Debunking Purdue Fears

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Deciding on a college to attend can be a tough decision, especially when there are so many diverse options. When settling on a college, there are a lot of things to consider, and concerns students may have. I had some of these concerns when looking at Purdue, but now I can confirm that a lot of these fears are just myths. Here are a few of these Purdue fears debunked:




Finances: “Purdue is too expensive!”

Even without receiving a scholarship from Purdue, there are plenty of scholarship opportunities out there! As an incoming freshman, I suggest looking into local scholarships through your community foundation or looking into scholarships online, as there are thousands of various scholarships out there. Once you start at Purdue, there are plenty of places to work here on campus. After freshman year, there are scholarships available in each engineering discipline here at Purdue and offered through various programs on campus (including WIEP). (More scholarship opportunities can be found here: https://www.purdue.edu/dfa/types-of-aid/free-money/scholarships.html .) Internships and co-ops are also available along with need-based scholarships and loans.


Student Size: “Purdue is too big, I’ll get lost in the crowd!”

Even with 40,000+ students, there are plenty of ways to make Purdue feel small. One way to do this is through clubs/extracurricular activities. During BGR (freshman orientation), there is a BeInvolved fair, where hundreds of clubs and student organizations around campus have booths. Joining a club is a great way to find people who share a similar interest to you. Another way to meet people is through BGR, as your group is typically comprised of people who live in your residence hall or resident halls near you. You can also connect with people who live in your residence hall through floor or hall events. Many classes in FYE are group based, such as lab classes and engineering ones, so there are chances to get to know others in this way. Once you transition into your major, you can make friends through these classes as they are typically smaller than your FYE classes.

Campus Size: “Purdue is so spread out; I’m going to get lost!”

The saying “there is a method to the madness” applies to Purdue’s campus. Everything is organized on academic campus, as the buildings are grouped by academic discipline. Apple maps and google maps are lifesavers when it comes to navigation. Bike paths are also extremely useful, as they are extremely navigable on bikes, scooters, rollerblades, etc. The buses are a great asset as well, as they are easily navigable on the CityBus app.

Student Environment: “Students are too competitive!”

This is a typical misconception many incoming freshmen have, but after arriving at Purdue you will see this is actually the opposite. In almost every FYE class, there some sort of a group work component. Especially in learning communities, it is common to see groups of engineering students studying together and working on projects together. Engineering students share the mindset that we are all in this together. There are also SI sessions and tutoring available for students in FYE classes.

Major concern: “I don’t know what engineering discipline I want to do.”

The First Year Engineering Program at Purdue gives students a chance to explore all of the disciplines here at Purdue. Freshmen can also attend the “Engineering Your Major” events for whichever disciplines they are interested in to learn more about each major and the different career paths. There are also seminars, such as the Women in Engineering seminar, ENGR 194, where students can listen to different speakers in different disciplines talk about what they do and how they got to where they are now. You can also meet upperclassmen in different engineering disciplines to see what they like about their major.


So despite all the misconceptions students may have while deciding on a school, many of them are simply just myths. Purdue is my happy place, and I know it can be yours too! Any other questions can be emailed to welink@purdue.edu.

Emily Helmuth, CE'25

WE Link Leadership Team

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