The Engineering Experience

Senior year of high school is such a busy time, but it is also an important year to live in the moment! It is your last year of high school, and for a lot of people, your last year with your family in your hometown. While it is important to put your best foot forward into your applications and schoolwork, it is also important to be intentional about enjoying your life. Don’t sacrifice your joy While your to-do list is often long between juggling college applications, school work, extracurriculars, and a social life, time management is such an important skill to learn! Sometimes, it’s important to put tasks aside and take time to do something that brings you joy. I spent Halloween night my junior year on my bedroom floor writing my common app essay, but this meant I missed out on a special night with my family. Be intentional with the people closest to you, whoever that may be! I’ve found that making time for joy will also help you be more motivated and productive when you do sit down t

No matter how far away from home you are, coming to a new place and starting over can be scary. Here’s a secret - everyone feels this way when they first start college. Despite these feelings of uncertainty, there are so many ways to make friends on campus. Here are a few of them: Talk to People in Your Classes As intimidating as it sounds, one of the easiest ways to make friends on campus is just to simply put yourself out there and talk to people. Especially in classes with other first year students, it's important to remember that everyone is new here. Getting to know the people around you in class is extremely helpful, as these are people you can work on homework with, attend office hours with, etc. Group projects in class are another way to get to talking to new people, especially in your ENGR 131, 132, 161 or 162 or EPICS class. In these classes especially, as you are in the same group all semester, so you get the opportunity to know your group well. Join Clubs and Organ

Something I wish I had known more about when coming to college was about how important university connections with companies were for your future. If it has always been your dream to be a scientist at NASA, work on developing cancer-fighting drugs at Eli Lilly, or create the next generation of electric vehicles at Tesla, Purdue is deeply connected with these companies that want to hire Purdue engineers. Every year, Purdue hosts a huge career fair called Industrial Roundtable (IR) where over 400 different companies are looking to recruit students for internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs. The sheer size of this event is a testament to how highly valued the education and degree of a Purdue engineer is! This year, IR looked a little different for me as I was able to sit on the other side of the recruiting table as an ambassador for the company where I interned this past summer. This change in perspective has really made me appreciate not only what these recruiters do but also the calibe

I just completed Purdue’s First Year Engineering program last semester. After two semesters of calculus, football games, and introductory engineering classes, I can still remember the stress of applying to college. It was not too long ago that the Common App opened for me, and I sat there staring at the screen. I remember not knowing where to start. Many unanswered questions running through my head. How do I show colleges my true potential through this application? When should I be finished applying to colleges? Where can I start applying for scholarships? With this blog, I hope to answer some of your questions. I know how overwhelming this process can be. I was in your shoes not too long ago. This is me visiting Purdue for the first time in 2022 while I was in the midst of the college application process. Be Authentic There are many different ways to display your passions and interests in the Common App. The extracurricular activities and volunteering portion of the application is cru