Day in the Life at Purdue!

Big Campus, Small School Feel

Purdue is a public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The university is known for its engineering school but also has a wide variety of notable programs including a great pharmacy, nursing, and speech pathology program. From arts and entertainment to athletics and recreation, the campus has over 100 student organizations and clubs. This makes it easy for students to pursue their interests or explore new ones. The student population is diverse, as there are equally as many out-of-state and international students as there are instate students. Everyone is warm and welcoming which contributes to the “small school” feel despite the large campus. 

Curious to see what it’s like to be a student at Purdue? Read along to learn more about what one of my days on campus looks like!

Mornings at Purdue

On Wednesdays, I have 2 classes and a lab. I usually wake up at around 9:00am and follow my routine of brushing my teeth, taking a shower, and getting ready for the day. I like eating a filling brunch since my first class is at 12:00pm and there's not enough time for me to get food between my first two classes. Most of the time I’ll go to the dining courts since the lines are never too long, but other times I like to go to restaurants covered by my meal plans like Qdoba, Panera, or Jimmy Joh

After eating I find a good study spot to complete some work before my first class. This is usually the study lounges on the first floor of my dorm or the Starbucks that is right across.

An Afternoon of Classes

My first class is Communications 217 which is a general education course required for my major. The course is designed to help students better express their ideas and research through written and spoken word. So far I’ve enjoyed the course as it’s a good mixture of lectures, presentations, essays, and class discussions. I’ve noticed the class has improved my interpersonal skills and helped me feel more comfortable presenting in front of large crowds.

Once that class ends at 12:50pm my next class is Systems Programming at 1:30pm.

In between classes, I like to study at the WALC (Wilmeth Active Learning Center). The cafe there, Au Bon Pain, has some really good coffee and pastries and even accepts payment through dining dollars (part of the meal plan)! One thing I love about the campus is that there are many places to get a quick bite and either relax or study.

At around 1:20pm I head over to my second class, Systems Programming. The class is taught by Professor Gustavo. I appreciate the way he is able to break down complicated topics into slides and lectures that are more easily understandable. Throughout this class, I have learned so many new skills in such a short period and completed labs that have perfectly tied in all the topics we’ve covered in that class. It’s helped me expand my programming skills immensely
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After that class is finished at 2:20pm I’ll usually head back to my dorm until my lab for my Systems Programming lab at 4 pm. I take this time to either review my lab material or work on other class homework. During the lab, our TA's usually grade our previous lab and assist with that week’s new lab. I think it’s a great way to get any confusion resolved and bounce ideas back and forth between peers to continue with the next steps of the labs.

Winding Down for the Night

When my lab finally ends it’ll be around 5:30pm to 6:00pm. I like to get dinner around 7:00pm or 8:00pm at the Purdue Memorial Union. They have a variety of restaurants that are part of my meal plan.

Usually, I try my best to complete my work before dinner so that I can have the rest of the evening to hang out with my friends or relax. However, on days when I have a heavy workload, PMU is also one of my favorite study spots so I try to complete the rest of my work there after eating! Purdue can be academically rigorous at times so it’s important to have good time management skills and be able to balance your work and leisure time.

Around this time there's usually an event held by different clubs across campus. Sometimes there are outdoor concerts, open karaoke or poetry night, and fundraisers with fun activities and food trucks. In the first few weeks of school participating in them is a great way to get familiar with the clubs around school and decide which one you want to join! Later on, they are fun ways to socialize and spend time with friends.

Later in the evening, I sometimes like to go to the gym. I’ll either go to the gym at my dorm or to the Purdue Co-Rec Gym which is a 5-minute walk.

I usually end my day by talking with my roommate and catching up on how our day went. I’ll also spend some time watching Netflix and go to bed at around 12:00am.