Coming from a school which only had 22 students in its graduating class, Purdue was a huge jump for me. The fact that I did not “know” all the students in my classes, let alone Purdue, perturbed me. Unlike most other students here at Purdue, I went to a small private school in the Middle East. It was a norm for people to know the names and at least a 100-word set of information about every other student in the school. Coming to Purdue, I knew that such a thing could only remain as an un-attainable dream. Initially, I couldn’t make up my mind on whether deciding to go to a big school was a good decision or not. But now, I can confidently say that choosing a big school was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Every day I meet new people, be it on a bus or while having lunch. I remember some better than the others. This could be the result of either one of the two:
1) I see them at regular time intervals
2) They said/did something that caught my attention or in other words, left a lasting mark in my mind.
Living on a campus with a lot of people, I feel, results in increased learning. Purdue houses students from all walks of life. As I communicate with each one of these boilermakers, I get connected to the world that they come from. So far, I have interacted with students from all the countries that my mind could think of (and even of some which I never knew existed!). Purdue is more or less like a cultural melting pot, enriched with precious, great minds, from all over the world that are set to make change. So this week, let us all make that extra effort to get to know as many people as we can. Let us try to comprehend their world, life and culture. Let us work towards having deeper, more meaningful talks. I feel like doing this would help us become better “Global Engineers”.
I agree with you that “Every day I meet new people, be it on a bus or while having lunch. I remember some better than the others.” My high school has fixed class. We stayed together for 4 years. We had same classes, same teachers, and we were a team in sports competition. So we know each other very well and could be close friends even we enter different colleges. Purdue was a huge jump for me too. Same to you, I did not “know” all the students in my classes, especially in some large classes such as chemistry. Every time the people sit next to me are strangers. But it is good to meet different people. Talking with those people from all the countries, I know many interesting stories and different traditions. Purdue Village is nice dorm, but sometimes I feel it is too quiet and it is hard to meet my neighbors. Maybe I should knock on the door and have dinner with them. (ENGL 106)
ReplyDeleteI also did not know anyone when I came to Purdue. I was the only person from my high school that chose to come here, although a few others were accepted. However, I did attend Boiler Gold Rush which I thought allowed me to make many friends and definitely ease my transition into college. I couldn’t agree with you more when you say that Purdue is a large melting pot with people from all walks of life. I come from a large city that has people of all kinds of ethnicities, cultures, and customs but it is harder to get to know them because I might only encounter them once and forget about them a few minutes later. However, at Purdue I do get to see people on the bus or at dining courts that are familiar to me because I see them on a daily (or weekly basis). I definitely see new, friendly faces every day at school and that really helps make a bad day better and more bearable. Even though there are so many students here at Purdue, I feel that almost everyone I have encountered has been friendly and willing to help someone in need. (ENGL 106)
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