Office of Summer and Winter Sessions

Support and Fun - West Lafayette

As a member of the Early Start program, students make lifelong friendships and get to know the campus before 50,000 students arrive. The relationships students form will help develop a strong sense of belonging and encourage academic and career success. Early Start is a great way to make Purdue your home away from home! While we are primarily here to support academic success, we know it is important to have fun.

Academic and Social Support

GS 12000 

Taking GS 12000 during the summer is a smart way to start college with momentum and support. The course helps you build the habits that matter most early on—time management, study strategies, goal-setting, and knowing how to use campus resources before the semester gets busy. It also gives you a chance to reflect on your strengths, adjust to college expectations, and build connections with classmates, peer mentors, and staff, so you feel more confident and prepared heading into the fall.

Peer Mentors

Early Start peer mentors are volunteer upperclassmen Purdue students trained to help incoming freshmen navigate life at Purdue. Peer mentors will show you around campus, help you find classes and resources, walk you through what to expect your first year at Purdue, and tell you all their tips and tricks for everything from where to eat to how to pass your exams. Peer mentors come from a wide variety of programs at Purdue, so no matter what program you’re joining, there will be peer mentors who can help you navigate the academics and connect you to other students in that program.

 GS 19500 – Preparing for Undergraduate Research Experience (1 credit)

A preparation course for undergraduate research that introduces students to research
environments, expectations, and skills such as professional communication, basic
research ethics, and how to connect with faculty and research teams.
Best for: Students in any college planning to join undergraduate research, Honors projects,
or Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP).

Additional Academic Support

  • Academic advising
  • Counseling services
  • Health and wellness resources
  • Emergency services
  • And more!

Fun Summer Events!

There is an entire community of support surrounding our students! But we’re not ALL about studying. Early Start will provide weekly events and field trips to help students make friendships that will last a lifetime. The campus is lively with more than 10,000 students taking on-campus courses during the Summer.

List of Prior Summer Events

  • Attending an Indiana Fever WNBA Basketball Game
  • Silent Disco
  • Hot Dogs with the Top Dogs (campus BBQ with the President, Provost, Deans, and more)
  • Campus-wide Cultural Center Festival 
  • Day Trip to Indianapolis with Black Cultural Center
  • Purdue Trivia 
  • Not Your Grandma's Bingo
  • Summer Concert Series
  • Sidewalk Chalk
  • Field Day
  • Dive-in Movie and Pool Party
  • Summer Concert Series
  • Zumba on Memorial Mall
  • Cookout hosted by the Purdue Black Alumni Organization
  • Talent Show on Slayter Hill
  • De-Stress Fest
  • Fountain Run and Celebration