Reflection of First-Year Engineering & Switching Engineering Majors

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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

 

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Purdue Women in Engineering

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