The Engineering Experience

Coming into my senior year as a civil engineering major at Purdue, I have had the pleasure of having not one, but two amazing internship experiences in my time here. In my case, although both internships were with the same company, they were both extremely different. My first internship was in design with Kiewit Oil Gas and Chemical Engineering in Houston, Texas, where I worked as a structural engineer intern. My second internship was in construction with Kiewit Building Group in Honolulu, Hawaii, where I worked as a field/office engineer intern. Looking back, here are some tips I would tell younger me when it comes to hunting for an internship. Building Up Yourself Obtaining an internship, especially as a first- or second-year student, can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have any experience. In my own experience, I did not have an internship after my first year. I took this to my advantage and worked while taking online classes to get ahead on my classes, which proved ...

     I graduate from Purdue in just a few weeks, and all I can say is wow… that went really fast. It’s very bittersweet that my college career is coming to an end, but I am extremely grateful for my last four years here. Looking back, I can easily say I have no regrets and fully believe I made the most of these past four years. There were so many incredible surprises I never could have conceived for myself and so many amazing people I met along the way that made these years so great. While there is so much more I could say, here are my 5 pieces of advice for you to also make the most of your college experience as you take your next steps towards your next giant leap! Get Involved: Seek Out New Experiences and Try New Things      What is so cool about Purdue–and college in general–is the numerous opportunities you have to try new things. Coming to college, I was convinced I knew exactly what I wanted to be involved in and my entire path forward. Looking bac...

I am the only girl and the youngest of my parents’ three kids. As a result, my parents have always been very protective of me, but I know it just because they love me. They want what is best for me and to be in an environment where I could thrive, having peace of mind that I would be taken care of wherever I was. With recent tragic events calling into question the safety of college campuses, it has really made me appreciate the fact that Purdue was recently named the safest campus in the United States . Of course, it’s always best practice to practice safety habits such as walking in groups, carrying pepper spray, and my dad’s favorite “keeping your head on a swivel”. However, between the campus culture, resources, and policies in place surrounding matters of safety, it comes to no surprise to me that Purdue comes in on top in this category. Why Safety is Important When our basic safety is threatened, it becomes very difficult to focus on anything else. If you are constantly looking ov...

Congratulations and welcome to the Boilermaker family! I remember being where you are four years ago: refreshing my email after school until my admissions decision from Purdue finally came in. Opening up my portal to read “Congratulations! You’ve been offered admission to Purdue University”, I felt a huge sense of relief. I was going to college! However, soon after opening my offer letter, I was unsure of what to do next. You might be facing a similar feeling. Let this blog serve as a guide to some next steps to take in your college decision process! Visit Purdue’s Campus One of the best ways to get a feel for a school is by visiting their campus. More specifically, it is best to visit a campus while school is in session. This way you get a better understanding of what daily life looks like for students on campus. There are numerous opportunities in the spring to visit Purdue whether that is through an official daily visit or a “Purdue’s for Me” Day. During Purdue's for Me Day, th...

With gratitude for the people and experiences I found at Purdue, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of the perspectives that helped me to find joy and personal development throughout my college experience. Brittany during her freshman year in 2016 (top) and graduating in 2020 (bottom) Change is inevitable – try to make the most of it. I still distinctly remember the sinking feeling I had moving into my room in Shreve freshman year that things would never be the same.  While I was excited about what Purdue had to offer, I was terrified of this life-changing moment. I was going to have to make new friends; I wouldn’t be living with my family. It seemed like the end of an era, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.  However, time goes on whether you allow it to or not. I knew that whether I started making my home at Purdue or not, that life was changing and I needed to accept it. Remembering that moment has helped me so much with this unusual graduation and life transition...

A fter months of researching schools, crafting the perfect application, and lots of waiting, the time has finally come to start deciding which school you will attend for the next 4 years. With Purdue recently releasing admissions decisions for Early Action Applicants, we asked our Leadersh ip Team members how they felt when they received their admissions decisions. Marisa When I first received my admittance to Purdue, I remember not having a huge reaction. There was a bit of excitement, but not nearly the amount of energy that I had hyped up in my head. I thought that receiving all my admittance letters from schools would be super pivotal for me and that I would have a clear feeling as to the school I should choose. But as I am starting to learn more and more in life, there are many events that don’t live up to our preconceived standard of excitement when they finally dawn on us. And that is perfectly normal! What I do remember feeling during this time was a sense of sec...