My son was admitted FYE - plans to go ME. We are OOS (southern CA - way OOS). He has been part of FIRST robotics for 12 years. He will miss that team/group support and craziness. What do folks think of the engineering learning communities? The living groups sound great but can engineering students fit more classes in? Or am I misreading that the learning community adds 2-3 classes your first year? Thanks all.
My son just accepted his FYE offer from Purdue. As I understand, LCs do not add any classes, you just take a set of regular engineering classes with your learning community. Read through the descriptions. This link lists the required classes and the dorms. https://www.purdue.edu/learningcommunities/profiles/engineering/index.html My son listed the Band & Orchestra, Global and Engineering in the World of Data as his top three choices.
So the classes listed that I’ve been seeing are classes they would have been taking anyway, they are just booked together as a group?
Some LCs do add classes but it all works out and is manageable. My DD has many friends in engineering LCs and LOVE it.
We’re from So Cal too @RoboticsWidow and my D graduates this year! She did a LC her freshman year (women in engineering) and it was really just a nice way to be surrounded in your dorm by a certain cadre. If there is one LC that appeals to your son, don’t worry about the extra workload - Purdue wouldn’t put anything onto FYE students’ schedules that would impede their success.
BTW, if you haven’t already - make plans for your S to attend Boiler Gold Rush. It’s an integral part of getting acclimated to the school and friends made in BGR (plus friends in the LC) will give him that all-important feeling of “belonging” very quickly.
@RoboticsWidow I just wanted to say hi - my daughter is OOS (Colorado) and admitted to FYE as well. She is also part of FIRST robotics and hoping to find a similar community in college! I bet they will have some great options for that, as well as the communities they will find thru housing.
I’m pretty sure my D had an extra 1 credit seminar class for the Global Engineering LC. If you’re in EPICS you take a different version of the engineering intro course but it’s the same, or maybe +1, credit. Women in Engineering was just living in the same dorms (Shreveport/Earnhardt) and non-class socials and seminars.
I can’t say I’ve reviewed them all in detail but I’m very confident none add 2-3 courses.
And I’ll add my strong endorsement for BGR. Given the time demands of class work, BGR is probably as much social/networking time as a student will have the rest of the semester. My D’s roommates and study groups are with those she met at BGR, and that’s very common. (fwiw, the two people I randomly sat next to at my first freshman orientation meeting 30+ yrs ago are my wife and former fraternity brother/roommate/best man, so it’s nothing new)
My son was in a learning community as a first semester FYE. It is no longer listed, so I guess they don’t have that particular LC anymore. Although it added a 1 credit class, it was his easiest class and very enjoyable. One advantage to the LC was that he was guaranteed (at least at that time) a specific dorm where the LC was housed. It was also nice that he was surrounded by other FYE students, and it was easier to get to know kids in classes who were also housed near him. He didn’t find any downsides to being in the LC, but again we only have experience with one LC which is no longer available. When he was considering an LC I called over to Purdue and talked to someone in the LC area, and they were very helpful answering my questions.
I’m currently a second semester freshman at Purdue in the EPICS learning community. That stands for Engineering Projects in Community Service. I’m also from Cali. First off, I want to say congratulations for the acceptance. Purdue is one of the top engineering schools in the country. I would wholeheartedly recommend being in a learning community and if possible be in the living community. The class load for the learning community is not very bad. Its just an extra credit. That is a breeze first semester. The learning community was great because I saw the same people that I was with in class just down the hall. I would highly recommend EPICS for first year engineers because it gives an easier FYE pathway and allows a student to get hands on engineering experience in a simulated professional environment.