Have you ever thought about what engineering is like beyond Purdue's campus? At Purdue, you are able to discover how engineering is applied to the real world while out on Co-Op, or you can take your engineering experiences abroad with the GEARE program.
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| Kendall Kyle in Ecuador where she studied abroad |
For a Co-Op, there are two main options, you could choose to start after your freshman year and do a 5 sessions co-op. There is also another option of the 3 sessions co-op which does not need to be started until as late as your senior year, so many students who are uneasy about the co-op program early in their academic career choose this route. Both options usually require you to stay for 5 years, but you’ll only be paying 4 years of tuition!
Marisa Hughes, who completed a 3 session co-op rotation with Zimmer Biomet, chose to go with the co-op program over standard summer internships because she knew that she would receive more real-world experiences. By staying with the same company, each session built off the previous one. Additionally, she felt like her academic experience was improved since she was able to see the applications of the material she was currently learning. Her best piece of advice to people thinking of doing the co-op program is to highly consider the opportunity because co-op is a great way to get out of your shell and feel more comfortable about life after college!
Another awesome opportunity here at Purdue is the GEARE program. GEARE stands for Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education. Anyone in the engineering department can apply the spring of their freshman year or fall of their sophomore year if they previously have language credit because GEARE requires 12 credits of a language.
GEARE is an amazing way for students to go beyond their comfort zone and see the world. Senior Kendall Kyle was able to go to Ecuador to study abroad, then to Colombia to do research. She felt that her favorite part of GEARE was being able to excel at a foreign language and travel the world while still focusing on her engineering studies.
Senior, Paige Rudin knew she wanted to do GEARE because she was able to string together her individual unique experiences. GEARE allowed her to use her experiences of research here at Purdue through the iGEM program and shadowing veterinarians abroad in Romania into a tangible outcome, a minor in Global Engineering Studies, This minor is what students receive when they finish the GEARE program.
Everyone has a unique Purdue experience, so whether you’re spending a semester here at Purdue, studying abroad, or out on co-op, make sure you are experiencing Purdue to the fullest. Check out Purdue’s Office of Professional Practice to learn more about these programs.
-Cecelia Maginot
WE Link Recruitment Project Comittee -- Blog Group
Civil Engineering‘21
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