Life in the Midwest

You might be wondering what life is like at Purdue. You might also be wondering about Indiana and the Midwest too. This site has been put together to help you gain a better understanding of life at Purdue and in the West Lafayette- Lafayette area.

We asked several out-of-state students some questions in the hopes that their answers will be useful to you.

• What is the best thing for you if you are homesick?

• What was the most intimidating thing for you in traveling to Purdue for the first time?

• How do the seasons compare to where you come from originally?

• How long did it take you before you knew your way around campus/ town?

• What were the biggest differences between West Lafayette and your hometown?

• Was it easy for you to get home if you needed to?

• What is one of your favorite places to hang out in the greater Lafayette area?

• What are some of the slang words that you weren't familiar with when you arrived?

• If you are not from the Midwest, how is the Midwest different from your home region?

• What do you feel are the biggest challenges you faced as a non-resident student that resident students may not have faced?

What is the best thing for you if you are homesick?

"I tried very hard my freshman year to not take trips home or rely on being able to just leave when I wanted to. I knew it was important to stay and adjust. I go home about once a semester and usually plan it out to cut the semester/ breaks in half. Also, calls home help a lot and care packages are the greatest thing on this planet."

"The best thing that kept me from getting homesick was care packages from home and friends. My friends and I would make mix CD's and send them back and forth as a way of staying in touch. Also, getting involved with groups that shared similar interests helped a lot."

"Keeping busy! Every once in a while it was good to be able to go home, but I think that not going home all the time is good. You can't really be involved and feel like a part of Purdue if you're never here."

What was the most intimidating thing for you in traveling to Purdue for the first time?

"I think the scariest thing about coming to Purdue was having to eat by myself. I came from a family that always sat down to dinner together and not having that right away was overwhelming. It takes courage to eat by yourself, but you can always ask to sit with someone and make a new friend"

"The scariest thing was that I was 12 hours away from home. I was never away from home in my life besides overnight trips for my high school basketball team. Feeling free was amazing, but very scary at the same time. I wasn't sure if I made the right decision of choosing such a big school, but as soon as I found my niche there were no doubts."

"I didn't know a single person! No one in my high school had ever come to Purdue and the only person I even knew the name of was my roommate!"

How do the seasons compare to where you come from originally?

"I hail from Grafton, Wisconsin, which is straight north of Milwaukee. It is way colder there and not that windy. We get more snow at Purdue than I do at home. My friends freaked out because I always walked to class and didn't wear a jacket at all first semester."

" I'm from Allentown, Pennsylvania. The seasons are pretty much the same. Cold winters and hot humid summers."

" My hometown is Bethesda, Maryland (in the DC Metropolitan area), and it is much colder in the winters here. In addition, it is significantly windier here compared to back home."

How long did it take you before you knew your way around campus/ town?

"Not that long, but maybe a week or two for sure...I went with friends from Boiler Gold Rush [BGR] to see all of our classes."

"I knew my way around the campus after BGR my freshmen year, however, it wasn't until the middle of sophomore year until I knew my way around Lafayette/ West Lafayette."

"It took me about a week before I knew campus, and maybe a month before I knew how to get to the Tippecanoe Mall and Wal-Mart."

What were the biggest differences between West Lafayette and your hometown?

"My hometown doesn't have a Big Ten university right in the middle of it. That's a pretty big difference. My hometown is a lot smaller. My hometown isn't as diverse as Purdue either."

"The main differences would be the type of people I found in this area and the way of life. People are a lot more friendly and laid back in the Midwest compared to the hustle and bustle along the majority of the East Coast. The terrain is also very different. I am used to hills and mountains. I was shocked at the amount of corn Indiana has to offer."

Was it easy for you to get home if you needed to?

"It was easy for me to get home if I wanted to because I made friends with upperclassmen who lived near the same area. They were always willing to drive me to where my parents could meet me, or be willing to drive me somewhere. There is also a bus system available that I used a few times."

What is one of your favorite places to hang out in the greater Lafayette area?

"I like to hang out on campus, anywhere really, because I love Purdue. My friends and I also enjoy going out for ice cream at the custard stand by Columbian Park in Lafayette."

"My friends and I always have fun at the roller-skating rink. They have laser-tag there and we tear it up!"

"My favorite places to hang out in West Lafayette would include coffee shops [Vienna, Village], book stores and the mall. Honestly, I really just stay on campus. There is always something going on: cheap movies, Purdue Student Union Board [PSUB] activities at the Purdue Memorial Union, and the Convocations performances are always a good time."

"The pedestrian bridge overlooking the Wabash River has become a favorite spot of mine this past semester."

What are some of the slang words that you weren't familiar with when you arrived?

" I was unfamiliar with "the region". I was like 'are we talking about the Midwest here?' I am still not completely sure what 'the region' entails. I don't say pop, it's soda through and through. I didn't know what 'Chauncey' was, or the 'Den', 'the Levee' or 'the Landing'. Besides Purdue lingo there wasn't much else I wasn't familiar with. My Student Survival Guide helped with the Purdue lingo."

"Pop, tennis shoes [ I call them sneakers], combine [or any farming equipment ], The first time I asked my friends to 'higher the TV' , they looked at me funny. I meant for them to turn the volume up."

"The only thing I can think of is the endless debate of what I call soda. I never heard pop or any other name for it before coming to Purdue."

If you are not from the Midwest, how is the Midwest different from your home region?

"The Midwest is a lot more laid back then the East Coast. A little slower paced. Also, the people are a lot more friendly and welcoming."

"The way of living is extremely different. The people generally found in the Midwest are a lot more friendly. The way of life here is very laid back - a complete opposite of the harsh attitude and the fast-paced life style back home."

"It is much more conservative and rural. I am more used to a liberal, city-like, atmosphere."

What do you feel are the biggest challenges you faced as a non-resident student that resident students may not have faced?

"I knew very few people coming to Purdue. I thought it would be hard to make friends because a lot of people knew other people from their high school."

"Well, being far from home, not being able to go home as easily or as often as in-state students is one of the biggest challenges for me."

"Trying to realize that there are things to do here. I was really discouraged that there wasn't an urban environment closer. Getting used to where towns were in Indiana in reference to where Purdue is located was also a challenge. Purdue is pretty friendly so it was easy for me to feel comfortable right away. Boiler Gold Rush helped me out a bunch. It was a great way to meet people before the semester started and helped me feel more at home."

A special thanks to Purdue students: Jonah Smallwood, Nadine Hanna, Carolyn Broderick, Leslie Masarro, Sarah Martin, Stacy Runyon, Jenny Hamann, Jenni Baker, Michael Armbrust, Alli Krisel, Melanie Unterfranz, Jon Smith, and Nichole Mattson.