The Engineering Experience

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are taking a moment to reflect on the many things we are thankful for. Purdue has played a meaningful role in shaping our personal, professional, and academic journeys. In this blog, a group of Purdue women in engineering students come together to celebrate the small, unique things that make our Purdue experiences so special. Heidi Kennard: Meredith South The Women in Engineering Learning Community (along with a few other “Women in” LC’s) reside in the Meredith South Residence Hall, and it’s where I’m lucky enough to call my home away from home for the school year. With such a great multi-purpose room, so many Learning Communities, and wonderful Resident Assistants, there’s always an event somewhere in the building. Some days it’s a WiE event, where you can find snacks, friendship bracelet-making materials, and friends. Other times, it’s walking in the door, and having an adorable cartoon version of you drawn by an RA. The constant stream of events are al...

When choosing the right school for you, think about how it will help you build the future you want! Every engineering project starts with a plan, a blueprint, and your college journey should too. Purdue provides you with all the tools to engineer your dreams. You just have to plan them out, design your journey, and start building! Here are some resources to help you learn how Purdue can be the perfect place to bring your blueprint to life. Engineering Pathway First off, we have to lay the foundation. Purdue offers different pathways into an engineering degree. At our West Lafayette location, the First-Year Engineering (FYE) Program allows you to spend your first year in general engineering classes and explore the different fields before choosing your major at the end of the academic year. Whether you do or don’t know which engineering field you want to get into, the FYE program can be just the right place for you and can help immerse you into the world of engineering basics and differe...

Did you know that Purdue has the oldest continuously chartered Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section in the country? With over 600 members, it’s also one of the largest SWE chapters. With such a large presence in SWE, it should be no surprise that each year, Purdue SWE sponsors a group of students to attend the national WE Conference. Run by the Society of Women Engineers, the WE Conference spans several days and features technical talks from major companies, smaller sessions on professional development and work-life balance, keynote speeches from inspiring women in engineering, and a massive career fair. This year, WE25 was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, and two lucky Purdue first-years (that’s us!) were among those sponsored to attend. The application process for first-year students was simple: fill out a form explaining why you wanted to attend and how you planned to give back to Purdue SWE afterward. About a month before the trip, we got the exciting email confirming our sponso...