The Benefits of Purdue's First Year Engineering Program

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As the Early Action Deadline (November 1st) approaches, I am sure you are starting to compare engineering programs across several colleges. When comparing Purdue Engineering against other schools, one of the most prominent differences is that Purdue has a program “First Year Engineering (FYE)” instead of a “direct admit” program. Throughout FYE, students take general engineering classes which introduce design processes and manifest an engineering mindset. Within these courses, students are introduced to all of the engineering disciplines that Purdue offers. Although FYE might seem like a setback, that is far from the truth. I finished FYE last semester, and I am beyond grateful for the First Year Engineering Program. It allowed me to feel confident to choose the engineering discipline that best suits my strengths and my goals.



“Engineering Your Major” (EYM) Events

Engineering Your Major (EYM) events are mandatory events built into the engineering course curriculum. In class, each engineering discipline is introduced. This introduction includes that specific discipline’s coursework and potential career paths. Once each discipline is explained, there are events hosted by each engineering school. These seminar-like events give first year engineering students a more in-depth explanation of the major as well as a chance to ask current students and administration questions. These events were extremely helpful in my decision to choose my major: industrial engineering. Purdue offers a variety of engineering disciplines. These events helped to debunk misconceptions about certain majors and inform me about majors that I did not know much about. To be honest, I did not know what industrial engineering was until attending these events.

Access to Purdue Alumni

Throughout the first year engineering experience, you are exposed to all types of majors and careers. During my freshman year, I took the Women in Engineering seminar. During the semester, alumni came to speak about their careers. This helped expand my knowledge of different engineering disciplines and learn about the “day to day” life of different engineers. In addition, there are so many ways to connect to professionals at Purdue. Whether it is through a Women in Engineering Program event or a career fair, Purdue Alumni are always willing to share their experiences with current students. I found these conversations very helpful when deciding which engineering major to choose.

First Year Engineering Courses

During First Year Engineering, students will discover their strengths and weaknesses. I know that I did! Maybe chemistry is not your thing, but you found a love for coding through your coursework. Or maybe a new club you joined helped you to find your passion for environmental engineering. College is a time for you to be exposed to new things and explore your interests. Take time to submerge yourself in your coursework and extracurricular activities to find what you actually like to do. Ask yourself: Do I see myself doing this as a career?



Having a year on Purdue’s campus to explore interests through your coursework, the Purdue community, and other Purdue resources, gives FYE students an immeasurable advantage when declaring their major. Going into freshman year, I thought I wanted to be a chemical engineer. After completing the First Year Engineering Program, I learned about industrial engineering, and realized it was a much better fit for me and my goals. Without FYE, I would not have had that realization. I could not be happier where I am today!

Sophia Jarc, IE '26

WE Link Leadership Team


Stay Connected With Purdue WiE Program!

Facebook: Purdue Women in Engineering

Instagram: @purduewiep

Blog: purduewiep.blogspot.com

Email: welink@purdue.edu

YouTube: Purdue Women in Engineering Program - YouTube


Purdue Women in Engineering

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