to form relationships with professors, find your favorite study spots and more. When you enter into your actual major, you can start strong as you are much more prepared for the college experience ahead of you.  

Aikya Chirra, BME ‘23
Leadership Team Member

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Instagram: @purduewiep
Email: welink@purdue.edu

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Purdue Women in Engineering

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