Why I Chose Purdue! - International Student Perspective

Why I Chose Purdue?

Crystal Huang

I am currently a sophomore majoring in Materials Science Engineering at Purdue University.  I am from Hunan, China.  Purdue was not my first choice.  However, after evaluating all the colleges I was accepted to, I decided to come to Purdue.  As an international student, it is a very unique experience for me to be in Purdue. 

At first, I was scared that I would not be able to make friends or fit in due to my not-so fluent English.  However, Boiler Gold Rush made me feel welcomed by helping me make friends and becoming familiar with campus as a freshman.  I met people from different culture backgrounds and learned new things.  It was very eye-opening for me.

Being in the EPICS learning community helped me to understand that Engineers make designs to benefit the community locally and globally.  My group had to deliver a project that was wheelchair accessible and it took us weeks to figure it out.  Once we delivered our project and received positive feedback from our sponsor, all the hard work we  put in were worth it.                                              

I like to be on campus and do all kinds of activities.  On a sunny day, I enjoy hammocking with friends by the Engineering Fountain.  I go on trips with the Outing Club to go rock climbing, hiking and cliff jumping. My favorite is dressing up with my friends to go to basketball and football games to yell ‘Boiler up!’. During finals season, the toughest time of each semester, my friends and I always sit in the little cubicles to study for hours on the second floor of Krach. We motivate each other to work hard and stay positive.Purdue always has the magic to push me to try new things and gain new experiences.  I cannot wait for what is coming next!