Throughout my life, school had always come easily to me. Starting college, I was expecting everything to remain the same. I thought that I would get away with only partially paying attention in class, leave assignments till the last minute, and remain successful in my classes, all while balancing all the new responsibilities I would experience in college. In my first week of classes, I remember sitting through my math lecture, going over review material from previous math classes that I was expected to already know, none of which I had ever seen before. Another class went right into learning how to code, and I was struggling to keep up. When I did my first engineering assignment, I finally thought that I had a grasp on what I was doing and felt amazing. A few days later, when my grade came back, I had received a failing grade. Suddenly, my whole idea of what my college experience would be like came crashing down around me. I realized I was truly struggling, and when I looked around at my peers, it felt like I was the only one. Not wanting to label myself as the kid who didn’t belong at Purdue, I chose to struggle in silence. I decided that, for the next assignment, I would put in more effort, work later into the night, and make sure I got a good grade. I spent all of my free time at my desk, skipping out on plans with friends to make sure that I did well on my next assignment. I spent hours and hours trying to make sure everything was perfect. I felt confident in the work I had done, and thought I had finally realized what it would take for me to be successful at Purdue. When I received my grade a few days later, and had once again failed the assignment, my mind started to wander to the thought of transferring out after only my first semester.
Then, something changed. A classmate sent me a simple text: “Do you understand the assignment?” I decided to be honest and admitted I didn’t. To my surprise, instead of judgment, I got an invitation to work on it together—and to go to office hours as a group if we still had questions. This invitation turned everything around for me. I came to realize that I was not alone in struggling with my classes, and that there were resources here at Purdue to help me to succeed. The next few assignments, my grades got better and better, and my mental health improved significantly. I decided to start going to office hours frequently for help and leaning on my friends for more support. I was able to start enjoying college, hanging out with my friends, and getting involved on campus.
During your time at Purdue, you might find yourself struggling and wondering if you truly belong here. Please remember that you do belong here, you aren’t the only one struggling, and there are so many resources available for you to get help. Lean on your friends and your community, and trust that you will overcome these obstacles. For me, studying with friends, working in groups, and going to office hours made all the difference. I realized I wasn’t alone—and that its okay to ask for help. Just remember, you don’t have to do it all alone—you have what it takes, and support is always there if you need it.