Dear Olivia: Sisterly Advice on Engineering at Purdue

After all of that hard work in high school, you did it and got into Purdue Engineering. The transition from high school to college can be a tricky time, but with some sisterly advice from someone who has been in your shoes not too long ago, you’ll thrive here. Here are my four best tips on that transition.

Olivia, my younger sister who is an incoming first year engineering student this fall.

Believe in yourself!

Engineering can definitely be a daunting major, as I personally was really nervous about going into engineering as an incoming student. It was strange for me to go from an environment where everything came naturally to me to one where I had to work a little harder outside of the classroom to truly understand the concepts. This was a hard adjustment to make, as it seemed like everyone around me knew what was going on. But the more I got to know my classmates, the more I realized how similar they were to me and that we all were feeling the same way. It is important to remember that you are here for a reason and that you earned your spot here at Purdue like everyone else. The collaborative nature of First-Year Engineering (FYE) helped me learn this lesson, as my teammates and I worked to lift each other up by playing on each of our own individual strengths. By succeeding and feeling good about the work that I did, I felt more confident in my abilities to succeed. Developing a support system is essential in college, as the knowledge that you have people to rely and depend on no matter what can make the difference.

Follow your heart!

Whether you are a first-year student or a week from graduation, the future is both exciting and scary. Sometimes it can feel like there is a lot of pressure to follow the exact plan you made for yourself as an excited high school senior, but it’s important to remember that sometimes plans change and that is okay. Part of the beauty of the first-year engineering program here at Purdue is that you do not have to be decided on your engineering discipline and it’s common for people to come in undecided on a discipline or for people to change their discipline. The FYE program helped me realize that civil engineering was the path for me and helped me to eliminate some of the other engineering disciplines I was considering, as it gave me a chance to explore them and rule them out as possibilities.

There are so many choices to make while at school, and among other factors it is important to do things that make you happy. This can be applied to school, your career, your social life, you name it. There are only 24 hours in a day, and it’s important to spend those hours doing things you genuinely enjoy. Regardless of major, everyone needs breaks from school at times, and it’s important to find healthy outlets. Spend your non-school time doing things you enjoy, and remember it is important to take care of yourself too.

Find your community!

Making new friends at school can seem intimidating, but like I said, everyone is in the same boat. Luckily, Purdue provides many opportunities to meet people and make friends. I personally made a lot of my good friends here at Purdue from different organizations I am involved in on campus, along with my classes. Finding my community here on campus has helped make Purdue into a home and having that support system that I mentioned earlier has been essential to my success. Experiences on campus such as Boiler Gold Rush and resources such as my class’s Facebook page also helped me find friends here at Purdue. Like I mentioned earlier, that support system is important and building a solid one is even more important. You might not find that community or support system right away, but by putting yourself out there you will eventually find one.

Take advantage of the opportunities here!

One of the most exciting things about college is the opportunities you have here. Purdue provides so many amazing opportunities and experiences, and you should take advantage of as many as you can. This applies to pretty much anything here at school, in and out of the classroom. Take advantage of those professional opportunities, as Purdue has an extensive alumni network along with several connections to companies of all sizes that students can take advantage of.

From the social side of it, enjoy college. There are only so many home football and basketball games you can attend in your time here, and I suggest that you do your best to go to as many as you can. There are so many things to do and see here at Purdue inside and outside of the classroom, and I am really glad about my decision to continue my education here as there is never a dull moment here.



The most important lesson I have learned while being here is that Purdue is a family. This campus is full of some of the nicest people you will meet, and I know you will find your people and home here. There are so many great and exciting things waiting for you here as well, and you can and will do amazing things. I hope you are able to love this campus as much as I do, and I am so excited for you to join me in the fall here!

Emily Helmuth, Civil Engineering

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