A sea of opportunities

In India, we need to apply for American colleges and universities even before finishing our 12th board exams. Thus, standardised test results (ACT/SAT scores) and projected grades from high school are of utmost importance. With my resume, ACT scores, and essays that I think were true reflections of who I am as a person, I applied to multiple schools across the US. With all the achievements that I wove into my application, I was hopeful and, indeed, I got into nine schools. I chose Purdue University.

The process of making a choice did not solely consist of considering the national rank of the university. For me, the reputation of Purdue as a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) school, specific to my major, was also important. In addition, with the positive placement statistics in reputed companies, I knew Purdue could really help me achieve my goals. The vibrant campus life also influenced my decision.

In the Fall of 2017, with a nip in the air and a carpet of crumbly leaves under my feet, I knew I was in for something life-changing. Each day as an American college student, I discover more about myself. Now that I’m going into my sophomore year, I’m so glad that I made the choice that I did.

Practical knowledge

I am a Mechanical Engineering Technology major, which is different than Mechanical Engineering in that it provides more hands-on and practical knowledge. This approach has given me a broad and applied perspective of the career I am about to embark on after graduation. For a visual and tactile learner like me, I know that my major will give me an edge as an engineer.

As a Mechanical Engineering Technology major, my course is four-year-long with two semesters every year. Education in the United States is so flexible that I can pick my own pace for pursuing the degree. I have the privilege of completing it in either less or more than four years. I also get to choose when I want to take a particular class. Before every semester, I get to choose, out of the curriculum, what I wish to pursue in the coming semester. This makes it really comfortable and I get to personalise my degree. I can also choose my electives from a plethora of available classes at Purdue. For instance, for my Humanities elective, I chose photography class out of the almost 300 classes they had to offer. I have an academic counsellor who personally helps me out with everything related to my degree.

So far, with all my theoretical and practical classes combined, Purdue has been amazing. Another aspect of US colleges is their focus on comprehensive learning. I’m a part of many clubs on the campus. For example, I’m on the design team of the Purdue Autonomous Car Team. We’re making an autonomous car for the next Shell competition. I’m also a part of Purdue Orbital where we design, test and implement systems that are capable of achieving orbit for small satellite platforms. Besides that, I love writing and I am currently writing for
Purdue Review, a monthly campus magazine. There’s so much more to do on campus and in the community!

There are a plenty of resources at Purdue. To make use of all of that, you have befitting aids too. Purdue’s main campus in West Lafayette provides more than 200 majors for undergraduates and over 69 masters and doctoral programmes. As many as 10 colleges constitute the university. Having an airport on campus with a fleet of aircrafts also facilitates one of the university’s acclaimed courses — the Professional Flight Program within the College of Technology.

In addition to its robust engineering and science programmes, the English Department at Purdue achieved repute for having created the first Online Writing Lab (OWL). This acts as a great reference for not only Purdue students but also other colleges and universities. There are also amazing scholarly databases that help any kind of research. The faculty is supportive and Purdue has more than 400 research laboratories. To bring innovation through multidisciplinary activity, the university has also established the Discovery Park.

The focus on entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation and experiential learning is not new-found, it has always been there. The 900 clubs at Purdue provide a great co-curricular environment. There is a lot of human help and support on campus, too!

My favourite thing so far would be Purdue’s orientation programme for undergraduates, called the Boiler Gold Rush. This week-long, gala affair helps new students settle in and eases their transition to college life. It is a lot of fun!