The International Student Experience

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Hi! I am Shruti, a sophomore in chemical engineering and an international student at Purdue. I am here to tell you a bit about my life here and also some tips you may need as an international student. I talked to some of my international friends and made a list which I hope would help international students like you!


Culture differences

All my life, I have lived in India and Hong Kong. When I first visited the United States, I was a little surprised to see that the serving size of food was much bigger than I expected. The side salad was something I could have eaten as my main dish. Generally speaking, the food was also a lot more cheesy and sweet than what I was used to but it was pretty tasty. 

One more thing which could be confusing is the bus system. I am not sure if the bus systems where you live are the same as Purdue but I am used to buses stopping at every stop, being extremely frequent and being punctual. That is not the case at Purdue. The buses can be slightly delayed and frequent every 30 minutes or so. The Silver loop and the Gold Loop - the two buses you will use the most to travel from the residential side of campus to the academic one - frequent the stops every 15 minutes. You also need to wave at the bus to get it to stop at your stop. Sometimes, they do stop if they see a person but it is always better to be alert and wave at the bus. If you are inside the bus, you need to pull a chain to ensure the bus stops at your destination. They usually announce it and display it but if you are on your phone and playing loud music, it is easy to miss the announcements. I tend to listen to music on the bus but keep checking the display to see how far my stop is. 

In terms of communication, people here in West Lafayette and Purdue are pretty friendly. So I definitely encourage you to go out and start by saying hi to others who live on your floor. It can be hard to make friends if you don’t leave your room. But if you are still finding it difficult to meet people then you can try joining organizations such as WIEP and or Minority in Engineering program societies. Purdue also has several cultural centres (here) international organizations (here) which you can join.


[Tip: Download the CityBus app! It is more accurate than Google Maps because it shows you the real time location of each bus.]


Social life 

At university, your friends are your family. And yes, some of you may say it is easier said than done. I believe you have to put yourself out there - the easiest way is to strike a conversation with the person sitting next to you in class and or join one of the gazillion clubs that Purdue has to offer. I definitely recommend Global house trans-national learning community which fosters community building, a sense of belonging and meaningful intercultural interactions between inter
national and domestic students. You can find out more here. In addition, Purdue also has several events going on at any given time. Feel free to visit one or more of them and meet new people. 


[Tip: I met a few of my closest friends through the WIEP Mentors and Mentees program. This program is a great way to connect with fellow women in engineering students including FYE students and upperclassmen in your potential engineers.] 


Academics

At university, a lot of students experience difficulties in keeping up with their studies, especially because university education can be a lot different than your high school education system. A couple of key resources are your Professors and advisors. They are there to help and guide you so don’t be afraid to go up to them and ask questions. Additionally, most FYE classes and mathematics courses also have Supplemental Instruction sessions and or tutors. If you ever need academic help, they would be great places to start especially if you are not used to the main teaching styles offered here. You can find the teaching style and study techniques that work the best for you by attending office hours, supplemental instruction and TA hours. WIEP events let you socialise and meet people from your same majors so if you are ever looking for a study group and to make more friends, WIEP events are good places to go! 


[Tip: Try to attend your Professor’s Office hours and or TA hours!]


Food 

I honestly love food so this section is going to be a bit long. The dining courts have plenty of good food options including but not limited to pizzas, pastas, salads, desserts, ice cream and make your own pizza/taco/burrito (in some places). The menu changes every day which is pretty nice and doesn’t get boring. The dining courts also try to have international cuisines from time to time. There are also retail dining options where you can use your meal plan such as Chick-fil-A, Panera bread, Qdoba, Jersey Mike’s, Sushi Boss on campus. There is a wide range of options that your Purdue meal plan allows you. 

But if you ever get tired of having dining court food, Purdue has a range of restaurants offering delicious international cuisines nearby. I haven’t been able to cover all the awesome food, cuisines and restaurants near Lafayette but I thought this list might help you if you ever crave anything other than the dining hall food. And from what I have heard, the food is great!

  • Strings (ramen)

  • Yatagarasu (ramen)

  • Taste of India (Indian)

  • Dakshin (Indian)

  • Noodles and Company

  • Blaze (Chinese)

  • Peppercorn’s Kitchen (Chinese)

  • Happy China (Chinese)

  • Thai Basil (Thai)

  • Oishi restaurant (Chinese)

  • Poke Hibachi

  • Green Leaf Vietnamese Cuisine (Vietnamese)

  • Bánh mì Eatery (Vietnamese)

  • Damso Korean Restaurant (Korean)

  • Kimchi Korean Restaurant (Korean)

  • Blue Nile (Mediterranean)

  • Sichuan House (Chinese)

  • Rice Cafe (Chinese)

  • Fiesta Mexican Grill (Mexican)

  • La hacienda del sol Mexican restaurant (Mexican)

  • Hala’s Grill (Mediterranean)

  • Latea

  • Kung Fu tea

  • Tsaocaa


[Tip: If you become a member of Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers, you can get a 10% discount at some of these restaurants]

Now, being an international student is not always easy because of all the culture differences, new environment, new country and a different education system. At first, everything may seem different, lonely, scary and you may get homesick A LOT. And that’s perfectly fine. There are some things you will definitely miss at university, especially when you are far away from home. But university is pretty fun! You get to meet new, diverse people coming from various walks of life! And learn about what you love!


I hope this blog helped in understanding a little more about international student experience here at Purdue!


Shruthi Irap, ChE'24

Recruitment Project Committee


Stay Connected With Purdue WIEP!

Facebook: Purdue Women in Engineering

Twitter: @purduewiep 

Instagram: @purduewiep

Blog: purduewiep.blogspot.com

Email: welink@purdue.edu




Purdue Women in Engineering

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