The Engineering Experience

When I first came to Purdue, one of the biggest things I had to figure out, honestly faster than I expected, was how dining worked. Between jumping into engineering classes, meeting new people, and just trying not to get lost walking to class, I quickly realized that figuring out where (and how) I was going to eat every day actually mattered a lot. For students with food allergies or dietary restrictions, this transition can feel even more overwhelming. It takes time to learn which dining courts work best for you, how meal plans function, and what resources are available, and I hope I can make that process easier for you. Firstly, Purdue’s dining system is centered around residential dining courts. These are spots where you use a meal swipe to enter, and then you can eat as much as you’d like while you are there. There are five main dining courts on campus: Earhart, Ford, Hillenbrand, Wiley, and Windsor. Each one has its own vibe, layout, and types of food, so you’ll probably end up fi...

Every college campus is vastly different from the next, and it can be hard to get the full picture of what day-to-day life is like from a student’s perspective. Here are a few things that we think will be important and helpful to know if you are considering applying to Purdue: Food Purdue offers students a choice from 6 different meal plans: Unlimited, 14-Track, 10-Track, 7-Track, 80-Block, and 50-Block. The Unlimited option allows students to stop in to the dining halls as many times as they want throughout the week, whereas the 14, 10, and 7-Track limit students to 14, 10, or 7 swipes into the dining halls per week, respectively. The 14-Track is the recommended plan, but I was on the 7-Track and enjoyed being able to make my own meals when I did not want to go to the dining halls. Finally, students on the 80-Block and 50-Block plan can eat at the dining halls 80 or 50 times per semester. These plans are great for students living off-campus who want the option to eat on campus every o...