Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

What should every freshman at Purdue University-Main Campus know before they start?

Caleigh

In order to find the right college for you or your child, the most important thing to look at is the student's learning ability. If it is difficult to focus in a large group of people, a big university would not be right for them. I have lectures up to 400 people and it is not an easy learning environment. If you have the time and are willing to put forth extra effort, learning sessions and tutors could make a big university possible for them. Another big thing to pay attention to would be tuition and living costs. Expensive tuition is possible for anyone, though. I grew up in a middle class environment with just enough money to get us by. The summer before my oldest sister went away to Purdue, my father passed away. This made things more difficult for us, but did not stop my twin sister or I from coming to the same school my oldest sister was at, with the same tuition and amount of loans. I know that when I graduate college, I will have a lot to pay back. With an education from Purdue University under my belt, it is all worth while.

Missy

You should visit campuses to get a general view about it and their academic programs. And once you do find a school, if they offer any student orientation programs, I would highly recommend them. At Purdue University, they have a program called Boiler Gold Rush, and it was the best thing I could have done. The next year I was a leader for incoming students. I made life long friends and got familar with campus and definitely grew in love with Purdue.

Dana

I am really bad when it comes to trying to make a decision. But when I stepped onto the campus at Purdue, I knew it was for me. Nothing can tell you more about a colleges personality than seeing it. Interacting with the students and campus will help you make the most accurate decision. To get the most out of these college experiences, the more you do the better. Getting invloved and taking advantage of all the things that these colleges have to offer. There are so many things that you have the opportunity to do and see, famous performances, research, study abroad, and so much more. Getting a sense of colleges personality and taking advantage of all they have to offer is the best way to get the most out of your college experience.

Christian

Find a university where the kids can have an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives. College is suppose to be a time where you have fun, make new friends for life, and also learn. It is not meant to be spent, studying or constantly doing homework. I encourage students/parents to take visits to schools and learn more about the schools their are planning to attend. First it is important to go to the school to where it meets your needs with what you want to do with your life academically, but it is equally important to find a school with a very positive environment and a very positive staff. Choose the place that you will think will give your kid/student, the best experience possible!

Sarah

Choosing what college you attend is one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make. However, rest assured it is hard to make a bad decision. You might not like the college you shoud; or you might love it. Whatever ends up happening, you will learn many things from the experience. Whether you finish your years out at the college you originally chose, or end up switching to another one, you will learn skills you need to have later in life when you start your career. You will learn good communication skills and adaptation skills that you can take with you to the workplace. That being said, do not stress about the what college you choose or where you are going in life. College is an experience that will benefit you, no matter which one you choose.

Kayla

I would tell them to visit as many colleges as possible and talk to people who went to that college and studied the area you are interested in. It is very important to make sure financial problems are taken care of, otherwise the student will spend too much time worrying about money. Find a good circle of friends that you can have fun with, but also are good study partners. It makes studying so much more interesting and less boring. Also, don't feel pressured to be in the greek system. There are a lot of good people and opportunities involved with it, but it is not a requirement to be successful.

David

Make sure you research each college thorougly. Find out what kind of class size, the walks to campus, and the cost to attend. Each of these are important in choosing where you would like to go. To get the full college experience, you also want your Freshman year to go very well and to make a lot of friends. The Residence Halls are where I did this. I met tons of people on my floor my first year, and learned more about people I would have never met had I not lived there. That's the best thing about attending college so far for me. The people I met here, will be with me forever and I'll never forget all the fun times we had in college.

Derek

To Students: Find a place that you feel comfortable. Visit the college you would like to attend, and if you can imagine yourself as a student there, that is probably the best choice for you. Picture the perfect college for you in your mind and write down the things that describe it (size, amount of people, sporting events, type of housing, etc.). Check off the items on the the list while visiting. This should give yourself the best personal rating.

Graham

truely go with the school that is best for what the kid wants to do. The size should be secondary. You will find that 10-15 people no matter where he/she goes. Have an open mind because you never know who you will still be hanging out with com junior year.

Melody

As a prospective student, you should visit the college you are interested in plenty of times. Getting used to living arrangements you will be in is also a good idea. Visit friends that are in college to experience the college lifestyle. Make sure to apply for financial aid so you won't have too many loans or out of pocket expenses. Get to know how the weather will be during the school year and if you will like it or not. Make sure mostly everything that goes on is in your comfort level as well.

Ashley

I would make sure that not only do the classes fit your needs but also the social, extracurricular, and volunteer aspect of the campus. While achieving good grades is certainly a main goal while attending a university, what you will remember most of your college experience is the lifelong friends you have made as well as the experiences that help to shape your life. While attending school, involvement in a variety of activities will allow you to network and make the most of your time at college.

Kim

From looking on the outside it is nearly impossible to know if a school is the right fit for you. Do not be afraid of transfers, but do it early on. Make sure to take some fun classes, otherwise you WILL get burned out in your first year. Also, make sure to get acquainted with the resources available, like computer/writing labs, tutoring, counseling, career help, etc.

Pavel

College life is not all about studying, there is a lot more to it. The bigger the college, the more sponsored opportunities there are. For science majors, the bigger the college, the more experts you can find in your field. It is important to look at the rankings of universities before you apply, the lower the ranking, lower the chance of world class experts in your field to be in that college. Also looking at faculty is very important and anyone can look at faculty and what their research interest has been. Many universities are famous for few fields of research, there is not a single university that is famous for every research aspect. If you know what your interest is, applying for a laboratory technician position and finding out what is your university of interest is known for is very important as well. Working for a professor starting freshman year helps with everything from schooling to finding a job. Extracurriculars are the best ways to find friends, many times people college students see are people only within their major. Extracurricular help not only with reduction of stress, but also finding new friends that will be friends forever.

Stefanie

Visit the campus. If you don't get that "I'm home" feeling, then it's not the place for you. If you are on a campus visit, and you walk around feeling like you are already a student, then you're at the right place! When you go to your choice college, don't focus too much on your social life or your academics separately. Figure out the best way for you to combine them. You can't let yourself lose touch with the world because you have your nose in books, or you will miss out on all of the wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experiences. And, you can't miss out on a great career because you had too much fun either. Be careful with how you spend your time.

Harini

Don't believe that you will be too busy to have a social life. If you're in engineering, DO your homework when it is assigned, you won't have to cram as much before finals if you do. Don't ditch all your classes, most of them are useful, you learn/remember more than you think you do. Don't stop having fun, do the things you like, but don't go wild. Don't get hooked on video games, many of my friends have failed classes because of Halo and WoW, most are on academic probation.

Keely

Don't get hung up on school rankings/reputation or on finding the "perfect" fit. If you feel really out of place and uncomfortable on a college visit, then yes, you're probably in the wrong place. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Find a place that is capable of supporting your academic success and providing a social environment you can enjoy, and then just run with it, making the best of everything it has to offer. Every school has it's upsides and downsides-- Purdue is huge, which can mean oversized classes and inattentive professors, but it can also mean world-class resources that are frankly irreplacable. Take advantage of every pro and learn to work around every con, and you'll just fine.

Morgan

I definately encourage that you go and visit the school. Sometimes people say that you can just feel that the school is right when you walk around the campus. Don't pick becuase it's where your friends are going. Try and pick a school that has a good background in your desired major.

Misha

Make a list of what you want and expect from a university. Do you want to learn from internationally renown professors? Do you prefer smaller class sizes? How about community service: should your university be in a friendly, giving community? Or is proximity to city life more important to you? I owe my most personally developing and maturing years to Purdue University. My decision to attend Purdue was largely based on my desires to attain my education where I could be exposed to a wide variety of educational, social, and character-building experiences that would benefit me academically, professionally, and personally. I have not been let down. Research. The fact that your friend goes to State should never be the end of discussion. It is your life. Lead it. And yet, you may also find that after all your research and measuring pros and cons, you may find, as I did, that your gut, your heart, your soul knows exactly which university is the right one for you.

Lisa

The advice that I would give to parents or students about finding the right college and making the most of their college experience is (in the order of priority) to evaluate where the student wants to be in twenty years, how strong of a social enviroment that the student needs, and how much the parents are able to afford/ the availability of loans. Where the student visualizes his or her placement in life is extremely important because obtaining an education is mainly about facilitating the chances of reaching goals. If a student desires an ambitious future, the student should go to the best university that they would be accepted that has their desired program. If the student would be satisfied with not obtaining a nobel prize, social experience and affordability should be a dominating factor.

Nick

Take time to relize what it is you want to do, so you don't end up wasting money and time figureing it out.