Finding Your Community at Purdue

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Like many people, I came to Purdue with only a few people from my graduating class after going to school with the same people since kindergarten. I wasn’t sure how I would find new friends at such a big school. I quickly found however that everyone else also had those nervous butterflies, whether they had moved 20 minutes down the road or halfway around the globe, and I learned that Purdue cares deeply about students' sense of belonging! Here are a few ways I found helped me find my people on campus.

Boiler Gold Rush (BGR)

BGR is Purdue’s unique orientation experience. I have been a part of BGR as both a new student and a Team Leader, and both of my experiences have brought truly amazing people into my life. During BGR, students are placed in groups based on their residence halls and led around campus for a week of fun traditions, informational sessions, and intentional conversations. It’s a fun and easy way to get to know people in the same boat as you when you step on campus, and it helps shake out a lot of new student nerves!

Residence Halls and Learning Communities

Residence halls also make for a great place to make new friends since they are the people you will be living with and seeing every day! Most floors and residence halls put on events to build a sense of community. One of my favorites from last year was when we watched Barbie movies and made friendship bracelets! Learning communities, such as the WIEP residential program in Meredith South, are also beneficial because you can walk out of your room and find people working on the same homework problems as you at any time of the day. It’s a good way to make friends in your classes and form study groups.

Classes 

You’re going to be spending a lot of time with people in your classes and in your major, so why not get to know them! Teamwork is such a large part of engineering degrees at Purdue, and getting to know people on your teams outside of class can lead to fun friendships and a better project experience. I still go on runs and have meals with friends from my first year engineering groups, and classes are often more enjoyable when you have a friendly face in them.

Office Hours and Study Groups

One day at engineering office hours, I sat with a group of students I had never met before, and flash forward to a year later they are some of my closest friends! Working through complex physics and coding problems is definitely a bonding experience. Office hours and study groups are a good way to make friends in your major that can help support you throughout your academic career! 

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are a fun way to meet people with similar passions as you! They give you a chance to explore your interests in and outside of your major. There are over 1,000 student organizations at Purdue ranging from technical project-based groups to fun social ones like pet-a-puppy club! A lot of callouts and information sessions happen at the beginning of the school year, so it’s a good way to get to know upperclassmen in the groups, as well as fellow new students interested in similar topics!

As always, if you have questions, comments, or want to find out more about finding your community, don't hesitate to reach out via our social media or email.

Ella Richardson, ME '25

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

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