What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?
Brandon Puccio -AAE Graduate: The advice I would give is to follow your passion. I came to Purdue knowing I wanted to be an aerospace engineer and I followed through. There were times where I wasn’t sure if it was worth it. There were times where recruiters said an international student would never get a job in the aerospace industry. Instead of giving up I used that as motivation. Not only should an incoming engineering student thrive for good engineering skills and theory, they should always try to perfect communication, group, and leadership skills. Use the resources that Purdue gives you. Explore the different types of engineering classes Purdue has to offer, and do not be afraid to take a class or two that spark a non-engineering related interest. It is not abnormal to feel overwhelmed and want to quit. The engineers that deserve to graduate and the engineers that will excel will not quit. They will work hard and pull through it. It is important to have confidence in yourself. Any experience can greatly increase your chances of being successful.
Siddharth Chhabra – IE Graduate: Dive deep into a specific area of engineering in order to become specialized in that field. Develop an early understanding of things out there that inspire you and visualize how to implement a success like that in the same or other fields.
Xianzhe Zhou – ECE Graduate: There is more than one way to get from one place to another. Personally being an engineer not only means having expertise in a field that most people do not have, but more importantly, having a vision and mindset that only engineering training can equip you. This vision and the mindset will help you acquire new skills and develop them quickly in the future. Moreover, respect all fields and learn about their worlds. As an engineer, you will have to cooperate and collaborate with people from different background in order to produce the optimum solution to a problem.
Niharika Chaubey – Chem. E Graduate: I think the biggest advice would be make connections, make as many connections as you can. Enhance your skill set with computer languages, leadership, and other spoken languages. I would also suggest applying for internships and co-ops whenever you can; it’s never too early to apply. Also build a strong LinkedIn profile and USE it.
Sajit Chitty – IE Graduate: An engineering degree takes a lot of responsibility and discipline to obtain. The same can be said for many other technical degrees. However, it is important to stay focused and dedicated from the start, because everything you learn in engineering is built up from fundamental or core courses, and a strong foundation in these courses is necessary to excel. I would also like to say that there is nothing wrong with not being sure with what type of engineering degree you would like to obtain once you are attending college. Purdue has a fantastic first year engineering program that allows students to get significant exposure to currently offered engineering disciplines so that they are better informed when the time comes to choose. Furthermore, you should be going out of your way to speak to friends, acquaintances, or family who currently hold jobs in the field of engineering that has peaked your interest in order for you to develop an idea of what you will eventually be doing.
No comments:
Post a Comment