The Engineering Experience

Over Spring Break, I was lucky enough to go on the Women in Engineering Study Abroad trip.  Throughout this trip, I took the class Gender in the World, which was an amazing and eye-opening experience.  Photo of my class and I in Bruges Belgium Our first stop on this incredible journey was flying abroad to Belgium.  We stayed in Brussels for three nights.  During our first day in Belgium, we took a walking tour and saw the sites and streets of the city.  Throughout this tour, we visited areas such as the Grand Place of Brussels, the statue Manneken Pis, and even tasted Belgian waffles and fries!  In addition to the walking tour, we also visited one of the largest structures in Belgium, the Atomium.  Originally built for Belgium’s World Exposition in 1958, the Atomium stands at over 330 feet tall and promotes the idea of peaceful atomic research.   The second day consisted of a day trip to the historic city of Bruges.  We first went on a t...

With the May 1st acceptance deadline quickly approaching, and this year’s Purdue’s For Me events wrapping up, I can’t help but think back to two years ago when I was making my decision to come to Purdue. I remember the day so clearly when I said “yes” to Purdue. I had visited for one of the Purdue’s For Me sessions in February of 2020, right before the world turned upside down, and I am so thankful for that visit. That night, when I got home, I accepted my offer and was excited to officially call myself a Boilermaker. From that visit there were 3 main take-aways that helped aide my decision. Now as a student, this continues to ring true, and I hope that they can help you also say YES to Purdue.     1. Top 10 Engineering School With more than 13 types of engineering, Purdue consistently ranks in the top 10 and offers students room to grow and find their passions. One of the best things about the Purdue engineering program, is starting students off in the First-Year Engine...

Founder & CEO of Inuitap Medical, Jessica Traver Ingram I showed up on Purdue’s campus on a very hot and humid August morning in 2009, not having the slightest idea of what the next few years were going to entail. I knew they would be challenging and that I was headed on an adventure that would determine the path of my future, but I don’t think I really understood the extent to which those two statements would be true. Engineering is hard. It’s extremely hard. I’m pretty sure you know that by now, but in the off chance someone has told you differently, I wanted to get that out there. I don’t know a single person who has been through Purdue’s engineering program that thought that it was easy. I still consider graduating from Mechanical Engineering to be one of the hardest things I have accomplished thus far in my life (and I started a medtech company at the age of 25). But, that is why Purdue engineers graduate and do so well in the world. We have been prepared to deal ...

One of the great benefits of being a woman in engineering at Purdue is the amazing alumnae network that undergraduates can connect with. Stephanie Bartz, an incredibly successful graduate from Purdue Industrial Engineering, shared her story of how her Purdue engineering degree helped her achieve her goals after Purdue. There is an unspoken truth that no one talks about when students are expected to make a decision about choosing a major for college; most of us have no idea what we’re doing or what we want to do in life. Teachers, guidance counselors, and parents all try their best to understand where interests may lie and draw parallels to encourage a “good fit” when you make a decision that sets a course for the rest of your adult life, but they are just as clueless. Even for the lucky few who think they definitely know the perfect major, it will most likely change as you mature, gain life experiences, and gather perspectives from people you meet along your journey. When the t...