The Engineering Experience

With gratitude for the people and experiences I found at Purdue, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of the perspectives that helped me to find joy and personal development throughout my college experience. Brittany during her freshman year in 2016 (top) and graduating in 2020 (bottom) Change is inevitable – try to make the most of it. I still distinctly remember the sinking feeling I had moving into my room in Shreve freshman year that things would never be the same.  While I was excited about what Purdue had to offer, I was terrified of this life-changing moment. I was going to have to make new friends; I wouldn’t be living with my family. It seemed like the end of an era, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.  However, time goes on whether you allow it to or not. I knew that whether I started making my home at Purdue or not, that life was changing and I needed to accept it. Remembering that moment has helped me so much with this unusual graduation and life transition...

Before coming to Purdue, I wasn’t sure exactly where I would best fit in, or if engineering was even right for me. Luckily, the First-Year Engineering program -- what I believe truly sets Purdue apart from other colleges -- helped me realize that I enjoyed engineering and that mechanical engineering was my passion. Outside of class, I quickly found my home in the Women in Engineering Program’s recruitment team, called WE Link. I was able to join the leadership team the second semester of my freshman year, which provided so much leadership experience and a close-knit network early-on in my collegiate career. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my internships, other extra-curricular and closest friends all somehow arised from WE Link, and I will always be ever grateful to Purdue WIEP for giving me an outlet to grow! After graduating in 2019 , I started full-time at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana as a Tech Engineer in the Assembly Frame Department. My group is responsible for desig...

  Marisa Hughes, Biomedical Engineering Spring 2020 Graduate Ask your own questions Everyone has their own way of learning and remembering material. In high school, I was able to retain material with minimal studying because of the small class sizes and comfort level with asking questions. After coming to college and having most of my classes in large lecture halls, it took me a while to gain the confidence to ask questions and learn the study habits that worked best for me. However, I quickly learned that once I started asking more questions in class when I didn’t fully understand material, I saw an increase in my grades. Often times your peers who have the same question benefit from the explanation as well! I would urge any future engineering students to take the initiative to ask your own questions in class. Your TAs and Professors are your best sources for learning. Leave room in your schedule for things you enjoy Balance is everything, especially once you enter ...

Purdue boasts a number of traditions for students to take part in during their four years. From the Big Bass Drum to the annual Spring Fest, there are so many opportunities to take part in during four years as a Purdue student! I’ve included five of my favorite traditions that I recommend every Purdue student takes part in. Purdue's campus is home to a number of Purdue Traditions! Image courtesy of Purdue Global Engineering Programs ( https://engineering.purdue.edu/GEP/Partnerships ) Fountain Runs Fountain runs are a student favorite tradition at Purdue. These runs primarily take place in the fall at the beginning of the school year. Students run through the fountains on campus, including Loeb fountain, Memorial fountain, the lion’s head fountain, and the engineering fountain. Fountain runs are a great way to bond with friends and become familiar with the campus! Some of the stops even have their own traditions associated with them. For example, it is said that it is go...