4 Common Concerns Debunked

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Now more than ever before, the college decision process can bring up some key concerns. I’ve compiled a list of some of the concerns that my fellow women in engineering had about Purdue before coming here. More importantly, however, there are some concerns that can be addressed in order to avoid an issue.  Even more aspects of the college experience that prospective students worry about are found to be benefits once they are on campus.

1.       Concern: Purdue has so many students, and I don’t want to feel like I’m just a number.
Truth: Purdue creates communities to make it feel like a smaller school.
              By joining student organizations, living learning communities, intramurals, or other involvements, it’s easy to find a group of people to connect with.  When it comes to classes, those with big lectures tend to also have a smaller recitation as an opportunity to more easily ask questions in a room of about 25 people instead of 200.  Professors are approachable during office hours, and Purdue faculty really shows that they want each student to succeed. There are so many opportunities and experiences like sporting events, career fairs, and networking that are more enriching because Purdue is a large school, and it’s easier to make Purdue feel small than it is to find those unique & larger-scale opportunities at a small school.

2.       Concern: Purdue is more expensive than the other schools I’m considering.
Truth: There are great opportunities for Purdue students to offset the cost of tuition.
              Once you get into your engineering discipline, there are scholarships available that you can qualify for with good academic and extracurricular performance.  There are also many outside scholarships available online. Purdue has so many resources available to find well-paying internships and co-ops that can help offset the cost of tuition, and it’s also very reasonable for students to find on-campus jobs and paid research experience.    

3.       Concern: I won’t like the weather in Indiana.
Truth: You get to experience all four seasons!
              Purdue’s campus has different and exciting experiences in each season.  In summer, you can go on a fountain run throughout campus or get lunch at the farmer’s market that comes to Memorial Mall.  For me, nothing beats fall at Purdue. There are fun football games at Ross-Ade Stadium, and there’s a corn maze right next door in Lafayette.  When it comes to winter, students band together to celebrate traditions like sledding down Slayter Hill, and there is an outdoor ice rink in West Lafayette.  Finally, warmer days in the spring bring students to spend more time outside, hammocking near the engineering fountain or walking to get a Den Pop.



4.       Concern: I feel unprepared for engineering since I didn’t get experience in engineering or coding in high school.
Truth: Purdue’s First-Year Engineering (FYE) program is designed for students to succeed.
              If you’ve been admitted to Purdue engineering, then you are qualified to study engineering at Purdue! First-Year Engineering professors know that students come in with a wide range of experiences, and they provide tutorials and resources for everyone to be successful.  There are also supplemental instruction sessions for most FYE classes for students to dive deeper into the topics covered in lectures that week, and there are many opportunities available for tutoring help, like the free tutoring offered by the Women in Engineering Program. I found these resources to be valuable in the transition to college, and I found that the community and collaboration among engineering students continued to help me find success in pursuing my engineering degree.

After considering the concerns I had about Purdue, I found that the quality of the engineering degree, professional support opportunities, and collaboration & community between students on campus (and now, even away from campus) far outweighed any of the things I was worried about. I hope you'll feel the same way. 

Brittany Allen IE '20
WE Link Leadership Team

As always, if you have any concerns or questions about Purdue, engineering, or Women in Engineering, please email us at welink@purdue.edu.

Stay Connected With Purdue WIEP!
Twitter: @purduewiep 
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Email: welink@purdue.edu

Purdue Women in Engineering

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