A cross-cultural experience at Purdue

Vinay Atmakuri is fascinated by the conducive learning environment and amazing recreation facilities at this American university.

VInay Atmakuri (left)

The toughest decision I have ever made in my life is to choose between studying abroad and studying in my home country. Three semesters into my college life, I am glad I chose to study abroad and join the undergraduate programme in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, U.S.

In my time so far at the university, I have had the opportunity to make friends from different parts of the world. Before coming to Purdue, I had only Indian friends and never really had the curiosity to meet people from other cultural backgrounds. However, after coming here, I realised how great it is to interact with people who think and communicate differently. I even joined an organisation called Multinational Integration Xchange (MIX) which helped boost my cross-cultural communication skills and helped me attain a certification. There are several other organisations and one can learn about them online.

Despite the large size of the classrooms, professor-student interactions are easy. There are sessions called Supplemental Instruction (SI) where skilled teaching assistants help students understand confusing topics and clear whatever doubts they might have. If students still have difficulty in understanding a concept, they can visit a help room where their doubts are explained in a one-on-one interaction with a teaching assistant. They can even visit the professor during his/her office hours. If a person has no time for the sessions, he/she can send an email to their professors or teaching assistants, who reply within a day. For academic reference, there are several libraries on the campus where students can study without distraction.

Purdue University has an amazing recreational centre which is the biggest I’ve seen. Students can do workouts or play a sport anytime they want. There are also several other buildings and fields dedicated for sports. To satiate the hunger of students, there are five different dining courts on the campus which offer different cuisines. There are several other places to eat and chill out around the campus. Parties take place every week, so that students can take their mind off academics. For students living in residence halls, a variety of events take place every week which provide good recreation.

Even though it is very expensive to study abroad, I would say that the experience is worth it. It is a bit hard to adjust to the new people and surroundings, but eventually you’ll adjust to it.

The writer is pursuing his undergraduate programme in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, U.S.