Reflection of First-Year Engineering & Switching Engineering Majors

By -

Ever since I was little, I was in love with space and stars, I found anything outside of our planet to be so fascinating. As I got older, I realized that I could turn that passion for space into a career, with Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (AAE). That dream of mine continued to grow, and I was the kind of kid that by the age of ten I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Or so I thought. 

Coming to Purdue for first year engineering, I originally looked at it as only a stepping stone that I had to take to get me into AAE. Some students come knowing that first year is a great way to see what engineering discipline they actually want to go into. But I figured I knew and didn’t need it.

As the first year classes went on, we spent a lot of time exploring the other disciplines within the college of engineering. We had videos, information sessions, and more to help us really learn about the vast number of disciplines that were offered. I remember not wanting to do anything that wasn’t related to AAE, but thankfully it was a requirement to look at multiple disciplines. During that time, I was looking more into civil engineering. I found it really interesting, and as I learned more, I kept thinking that was something that I really wanted to do.

But my stubbornness got the best of me. Even though by the end of the classes I really liked the civil discipline, and even though there were some things in AAE that I was no longer sure I wanted to do, I still followed what I thought my dream always was and went into AAE.

Now I am here at the end of my first semester in the AAE discipline, but I have officially switched to Civil and will be starting it this upcoming semester. While I wish I had listened to my gut after all that I learned in first year engineering, I am thankful to my advisors, and other faculty at Purdue that have helped me transition to something that will be a much better fit for me. With that I will leave you with a couple pieces of advice when it comes to choosing your major, and if it comes to it, changing it later on:


1. Trust the First Year Engineering Process

Purdue has set up a great system for helping students in engineering choose their discipline. Take the time in these courses to really learn about the majors, and really try to learn what will be the best fit for you. It’s ok if by the end of the process you feel yourself gravitating to a major that you didn’t originally think was going to be for you. That’s the point of the first year classes, to make you learn and understand the engineering disciplines in a new way. 

2. Talk to Your Advisors and Other Faculty

The faculty are here to help you. They have a lot of experience working with students to make sure they end up in a spot that is going to get them where they are meant to be. It’s great to reach out and talk to them as soon as questions arise. That way they can help guide you during the first year engineering process, and hopefully avoid switching in later years. But still, if you are in your discipline, and realize you aren’t so sure anymore, still reach out to the faculty as they can still really help guide you through that process. Some great faculty to reach out to besides your advisors, are professors themselves, they know a lot about the field they are in and can help you see if that career would fit for you. The staff in the Women in Engineering Program office are also great people to ask, they are always willing to help out, or get you connected with those who can.

3. Don’t be Afraid to Change Your Mind

At the end of the day, you are making a decision that plays a big role in your future. You want to make sure that you end up where you feel the best and in a major that will get you to where you want to go. Every experience we go through can help us grow and may change where you want to end up. So, if you are like me, and realize that you think a different discipline is where you are actually meant to be, don’t be afraid to take that step. It may seem scary to change your mind, but it is possible, and it will be so rewarding once you realize you are where you are meant to be. 

 

Alena Megregian, Civil Engineering '24

WE Link Leadership Team

 

Stay Connected With Purdue WIEP!

Facebook: Purdue Women in Engineering

Twitter: @purduewiep 

Instagram: @purduewiep

Blog: purduewiep.blogspot.com

Email: welink@purdue.edu



Use the hashtag #PurdueWIEP on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

 

 

Purdue Women in Engineering

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Purdue Housing

By -
Image
One of the many concerns incoming freshmen have is what to do regarding their housing options. In addition to the roommate selection process, you may be interested in seeing your on-campus options in terms of amenities and the communities available within the building. For example, when I accepted my admission to Purdue as a freshman, I knew I was interested in a standard double that I had experienced at a summer college program. To ensure my University Residences housing, I applied to Vertically Integrated Projects so that I would be able to pursue a research project as a freshman while also guaranteeing my housing within Earhart Hall through the connected learning community. For more information on learning communities, read our previous blog! Many freshmen will live in a residence hall, even if they are not in a specific learning community. Now, as a Resident Assistant or RA in Earhart Hall, I have been trained on the term “residence hall”; our halls go beyond a traditional “dormito
Read more

Top 10 Extracurriculars Purdue Students Want You to Join Outside of Engineering

By -
Image
1. Purdue University Dance Marathon (PUDM):  The biggest student-run organization on campus! You can join as a dancer, where you get to fundraise leading up to the 18-hour long event or be even more involved and join a committee! Some of the committees include Riley Relations, where you fundraise to sponsor events for the Riley families throughout the year & are paired with a Riley family for the night of the event, Special Events Committee, where you organize 5K’s and other events around campus throughout the year, and so much more! 2. Boiler Gold Rush (BGR):  Whether it be as a new student, a team leader (TL), or even a Supervisor, there are so many ways to get involved with BGR! This week-long event is held the week before classes start in August. As a new student, it is your first chance to meet your new colleagues and participate in many games, fountain runs, and other fun activities throughout the week. It is also a great way to familiarize yourself with the campus an
Read more

A very (sub)objective review of dining options at Purdue

By -
Image
Jenn and her friends after the Thankgiving dinner Food is an integral part of our day. For some people, the very first thing they do in the morning is eat breakfast. I personally prefer my cup of coffee to a stack of waffles. Nonetheless, food has the power to pick up a bad mood, enhance a good mood, and even ease the stress you are feeling about exams and homework. The awareness I have of how food impacts my mood is recently found since I started college in August. at home I usually came home to my mom or dad making something delicious in the crockpot. Suddenly I arrive at college and there are so many options that it can get overwhelming at times to figure out what to eat. Navigating the dining options at college did not seem like something I should have been worried about, yet it was something that took a month of experimenting to perfect.  The key is knowing where to go and what is consistent. I decided to help you out and give you some insight into how I view each dining option on
Read more