Current Sophomore :)

<p>Uh oh, you're making me nervous. What's wrong with the school of science? I want to end up doing pharmaceutical research so I didn't even consider the college of agriculture. Is the science school that much worse? I got the Purdue Academic Success Award and the Trustees scholarship, so I'm pretty happy with the financial aid. What's the usual cost of 2 semesters? I know tuition is around $8,000; how much is everything else? Also, how is housing around Purdue? I'm considering renting an appartment rather than living in a dorm. Do you know any information about that? What's wrong with the school of science?</p>

<p>How does the school of science compare to the school of engineering.</p>

<p>it's not that there's anything wrong with Science...there is just a difference between their philosophy and Ag's. The way that people around here describe it is that in Science you are more like a number, but in Ag you are a person. Going through Ag or Science for biochem really has no effect on what you can do in the future...that is decided by the kinds of courses you choose to take. You really ought to check out the recommended curriculums for the major from each College. In Ag, you have a great deal of freedom and you actually wind up taking more biochem courses. In Science, they pretty much spell out exactly which courses you need to take. You could go Ag and end up with a course plan that is almost identical to that in Science, if you wanted. It's the freedom that my friends in Science agree is missing. The College of Science itself has an excellent reputation, and you really cannot go wrong. My point is that the experiences are not interchangeable, and it's all about what you want from the administration during your college experience.</p>

<p>Housing: the dorms start at about $6000 per year and go up from there, depending on which one you choose and your meal plan. Purdue's housing website has a chart with all that info on it. As for apartments, there are lots of nice ones and not-so-nice ones around, and they can cost anywhere from $300/month in rent to $700+. I suggest checking out Boiler Apartments...you can do a search of all the complexes around here based on the amenities, location, and price that you desire.</p>

<p>Science vs. Engineering:
Umm...apples to oranges? :) They are two completely different worlds. Both have their strengths. Obviously, many people are afraid of Engineering because they are known for weeding. But, think about it for a second...would you feel safe knowing that a second-rate engineer drew up the structural framework of the bridge you drive over or the high-rise building where you spend a lot of time? It's a matter of necessity. It's not as though other Colleges don't engage in weeding out...it's just much more subtle and not nearly so notorious. Selecting one over the other depends upon what you plan to do with your degree, and even then it's difficult to distinguish, sometimes. I know several engineers who are not planning to be engineers when they graduate...some are thinking law school, and others are thinking med school. Obviously, you probably cannot become an engineer with a just an undergrad degree from Science, but you can certainly do just about anything else, including law (patent law, for instance).</p>

<p>I suppose I should add this again....my statements are opinions and anecdotes and are intended only to give you a student's perception of Purdue. I am not omnipotent, nor do I claim to be infallible. And, I'm not trying to be mean when I point to a place on Purdue's website or elsewhere in answer to some questions; my courseload this semester is 12 hours of lab science and physics and another 6 hours of liberal arts (contributing a whopping 11 books to my shelf!). That being said, I am always happy to give my opinions, if they help :)</p>

<p>Hmm. I've done pretty well so far in a school in which I am a number, but I was hoping for that to change once I got to college. I suppose having a course layout wouldn't be too bad. Is there any flexibility at all? I was planning to use my proficiency in Russian and Spanish to minor in languages. Would that be possibly as a biochem major? My brother did it as an electrical engineering major in the college of engineering, but that was eight years ago.</p>

<p>Also, do you know how low of a grade it would take to have the merit scholarships taken away or to get rescinded altogether? I'm trying hard in BC Calc but I just barely got an A last semester and it's getting harder. I have a solid B right now but we have another test coming up just a week and a half after the last one and it's generally getting tough to handle. How badly would I have to do for admissions to take notice?</p>

<p>How difficult would it be to double major at Purdue?</p>

<p>It obviously depends on what you are thinking of double majoring in. If you're doing two completely different majors like engineering/accounting, I'd say you're going to have your work cut out for you. However, you can major in two degrees within the same major ie Management/Accounting much more easily.</p>

<p>I am also interested in double majoring. if i want to double major, do i need to contact the university? how hard would it be to double major?</p>

<p>Read my post above dude_guy. And as for contacting the university, you should ask your guidance counselor first since she should have the info.</p>

<p>so my big thing is, will i fit in? i'd say i'm easily sociable, but i want to know more about the student body. i know its huge, but what is there to do? for example, you could tell me what you did the past week. is there anywhere to go? how big is the campus? just things in general i guess. thanks</p>

<p>I would say that everyone fits in but you just have to go find where you fit in. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different clubs so look for callout flyers the first couple weeks and just be open and be social and you should be fine. BGR was a good way to meet people before the school year starts. Campus seems big at first but isn't actually that big but still a 20-25 minute walk from end to end. As for doing things, that would depend on what type of person you are and what your interests are. My freshman year I just chilled with people at dorms, played computer games, went to frat parties, played wallyball at the corec, played football at the intramural fields, so I mean there's a lot to do. Make upper classman friends with cars and then you can go off campus and go to the ghetto West Lafayette mall haha.</p>