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I can't even begin to express the image others painted of Purdue. When I was first applying, they painted Purdue out to be the most amazing place on this planet. They spoke of nothing but kindness, cooperation, assistance and wonderful experiences. It was all of that and the words employees spoke to me that made me choose Purdue. I was so excited to start because I'd be in a new environment *I'm out of state*, I'd be challenged and I would be able to experience success. Well... that isn't quiet what... Read More happened... I had planned on double majoring in Animal Science and Biology and was told for several months by the head of both the College of Agriculture and the College of Science that I would be able to do such a double major. When I finally got there to plan out my schedule, my counselor informed me I couldn't do it. I was a little heart broken, but I understood why and decided to try out classes from both colleges to figure out if I should go with Biology or Animal Sciences. Though for my very first semester I was only taking 12 credit hours because nearly half of the classes I selected and their secondary options were already full. I was beaten down by this too, because I was hardly a normal student at that rate. Still, I decided to be optimistic about everything and take it day by day. Then classes started. I quickly learned that Purdue cares very little about your personal semidetached success. They will spend quiet some time telling you of all the amazing resources they have available to aid you, well that's not entirely true. If you are struggling in a class, or even on a certain lesson, finding help is difficult. I was struggling in Biology at the beginning of the year mostly because a lot of what was taught in the class reflected against stuff taught in High School AP Bio. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to take AP Bio so I was already behind. My professor only had one, and I do mean one, office hour during the week for at least 200 students. During that time I have class so I am unable to attend the hours. I figured I e-mail him and ask to meet outside of class for an hour or two just to help me further understand some of the material. I ended up in a fight with him over it, to where he was telling me just to go to the Bio help room. I eventually managed to get a 30 minute work session with him, and the entire time instead of answering my questions he repeatedly told me "You should already know this". Well.... if I did I wouldn't be asking for clarity or for further understanding. At this point I was really starting to feel myself gain more stress... I was trying as hard as I could to get help so I could do well on the first exam, I ended up with a D because not one person at Purdue was willing to help me. Now that has been my experience sadly, I just feel it should be known. The next thing are some of the coreq classes. To be specific, some corecs for the core classes are the biggest waste of my time to date. They're supposed to be there to go over and further explain lessons taught in the core classes. Too bad they teach anything but! They go over nothing but basic knowledge about Purdue. I am paying roughly $13,000 a semester and they're forcing me to waste my time in a class that's telling me how to look up a class? Is that not our counselors job to teach? Or even worse, was that not one of the things taught during the Purdue is for me day?? I felt absolutely cheated, and what's worse is that some of them do nothing but speak to you about clubs and fairs involving that college. I understand for some this is a great opportunity, however the classroom is for learning not advertising. I've wasted so many hours on these classes I feel robbed. To speak a little about scheduling, know that it is very complex. For a few assignments I had to create a plan for my 4 years at Purdue and I quickly learned how painful looking up courses was. For starters, the catalog does not always work and may some times tell you a certain class just doesn't exist. It doesn't list prereques or coreques or whether or not it counts towards your degree. Several lower end classes don't count towards your major at all so you end up falling behind 3-ish credits. Classes fill up so painfully fast if you need a certain class for your major or concentration you better be ready for a back up plan or look towards a summer semester. Reading the requirements for each degree is a painful task as well. For some majors, you must take a series of courses otherwise you can't graduate. It's some what unclear about the classes you can take, when you can take them and how they contribute to your selected major. Lastly I would like to talk about the people. Most people at Purdue are actually really nice. They're very diverse and range with personality types. Greek life is not a huge thing on campus and when it is, a lot of them are actually kind. Nevertheless, those who are mean are easy to point out. Just today I had someone nearly throw a door in my face, then shove me aside when I tried to avoid getting hit. I've also found a lot of people hold grudges or tend to be clingy towards other people and it can create a very toxic environment fast. You quickly learn who is a friend and who is a foe. On the bright side, with such a large campus it is very unlikely you will run into these types of people... but believe me when I say if you do, run. Purdue is not an awful place for everyone, quiet frankly most people fall in love with it. I, however, have had the absolute worst experience. The stress and confusion has gotten so bad my physical health is being affected. If you are a student who experiences stress very easily, strives for perfection or holds yourself higher then you should (much like me) Purdue is not for you. They will shred you apart and there is nothing you can do about it. I too was told of how incredible the school was, but I fail to take myself as a student into consideration while committing. I plan on transferring next semester because I do not want to end up in the hospital again over the amount of hatred and anger I express towards the school. I would say Purdue is only for those who are the very top of their class. Just because you got in doesn't mean you are going to do well. On my Purdue is for me day, the head of the science department made it abundantly clear most students would fail at Purdue, and why I never took that as a warning sign is beyond me. I just hope this review helped to show you what it's like for students who may be at the bottom like I was. Please take every precaution when looking at Purdue because it can make or break you so easily. If you're a student who needs a lot of help in classes you struggle with, Purdue is not for you unless you want to pay $100+ an hour for a tutor. So whomever is reading this I hope you have the best of luck when applying to Purdue, I certainly hope your experience is far better then mine :)

I really like the university because not only does it challenge me, but the professors are very helpful, and the student to teacher ratio are pretty small, so the professor knows the students names. Having lived in Indiana for most of my life, I have always heard from family and friends that if I wanted to receive a science degree, I should go to Indiana University (IU). Even after I chose to go to Purdue as a science major, I was asked why I did not got to IU. One of the main reasons I chose to... Read More go to Purdue over IU is because I wanted to challenge myself. Getting an A at IU is not as hard as getting an A at Purdue because Purdue University is adamant on not inflating grades. I know that when I receive an A in class at Purdue it will mean so much more than an A in other colleges as they are very like to have inflated their grades. There are very few colleges that do not inflate grades, and Purdue is one of them. When I go to professional school and they will know that I have worked really hard to get the good grades that I got because Purdue is a hard university to get A's in. Every professor that I have had are really helpful. It is easy to tell that the professors where focused on their teaching just as much as they were on their research. At many of the top colleges, it is hard to find a professor who actually cares about the students, and is willing to help them, but at Purdue it is not that hard to find. Also, besides the major courses that everyone has to take, the class sizes are pretty small, and close to what a high school classroom looks like, but the bigger class split up into smaller sections with teaching assistants to it is easy to ask for help. One last reason that I chose to go to Purdue, is because a Purdue degree means something. In the real world when looking for jobs, the name of the college a person went to matters. Although Purdue is known for its engineering program, it also has an amazing science program that is tough in rigor and challenges people to get ready for the real world.

Purdue is a very technical and research oriented school. While the classes are very rigorous and challenging, they truly prepare you for whatever career path you choose. Many of the professors want you to succeed and push you to reach your potential. The student body is very diverse, and there is a club for any interest or hobby you may have. Purdue is also a Big Ten school, so the sports atmosphere is awesome. Purdue's rigor will challenge you to your breaking point, but it will prepare for anything... Read More you want to do in life.