u/No_Chemical_1850

So recently my parents just left, and I feel constantly sad. For context, I'm an only child living in Seattle, Washington so Im pretty used to living near a big city area. Honestly, the only thing Im thinking of is just wanting to go back home to my parents and friends. I understand that the first week is the most difficult to adjust and that it eventually gets better as I make friends and join clubs, but I just cant help but feel anxious and full of dread.

I feel so regretful that I didn't spend more time with my parents before they left since I will be seeing them a lot less now and even less after college. Honestly, its gotten so bad that I've already considered transferring schools to UW Seattle. Additionally, I know that Purdue is a super good school for engineering (which is what im majoring in), but honestly, the location is what makes me even more upset.

I knew going in that Purdue was basically in the middle of nowhere and I thought I was fine with that but now that I'm actually here im begining to find it more of an issue. And that's what makes me regret getting waitlsed from U Michigan/Georgia Tech and choosing Purdue over UIUC is that I know they are in the middle of a city area. I don't want to downplay Purdue with this post as I haven't even really given it a chance and I know its a great engineering school, but I just don't see myself fitting in very well at the moment.

For those who went through something similar, how did you deal with the homesickness and regret during your first few weeks/months of college? Did it eventually get significantly better once you made friends and established a routine, or did you eventually realize that the school/location genuinely wasn't right for you?

And for anyone who transferred or seriously considered transferring because of being far from home, how did you make that decision? I'm especially curious about whether I should give Purdue a full semester/year before making any decision, or whether it's reasonable to start looking into transferring now.

I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance/perspective because right now it feels like I made the wrong choice and that I'm going to regret being this far away from home for the next four years. I know that may just be the homesickness talking, but it's honestly been really overwhelming.

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Should I try to change my schedule at all or nah. I think that if I try changing my math, it would only allow me to take a hybrid version if I want to keep all my other classes. Also is SCLA 102 easier than EDPS 315 cause I'm lowkey thinking of switching.

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Honestly, the only thing I would want to change is MA26100 into the evening and maybe switch SCLA 102 for EDPS 315 (whichever is easier). Is there anything else I should consider changing?

Recently picked up an Asus ROG Zephrus G14, Ryzen AI9, 32GB ram, RTX 5070, and 1TB SSD for 2000 on sale. Is this laptop a bit too much for someone who's going into engineering and wants to do some gaming on the side? Are there any other laptops that you would recommend instead?

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Hey guys I was wondering what yall thought of my current schedule as a fye student. Please give any suggestions on what classes I should/shouldnt be taking or things to look out for. Also what would be the easiest communications course for me to take? Thanks in advance

Incoming Purdue FYE student here — I originally got into the Data Mine General Cohort, but I recently got offered a spot on the EPICS LC waitlist and was told I’d likely need to give up my Data Mine spot if I got in. For current/former Purdue students, how likely is it to actually get off the EPICS waitlist at this point, and as a Mechanical Engineering student, would EPICS be worth choosing over Data Mine? I’m really interested in hands-on engineering projects, teamwork, and community-focused work, but I also know Data Mine has good networking and housing, so I’d appreciate any honest advice.

Hey y'all, I'm an incoming freshman, and I recently got accepted into The Data Mine general cohort. I was wondering if it is worth joining. I'm going in for FYE, and I know that the Data Mine is more centered on CS and stuff, and I would like to meet other engineers if possible. Additionally, I have heard about something called General Cohorts and I was wondering how I could get involved. I'm mainly wondering what the main pros and cons would be if I do end up joining. Thanks in advance!

So I recently just accepted my admission to Purdue after much thought. However, now that I've committed, I can't help but feel regretful. I was between Purdue and UIUC for engineering, and I do believe that I have chosen the better option. Their engineering programs were very similar, and I liked the vibe more at Purdue. But now that I've officially committed, I can't help but think about what could have been at UIUC. I feel like the campus at Purdue may be kind of depressing, but that might be because of what people have been saying on Reddit. When I visited myself, I actually liked it, but I also liked UIUC's campus as well. Is this feeling normal, or should I actually try to consider switching to UIUC? The price at UIUC was 70k, and Purdue was 55k. I don't worry too much about price, but if that is the only notable difference, then I would.

So I recently just accepted my admission to Purdue after much thought. However, now that I've committed, I can't help but feel regretful. I was between Purdue and UIUC for engineering, and I do believe that I have chosen the better option. Their engineering programs were very similar, and I liked the vibe more at Purdue. But now that I've officially committed, I can't help but think about what could have been at UIUC. Is this feeling normal, or should I actually try to consider switching to UIUC?

Edit: Thank you guys for all the supportive comments. I am definitely feeling a lot better now with my choice!

I really don't think I'm ready to make a decision. For context, I'm a prospective mechanical engineering student who has to decide between UIUC and Purdue. After visiting both, I’m honestly still stuck. Whenever I think about going to either one, I can't help but feel super anxious that I'm doing the right thing. Academically, I feel like UIUC might have a slight edge in terms of prestige and research opportunities, and I like that I’d be directly admitted into mechanical engineering. At the same time, Purdue’s FYE system is appealing because I’m not 100% sure I want to stick with MechE, and it gives me flexibility to explore other fields before committing.

On the social side, I think I liked the overall atmosphere at Purdue a bit more, but my UIUC visit was during pretty bad weather (tornado warning + heavy rain), so I’m not sure if that skewed my impression. Both campuses felt similar in some ways, though UIUC seemed a bit more spread out.

Cost-wise, Purdue is about ~$10k cheaper per year, but that’s not a dealbreaker for me.

Any advice would really help — I feel like I’m overthinking this, but also don’t want to regret my decision.

I recently got admitted into UIUC for mechanical engineering, but I'm not 100% sure I want to study mechanical engineering. Some other types of engineering I find interesting are Aerospace, Electrical, Computer, and maybe Civil. I'm worried that by the end of my first year, I would regret taking mechanical and it would have wasted my time/money. Also, I'm thinking about having a CS minor, but I'm not entirely sure.