Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Lingyun

There is no doubt purdue can offer many diverse classes. We have more than 10 libraries and 3000 computors among the campus. As an engieering student, I personally had many great professors and had many chances to use the best equipments.

Emily

The academics at Purdue University are awesome! We have so many different majors which makes it easy for any student to find a plan of study that fits his or her needs and interests. We are world renowned in many different academic areas such as aviation, engineering, and chemistry.

Mayura

Way too many international students in engineering. Especially Asians! It is very true as Purdue ranks very high in terms of international student population (looked it up in the year 2011 annual report) especially in the engineering majors.

Sadie

What are the academics like at your school?

Jinglin

In small classes, yes. Acting class is my favorite and I hate math. Everyday. Yes. Yes. Absolutly. Acting class. Communication. Sometimes. Great. Yes, tons of opportunities.

Sadie

Many Professors will know your name, but this will depend on your class size and teacher. Once you start getting into the classes specific to your major you'll start seeing the same students which is fun, getting to know your fellow colleagues. A number of professors within my major who have seen me through my 4 and 1/2 years -- mentored me, given me support and advice -- and I am truly grateful for this. They have helped me focus on my career and been great references. I knew I wanted to study English after taking a introductory creative writing class. It was a very rewarding experience and gave me a taste of the tight-knit liberal arts department at Purdue. One day during the winter our teacher had a car breakdown and couldn't contact our class in time to cancel. Everyone showed up for class and we loved class so much that we just had class anyway, without our teacher! Everyone stayed and had a discussion of the reading assignment. Being in liberal arts, I have had many intellectual conversation. Many time I leave the classroom having grown or opened my mind in some way. Sometimes you have to take notes just to remember things, but sometimes I take notes not because it's required, but because I want to. I have taken so many classes where I take notes the entire hour jotting down notes -- story ideas, things to look up, things to ponder, etc. My experience within my major at Purdue University has been definitely been geared towards learning for learning sake. My professors really cared about making us better writers and readers. Many of my upper level classes were very career oriented which is good because now that I am graduating I feel very prepared to enter the "real world". You don't have to have everything figured out, you just have to be open-minded and willing to work hard.

Sadie

Many Professors will know your name, but this will depend on your class size and teacher. Once you start getting into the classes specific to your major you'll start seeing the same students which is fun, getting to know your fellow colleagues. As I said earlier, I have many Professors from my major who have seen me through my 4 and 1/2 years -- mentored me, given me support and advice -- and I am truly grateful for this. They have helped me focus on my career and been great references. I knew I wanted to study English after taking a introductory creative writing class. It was a very rewarding experience and gave me a taste of the tight-knit liberal arts department at Purdue. One day during the winter our teacher had a car breakdown and couldn't contact our class in time to cancel. Everyone showed up for class and we loved class so much that we just had class anyway. Everyone stayed and had a discussion of last nights reading. Being in liberal arts, I have had many intellectual conversation. Many time I leave the classroom having grown or opened my mind in some way. Sometimes you have to take notes just to remember things, but sometimes I take notes not because it's required, but because I want to. I have taken so many classes where I take notes the entire hour jotting down notes -- story ideas, things to look up, things to ponder, etc. My experience within my major at Purdue University has been definitely been geared towards learning for learning sake. My professors really cared about making us better writers and readers. Many of my upper level classes were very career oriented which is good because now that I am graduating I feel very prepared to enter the "real world". You don't have to have everything figured out, you just have to be open-minded and willing to work hard.

.

At Purdue, I'm a liberal arts major. Most of my classes are very small and professors know who I am. In fact, I have a tendency to run into them outside of class and we usually end up talking. My favorite classes I have ever taken have all been literature courses. In fact, some of the electives to meet requirements (i.e. gender issues and racial issues) provided with some wonderfully provocative discussions and I ended up making quite a few friends in them. Most classes encourage participation of some kind. The classes where participation was very high resulted in students discussing the issues outside of the course time. I met up with several people after my racial issues course to talk about the things raised. Students can be competitive, but the majority of them are cooperative. The most unique class I have ever taken was definitely my introduction to poetry with Donald Platt. While we had deadlines that had to be met, the class was very relaxed and freeform. It was a great time to have an open exchange of ideas. A few professors spend quite a bit of time with students outside of class. One of my professors encourages people to take multiple courses with him. He is in the habit of inviting his classes to his home to get to know one another. Academically, Purdue has very high standards, but they are never impossible to meet. Extra help is frequently offered to students who are struggling with course concepts. Whenever I have been in trouble in a class I have been offered assistance, so it has always been great. The education at Purdue is geared toward getting a job with a little bit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge. In truth, I would say that it is tailored to what each student wants. If a student really wants nearly all practical knowledge and very little learning for the sake of learning, they can generally tailor their coursework to meet that standard. The reverse is also true.

Jessica

Even though Purdue is a very large campus, I never feel like I'm just a number. My professors are so helpful and will get to know you, if you take the time to get to know them. My favorite class right now has to be Anatomy and Physiology. Our lab for this class has taught me a lot. We dissected a pig's heart and looked at a sheep's eye. Even though these classes are difficult and I study about 4-5 hours every night, it is all worth it. To graduate from Purdue University will tell my employers that I am a very qualified potential employee.

Brett

I transferred to Purdue from a college with an enrollment 1/20th as large as Purdue, so one of my concerns was that I would lose the ability to stay engaged with my professors and course instructors. To my pleasant surprise, this has not been the case. I have found that all of the faculty I have encountered have taken a genuine interest in my academic success and are willing to reciprocate my efforts to guarantee a thorough comprehension of relevant course materials.

Jason

Academics at any Big Ten school are known to be challenging. The same thought goes with any top-ranked University. While our classes may be very challenging from time to time (with most being about upper-average from what I experienced in high school), the classes tend to be engaging enough to keep your interest, so you find yourself learning things you didn't expect to learn!

Tiānlín

Agriculture. Engineering. Biology. Chemistry.

Mike

The academics at Purdue are rigorous, there is no beating around the push on that topic. We are consistently voted as one of the toughest schools to receive an 'A' and that may seem daunting but it really is a benefit of the degree you will receive while you are here. Purdue does not just teach you facts, you are taught concepts and skills that will be invaluable throughout your life. The student life is competitve, but focused towards group interaction as well. It is not a "dog-eat-dog" or "every man/woman for themself" attitude here, if you need assistance from a professor or a fellow student it will not be hard to find. The requirements are applicable for every discipline and you don't have to ever feel like you are taking something just to check it off the list. The academics alone at Purdue are enough to move someone to the top of the resume pile, tied in with everything else that is offered here it is a wonderful mix of an invaluable learning experience.

Ben

Purdue didn't get its reputation for producing some of the best engineers for nothing - it's tough. Lots of work and tough exams, but professors are willing to help you out in office hours. They'll learn who you are (once you get past intro-level classes) and from there, they'll even help you land jobs. One professor in my department legitimately told a rocket company to hire my buddy - and they did. The same professor recommended my other friend to them and he got an interview. If you get to know professors at Purdue, they'll help you out. Simple as that. Just stay awake in class, participate, go to office hours, and you'll be fine. Despite it being pretty competitive in my department, no one is cutthroat. If you go to class and understand your homework, you'll be just fine. You'll get some of the best education in the nation, get a job, and have fun doing so.

David

I definitely did not recall many intellectual conversations inside nor outside of class. In fact, I recall thinking many times, "How the hell did that person get accepted here?" After all, most Purdue students and alum are very conservative, which to me means they have very limited and biased world views and like to keep themselves that way. Honest, objective, intellectual dialogue is not on their radars. (That's just my opinion, as a critical thinker.) If you read any online forums in which Purdue folk congregate, such as in ESPN.com article comments, you'll see that they can intellectually slum it up with the best of 'em. Maybe that's an unfair representation, but I was not impressed with most of my classmates, and I really frown upon the classless taunting I hear on TV during game telecasts from many of the students there today. To me, that doesn't represent a way of behaving that extends from deep ruminations on our relations with others or on how we choose to represent the institution we attend.

Emily

Introductory classes can be as big as 476 but most classes will be less than 30. Labs and recitations are always small. All professors and teaching assistants are required to hold office hours and all of them give out their email address or phone number. Generally professors suggest spending one to two hours per class hour for studying. So if you have biology for 4 hours a week, you need to spend 4 to 8 hours outside class studying. A full schedule is 12 credit hours. Most students take 15-19 credit hours. Purdue has a 94{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} "settling rate": 6 months after graduation, 94{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of that graduating class either have a job, have entered graduate school, or are pursuing the military.

Ted

Academics are good pretty much across the board. As an Economics student, I am in the Krannert School of Management and I have found it solid thus far. There are a variety of options within the school and many are very highly ranked. I also like the versatility of my major in particular. In order to get a balanced education, my plan of study includes required concentrations that take me out of economics and into some other fields that I'm interested in. I feel that I am getting a quality and balanced education here at Purdue.

Jessica

10 Words That Come to Mind When I Think of Purdue Academics: 1. Challenging 2. Time Management 3. Engaging 4. Group Projects 5. Professor Office Hours 6. Curves 7. Class Participation 8. Worthwhile 9. Case Studies 10. Internships

Julie

Purdue's academics are definitely something they're known for, though if you apply yourself there's no reason you shouldn't succeed. I'd say management is very geared towards balancing their degree program and producing well-rounded students. It's very focused on getting a job (interviewing skills, etc.), which some other schools don't emphasize as much because they feel a Purdue degree will speak for itself. One pro of going to such a large school is definitely the random extracurricular course offerings though: horsebackriding, jewelry making, wine tasting, bowling, tennis, flower arranging, countless languages, etc.

Alan

Professors in lectures will not know your name unless you go to office hours, which are readily available. I enjoy my MA 154, (Math) class because my professor is hilarious and he makes class enjoyable, even at 7:30 in the morning. My only problem with classes is that since everyone has different english professors and they all go about teaching in a different way, it frustrates me when my friends are getting class cancelled two to five times a month. I am a management student in the Krannert School of Management and I feel that this school lays out a good plan of study for its students.

Kim

The academics at Purdue are top-notch. The professors really want you to learn and succeed. They are extremely accessible through email and office hours. Many of my professors know my name and still remember my name even after I am no longer in their class. In the School of Management class participation is strongly encouraged. We have a lot of group projects and assignments which really allows you to get to know your peers and see a new perspective. The classes are tough but very manageable. The biggest key to success is managing your time. Purdue is also very good at helping you succeed after school. The Center for Career Opportunities helps students across the campus find jobs. There are also many career fairs held throughout the year. With all the opportunities and various areas of study, Purdue is a great choice for academics.

Danielle

Purdue is a very prestigous school, and unlike a lot of schools, Purdue as a whole competes with other schools, as oppose to the students within the school competing with each other. Alhtough competition is going to occur throughout any college campus, it's definitely not a big factor at Purdue. I have been to other schools where students are so serious that it consumes their entire life while they're in college. I believe that 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the learning you do in college comes from outside of the classroom; Purdue seems to believe this too. In my experience, I have seen that Purdue really encourages students to go to class, but also to have fun.

Katie Haller

Being an out-of-state student many of my friends thought of Purdue as being a school that is very difficult to get into. However, when I got to Purdue I found that many students from Indiana go to Purdue just because it is the logical school to go to. In my opinion, Purdue is a great school that will challenge you no matter how "smart" you were in high school. Although my professors do not know my name this does not bother me. If I wanted to get to know them better I could go to their office hours and they would be happy to help me understand the topics covered in class that I did not understand.

Laura

As you progress through your academic program, your classes get smaller and you are able to get to know many of the students in your classes and professors teaching your courses. I love that in the same semester I can sit anonymously in a class with over 200 people and go to another class with 20 students, where participation and interaction are required; it's truly a great mix. I have been amazed by the passion of the professors on campus for student learning and success. Most are dedicated to teaching and helping students learn as much as possible in their classes. I have also been fortunate enough to participate in 3 independent study courses as a result of professors' desire to help me earn honors credit so I can graduate with an honors degree.

Brett Schwab

The professors at Purdue do a great job of trying to learn your name right from the start. Some teachers will even have you create a name tag to help them learn who you are faster. I have personally even had teachers who ask students to fill out a personal info sheet so that they can get to know us better. It has questions like what is your favorite hobby, tv show, etc. The most unique class I have taken would be an English class designed for entrepreneurs. On the first day every student was asked to think of a business idea and create an elevator pitch for it. What would end up happening then is the class would vote on the top seven. Those seven would then give a 3-5 min. speech on their company ideas. The class would vote again and the top four would become job managers. The managers created job applications for their companies. The rest of the class then wrote resumes and cover letters applying for two jobs at different companies. Then there was an entire interview process and job selection. I really liked this idea, because it gave you a chance to sort of choose the group you would be working with. It also let you see each individuals personality. It was an incredible experience and one that applied very well to the class. The class taught us how to prepare for the interview process and later how to write an entire business plan. It is the most creatively designed class I have taken so far.

Casey

I think that we have really strong academic programs here. If you need help with something, it's easy to in contact with professors and teaching assistants. Most will be happy that you are actually trying to understand your homework. Most students are driven, but there are those who care nothing about class or homework. What I hate the most are evening exams. A lot of classes have exams in the evening, that start anywhere from 6:30 to 8:30. It's not fun having to study all day and into the evening. You just want to take the exam and get it over with. I feel like I'm getting a really well-rounded education. For any major, you will have to take general education classes, which might seem pointless at the time, but actually are helping you to think about things outside of your own bubble. I don't like having teaching assistants and professors that I can't understand, however. Many of them are non-native speakers of English, which sometimes makes things difficult. But usually you can find someone else to explain things to you, or you just go to your professor one-on-one. I don't think any one is really hoping that a student will fail a class.

Justin

Although we do have large classes, the thing that makes Purdue academics special is the helpfulness of the faculty. Never in my 2 and 1/2 years at Purdue have I felt like there wasn't the opportunity to learn. If you struggle in a class, you can go to office hours for some one-on-one time with a professor or teaching assistant. If you can't make it to office hours, you can ask other students your questions. There is no excuse not to learn at Purdue because of how helpful the academic system is.

Theresa

Purdue has lectures with 600+ seats and classes that only have 20 students. Generally your classes are larger your freshman and sophomore years due to general requirements. If you are diligent you can easily make sure you and your Professors are on a first name basis. Most Profs. take questions at the end of lectures and they love it when you show up to their office hours. Students are sometimes competitive but it is a condusive learning enviornment. My favorite class I took was an advance English course called "Great Narrative" works. Students are always trying to get into the "History of Rock and Roll" class that fulfills your fine art credit. I have also heard there is a great psychology class that is tons of fun on family and relationships. The Krannert school of Management is highly regarded and has many wonderful opportunities such as new programs, study abroad and business oriented organizations. I studied Management with concentrations in International Business and Finance.

Marie Curie

I attended the School of Engineering, and at Purdue the Engineering departments are very research-focused. The class sizes can be very large (sometimes hundreds of people), especially in freshman and sophomore classes. So you pretty much learn from your TA, who runs your recitation class, and holds office hours. Your TA is a graduate student. Some have teaching skills, some don't. Professors are involved in their research and writing grants to get funding. Undergraduate Engineering at Purdue is geared toward giving you skills that will land you a job. Many people like that a lot. However, you don't get a well-rounded education or good preparation for graduate school. If you later attend graduate school, you will find yourself applied-work-strong and math-weak compared to students from abroad and other universities.

Jordan

Purdue is definitely not a slack off institution. You have to work at it to graduate, but the reward is worth it. There will be classes where you're just one of 400 students and you're there to take the quizzes and tests, but as you get into upperclassmen courses, the classes get smaller and your professor knows you by name. These classes teach you a lot more about what you're studying, but are typically more difficult because the professor is generally tenured and knows what he needs to teach you to prepare you for the real world.

Kirsten

Students at Purdue study all the time. Grades are very competitive, especially in classes for pharmacy students, med students, engineering students, etc. Pharmacy is extremely competitive, and the professors expect a lot from students. Freshman year's expectations were reasonable; however, sophomore year things were fairly out of control. Professors seem more interested in failing students, than helping them to do well. They encourage students to meet with them, but when they do meet with them they are not very pleasent.

Kyle

They know your names for sure unless the class is so big. My favourite class was "Logistics" class that was from Management Department. We spent most of the class playing with legos to run a factory which was fun for me. Class participation is especially common although the professor does not get any attendance. I believe the education is making you ready for your future job. I have got many intellectual conversations outside of class.

Chris

Pretty difficult academic school. Many students come from other country's and they are often really bright and motivated. There is a lot of help available though if you seek it out. In mechanical engineering, there is often a lot of work, but there is a help room open all day with teaching assistants for each ME class... that is really helpful and can lessen the frustration and time that occurs with all the HW. You will learn a lot though, and it's definitely still possible to have fun... you just have to keep your priorities straight.

John

I like every teacher Ive had at Purdue. The grades arent as good as i want them to be, but that is mostly my fault for that. My favorite class would have to be computer science classes, ill prolly minor in that. I enjoyed the CS class very much, but I got a C so it wasnt that happy

Rory

Maybe the school accepts too many engineering students, although application processes are supposedly changing. This leads to the many notorious weed-out courses and in general a lot of work to stay competitive. Purdue academics does offer a lot of opportunities, one just has to keep an eye out for them and work hard. A huge number of courses are available, and one will likely be able to pursue any interest in any field. Overall, I would say academics at Purdue can be top rate in the resources available, after one has made it beyond the first couple years of impersonal and competitive courses.

Harper

Much is demanded of students academically. The closer one's studies to the technological core disciplines, the more intense they tend to be. Early undergraduate classes are large, and overwhelming to the meek. Professors are seldom available to students, referring most of such efforts to teaching assistants. Students seeking high academic standing should expect a tremendous time commitment and much independent study. Most of the content follows the employment-oriented pressures of industry. For the education required of good citizens, our quietly exceptional humanities courses shine, and dedicated individuals may find other excellent resources in the well-led student organizations.

Agnes

My major is not the most challanging (Aviation Management), but I feel that it gives you a wide perspective on and insight into the aviation industry, which is most important in my field. Most of the professors are real aviation enthusiasts, and they are amazing at what they do. They may make classes relatively easy sometimes, but they know what they are talking about, and through lecture, you learn a lot.

Parker

Your professor will know your name if you want him to. The most successful students at Purdue are ambitions and seek help and attention by their professors and TA's. They are more than willing to help and have plenty of visitation hours. Depending on your major students can be extremely competitive or extremely lazy. The most respected majors are business, agriculture, Hotel Tourism and Management, Engineering, and Technology. Lazy students or often athletes go for organizational leadership or communications. Also, if you are looking for the arts Purdue probably isn't for you. There is little art and music on our campus. With the exception of the awesome concerts brought to campus (Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, The Frey, and many more!). Between the career center and the many career fairs on campus a student is bound to have a job upon graduation. Purdue does an excellent job in helping their students move onto the next step. In fact the career center will help any Purdue graduate seeking employment advice regardless of how long its been since you were a student.

Tate

Freshman engineering is not kind. Professors have huge classes so they really just can't be nice because then everybody is going to want a favor and that's too much for the profs to handle. Classes are good though, they teach you whatever you're trying to learn pretty well, and honors courses are really intense, lots of learning.

Matthew

I have experience academics at Purdue at a mostly personal level. Large lectures may seem a bit impersonal, but professors are of the approachable character. After completing general classes, class size decreases dramatically. Students are in classes where normal conversation normally takes place with the professor. Outside of class, those same professors are involved with some student organizations and maybe even at the more personable level. I recently worked on a job outside of school with a professor that needed workers.

Tommy

I know my teachers by name, some of them know me well enough to ask specific questions about my family. Some teachers are at Purdue for generations, such as Robert Taylor. Everyone who has had Bob Taylor says he is the greatest teacher known to man, even though most people don't like the subject he teaches (economics). Class participation is common even in large classes. The most interesting class I took was entomology with Tom Turpin. I bet it isn't as fun now that he has retired from teaching it, but when he was teaching it people fought to get in.

TJ

I only have a few professors that know my name. Most classes are really large (200+) and there are too many students for profs to get to know each one. My favorite class was my social psychology of marriage class. My professor got to know each one of us personally and applied the class to our real lives. We read four novels during the semester and I ended retaining the most information out of this class than any other I have taken. My least favorite class is Spanish. As a liberal arts student you must take Spanish through level four to graduate and I hate it!! They make you participate in stupid games like in high school. It's the worst.

Kayla

Classes are big for the most part, some professors will learn your name others won't. So far I've been in a class of 14 (honors higher level class) to a class that couldn't fit everyone in a very large lecture hall plus balcony. Least favorite class- CHM 115 and CHM 116; engineering weed-out classes that are designed to be extremely hard There are opportunities to work with professors in your field, but you have to make your own opportunities, you can't expect things to fall into your lap Depending on the college you could have a large variety of core requirements or a small amount that aren't as far reaching. In liberal arts, there is a very large ranging list of core requirements. These range from art/dance classes to natural science classes however there is a decent amount of classes to choose from in each category required

Jenny

I am an Animal Science major.. my FAVORITE class was Animal Science 245. It is NOT for the faint of heart! But it was great to actually go out and practice on real animals instead of just learning about them in the class room. One time we castrated pigs, another we gave shots to calves, another we freeze branded cows. It was really interesting and the professor was kind of tough but really fun!

Matthew

It seems to be half and half with classes on what is good and what is bad. 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the classes I've taken have been ridiculous, unnessesary, and are a pain in the butt. The ones that are on topic with my major, and have good professors are GREAT and I thorougly enjoyed them.

Jen

Academics at Purdue vary greatly by department and level of the course. Some classes require attendance/assign attendance points (these classes are usually exceedingly dull and a lot of hoop jumping), others take the approach that it's your money, your education and your responsibility. There are a lot of requirements to get through, (I will refer to this as hoop-jumping), some of which are valuable and some of which are lame. State requirements for certain programs and inter-departmental disagreement and confusion add to this problem. If you are a high school student looking to go to Purdue, first off know that Purdue takes very little AP credits, and secondly know that if you can find out what credits Purdue does take through AP it could save you from a few classes here and there. I got a 4 on the AP biology and tested out of Biology 110 at Purdue as a result. So if you are going into liberal arts, this gets you out of one of your science requirements. However if you're pre-med, you have to take Biology 121 any way, so it's kind of pointless. My AP gov and econ exams got me no credit at Purdue. Purdue does have language requirement test outs when you come to campus after you decide to enroll at the university.

Aleksandra

The academics here were a bit harder than I anticipated, but after getting used to them, I find I hardly have to study at all. My friends and I often have intellectual conversations outside of class, and as a computer science major, I like to educate my less computer-literate friends, and program in my free time.

Sasha

Some of the professors are great, and if you take the initiative to go to office hours and see them, they'll definitely remember your name. However, there are a lot of professors who are here for research and nothing else. My favorite class was senior aircraft design, by far. It was the most difficult class I'd ever taken, and also the most rewarding. My least favorite class was probably signals and control systems, but that's mostly because I don't like the subject that much. I think it depends on the major, but in my major, the students study a LOT. There are a lot of different places where people can choose to study. So don't worry, if you're the type of student who doesn't like to be distracted, there are plenty of places to just focus on studying. Class participation is very common. I don't think I've had many classes, if any, where there wasn't any class participation. The best classes have always been the ones where the class participation is what drives the class. I think the students definitely have intellectual conversations out of class. You'll find all types of people on this campus. Sometimes you just have to be proactive enough to find the type you like. Students in engineering are pretty competitive as it's a very competitive field, but you're trained to work in groups as engineering teams. So I've always found the people in my major willing to give a helping hand to try and teach me a concept or how to do a specific problem. The most unique class I've taken was Student Leadership Development. It teaches about the different aspects, methods, and theories of leadership. It's really a great class, and I ended up being the TA for a year, too. Pablo Malavenda, Associate Dean of Student Activities and Organizations, teaches it. You'll never meet a person on campus who can lead you to more opportunities. My major was Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering. It's really a great program. Although not the most personal, the program makes great engineers. It's like a factory for engineers. Once you're done, Purdue's reputation will take you far. Many large companies only hire straight out of Purdue. I just got a job with The Boeing Company, and I have no doubt that having "Purdue University A&AE graduate" on my resume was a large factor in me getting it. We don't usually spend much time with professors outside of class, but there is an annual Aero Social Night where the professors come to a rented out bar w/ us, drink, eat, and socialize w/ all of us. Most schools at Purdue have something like that I think. How do i feel about Purdue's academic requirements? haha...I'M DONE! The education here is geared towards whatever you want it to be. If you want to learn, learn, learn, then you can do it here. If you want a job, just work hard, and Purdue will find the opportunities for you. You just have to know what to do with them.

Charlie

Some professors know my name; depends on the class and the professor. My favorite class is Structural Analysis. Great professor that cares and material I am interested in. Students, if engineers, study a lot! More than 40 hours a week. Class participation depends on the class and the professor. Purdue students are often extremely smart, most of us are engineers! Students are competitive but also help each other out. Most unique class I have taken would be Civil Engineering 221-Estimating. You could not understand the professor, but he was a great guy and did a lot of unique things to make sure we learned and passed the class. The department of Civil Engineering is cool. Don't really know what else to say. A few hundred per class. I often go professor's office hours. Purdue's academic requirements are a little lax. They don't let dumb people into engineering schools but if you're on the fence you have a sporting chance. Purdue wants your money. The education at Purdue is geared toward getting a job. The School of Construction Engineering Management, my school, and we have 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} job placement after school.

Robin

*Yes, many professors know my name. Call me a goody-goody, but I make sure to introduce myself early on in the semester or go to their office hours. I'm also in much smaller classes now than I was as a freshman, so it's not hard for professors to know your name. *Favorite class=Com 491 Introduction to Health Communication, because it sparked me to consider going onto graduate school *Least favorite class=Com 204, I don't even remember the name of the class but we had a lot of assignments and it had something to do with rhetoric and we read a lot of Aristotle...it was awful and it was required and HARD a.k.a. a weed-out class *It really depends how much students study. For me, I'm pretty productive with my time and can get a lot of homework and studying done in a short amount of time. It also helps that I rarely miss class, so I never have any make-up stuff and always know how to do things if they were explained in class that day *Class participation varies. In large lecture halls, it really doesn't occur. You just sit there and take notes. However, I have been in many classes recently where participation was part of your grade and most of the class dealt with discussions rather than listening. *I have intellectual conversations SOMETIMES, if it's right after class or in between class. I rarely go home and talk to friends or family about intellectual stuff, but I will mention things I've learned. *I feel that there are many students who are competitive and many students who could care less and just want to do the bare minimum required for graduation. *Most unique class=I haven't had the opportunity to take wine appreciation, flower arranging, bowling, etc. but I did take a pretty cool com class called Com 408 FastTrack news magazine. Students in the class wrote and developed weekly stories for the broadcast and also did all the production of the show, it was pretty cool and it was broadcasted on cable tv. My parents thought it was cool to watch it from their house and hear my voice on the television. *I'm a 5th year student in Communication, mass I think but I should have changed it once I worked for The Exponent, no offense. I started out as a pre-vet student and didn't even take a class because once I looked at my 4 year plan full of math and science I was out of there! So I switched to communication because I like to read and write! But after a job at The Exponent, I realized I didn't want to be a journalist and after an internship at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. I realized I didn't want to go into public relations. I am grateful for these experiences, however, because they caused me to grow and change and find out what I really wanted to do. I've currently applied to a few public health schools in hopes of getting my Masters in a few years. *I don't really spend time outside of class with teachers unless it's to meet them during their office hours *I think Purdue is a good school and requires a lot out of its students as far as academics are concerned. Most students can't blow off their classes and expect to pass them. *I'm not sure if my education is geared towards getting a job or learning for its own sake. I know that I didn't want to find a job in communication because i felt public health was a better fit for me, so my Purdue education has been more learning-based but still information from my undergraduate degree that I can tie into my future jobs.