Questions about Purdue

[Kreon]

I just got accepted to Purdue.

I will be accepting, assuming I can afford it.

I have some questions about West Lafayette.

I've never been to the Midwest. What is it like (specifically the area around West Lafayette). I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and have attended college in Boston.

A few specific questions:

What is there to do for fun? Especially outdoors like camping, canoeing, hiking, etc

What is the culture like at Purdue? Where I am now it is a work hard, work harder culture. Should I expect that there as well or a more relaxed atmosphere? I understand of course that it is grad school and that will play into things differently than undergrad.

And perhaps the most important question: Is Guinness common out there? Other good local stouts or porters I should keep in mind?

What else should I know?

Hoping to go out and visit after this semester finishes.

 

[Sinsear]

They have good chicken.

 

[Paratus]

It's a nice area. The campus is beautiful. There were enough on campus activities that I mostly wasn't looking for nature stuff to do on the weekend. Fall semester was taken up with Marching Band and spring semester was building mini Baja vehicles with SAE. However Chicago and Indianapolis are both a relatively easy drive from West Lafayette.

If/when you are old enough there's a damn fine bar scene if you are interested in that kinda thing.

Classes were tough when I went there and you'll need to study, ( I'm assuming an engineering major here)

Good luck and Go Boilers!

 

[SKORPI0]

They have good chicken.

It's spelled Perdue.

 

[Platypus]

I just got accepted to Purdue.

I will be accepting, assuming I can afford it.

I have some questions about West Lafayette.

I've never been to the Midwest. What is it like (specifically the area around West Lafayette). I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and have attended college in Boston.

A few specific questions:

What is there to do for fun? Especially outdoors like camping, canoeing, hiking, etc

What is the culture like at Purdue? Where I am now it is a work hard, work harder culture. Should I expect that there as well or a more relaxed atmosphere? I understand of course that it is grad school and that will play into things differently than undergrad.

And perhaps the most important question: Is Guinness common out there? Other good local stouts or porters I should keep in mind?

What else should I know?

Hoping to go out and visit after this semester finishes.

Purdue is my alma matter. I haven't been back in a while but I can tell you a few things. West/Lafayette basically sucks, though there are some hidden gems abound. There is a decent mix of cultures there, being an engineering school, so you can find some decent food. There is also a large white trash/bro population.

Atmosphere is alright. Not the prettiest place you've ever been though. There is plenty of outdoorsy stuff to do in Indiana though.

Beer wise, the college bars suck, but if you go into Lafayette proper, hit up Chumleys (assuming its still there), they have 50 beers on tap and 150 bottled beers. Basically your one haven of good beer in the area. Check out South Street Smokehouse on 26 for some awesome bbq.

 

[edro]

I have many coworkers who went to Purdue for engineering and visit near there for work every few months. It is very stereotypical midwest. Boring by Boston standards, but it is much more relaxed and down to earth. Much less of a rat race mentality.
What engineering? Some sort of mechanical I am assuming...

 

[Kreon]

Am old enough for the bar scene, but prefer pub or lounge style places over bar types. Not sure if that distinction is the same everywhere.

Beer wise, the college bars suck, but if you go into Lafayette proper, hit up Chumleys (assuming its still there), they have 50 beers on tap and 150 bottled beers. Basically your one haven of good beer in the area. Check out South Street Smokehouse on 26 for some awesome bbq.

This place is exactly what I'm looking for, awesome. Thanks for the reccomendation.

I have many coworkers who went to Purdue for engineering and visit near there for work every few months. It is very stereotypical midwest. Boring by Boston standards, but it is much more relaxed and down to earth. Much less of a rat race mentality.
What engineering? Some sort of mechanical I am assuming...

Geotechnical Engineering. Hopefully rock mechanics and/or deep excavations (hoping to go into tunnels).

I like relaxed and down to earth, I miss that in Boston tbh, as my hometown is pretty relaxed.


And does anyone know anything about their ASCE Student Chapter?

 

[Herr Kutz]

Am old enough for the bar scene, but prefer pub or lounge style places over bar types. Not sure if that distinction is the same everywhere.



This place is exactly what I'm looking for, awesome. Thanks for the reccomendation.




Geotechnical Engineering. Hopefully rock mechanics and/or deep excavations (hoping to go into tunnels).

I like relaxed and down to earth, I miss that in Boston tbh, as my hometown is pretty relaxed.


And does anyone know anything about their ASCE Student Chapter?

I see what you did there.

 

[Kreon]

I see what you did there.

 

[vailr]

It's a nice area. The campus is beautiful. There were enough on campus activities that I mostly wasn't looking for nature stuff to do on the weekend.
...
Chicago and Indianapolis are both a relatively easy drive from West Lafayette.

There's Amtrak service once daily in either direction, between Indianapolis and Chicago.
In the summertime, there's the Wabash River for tube rafting.
There were several NASA astronauts that graduated from Purdue. The first and also the last man to walk on the moon, as I recall...

 

[TecHNooB]

off topic, but during my last year, someone donated an N64 to the engineering lounge in the EE building. most of the time, super smash bros was goin on but they had a copy of ocarina of time so I popped it in and started playing. it was fun watching the progress made by others on the save file each time I returned to the lounge. I was playing the forest temple as adult link and got lost. A few guys who were watching started tellin me exactly where to go. that reminded me that I was surrounded by fellow nerds

 

[chitwood]

< - Purdue grad, '98 - '02

I'd say the campus is pretty bleak for the most part, mostly because its frigid there for most of the school year.

Go to these places at least once (assuming they're still there) :

Triple XXX (its a diner, calm down)
Harry's Chocolate Shop
Jake's
Neon Cactus
Where Else

All bring back good memories. Of course it was mostly a football frenzy most of the time I was there since Brees was our QB

 

[rcpratt]

Sounds like Chumley's would be more your kind of scene, but you do have to visit each of the places that chitwood mentioned at least once as well (they are all still there). Especially Harry's and get a Baltimore Zoo.

I don't really know much about what kind of outdoorsy stuff is available, although I'm sure there's plenty. Chicago and Indy are both about an hour away, but other than that there's nothing closer that's really worth leaving WL for.

You should see if you can visit during Grand Prix weekend this year if possible. If you enjoy that, you'll enjoy Purdue.

 

[manimal]

I do some business in perdue. Not as good of a college town as say Ann Arbour but still lots to do.


One thing though. Get ready for meaty thighs...

 

[rcpratt]

I do some business in perdue. Not as good of a college town as say Ann Arbour but still lots to do.


One thing though. Get ready for meaty thighs...

0/2, really? It's not that hard.

 

[Saint Nick]

I do some business in perdue. Not as good of a college town as say Ann Arbour but still lots to do.


One thing though. Get ready for meaty thighs...

Yep, make friends with the cheerleaders, quick!

 

[Kreon]

Go to these places at least once (assuming they're still there) :

Triple XXX (its a diner, calm down)
Harry's Chocolate Shop
Jake's
Neon Cactus
Where Else

All bring back good memories. Of course it was mostly a football frenzy most of the time I was there since Brees was our QB

Added to the list

You should see if you can visit during Grand Prix weekend this year if possible. If you enjoy that, you'll enjoy Purdue.

That looks like a ton of fun. Unfortunately its the weekend that finals straddles (Apr 21), so won't be visiting then. Likely be going the next weekend or in the middle of the next week (depending on airfare).



In other questions, do most people get an RA or TA there? I still haven't recieved any financial offers, and I'm starting to get a bit worried.

 

[Platypus]

Feel free to PM if you have additional questions.

The other bars mentioned have a supreme bro quotient, proceed with caution.

 

[rcpratt]

Feel free to PM if you have additional questions.

The other bars mentioned have a supreme bro quotient, proceed with caution.

Well, yeah, welcome to college bars. Although frankly I don't think Harry's or the Cactus are bad at all, and if anyone goes to Purdue and doesn't visit those two places at least once, they didn't get the full experience.

I'm sure Chumley's will be a more regular hangout for him though, based on what he's said.

 

[Platypus]

Well, yeah, welcome to college bars. Although frankly I don't think Harry's or the Cactus are bad at all, and if anyone goes to Purdue and doesn't visit those two places at least once, they didn't get the full experience.

I'm sure Chumley's will be a more regular hangout for him though, based on what he's said.

I had to break up a fight with like 10 bros at Harry's once because someone spilled a bit of their drink on one of them in the fish bowl. Over maybe... 1mL of liquid on someone's shoe. It then degenerated into a racial slur fest. Welcome to Indiana.

Cactus was only good on Thursdays when you could fill a giant plastic cup fill of liquor for nothing.

 

[TecHNooB]

Added to the list




That looks like a ton of fun. Unfortunately its the weekend that finals straddles (Apr 21), so won't be visiting then. Likely be going the next weekend or in the middle of the next week (depending on airfare).



In other questions, do most people get an RA or TA there? I still haven't recieved any financial offers, and I'm starting to get a bit worried.

I'm sitting on 2 offers and should really decline one of them so someone else can have it. Don't even know if I'm going to purdue :| I'm going to the grad visit this week.

 

[chitwood]

I had to break up a fight with like 10 bros at Harry's once because someone spilled a bit of their drink on one of them in the fish bowl. Over maybe... 1mL of liquid on someone's shoe. It then degenerated into a racial slur fest. Welcome to Indiana.

that sounds about right

Cactus was only good on Thursdays when you could fill a giant plastic cup fill of liquor for nothing.

haha. it was bottom-of-the-keg pee from the previous weekend but no one cared.

I still have my cactus cup.. it holds my loose change at home

 

[Dryfter]

My wife is graduation from Purdue this semester and I've spent about every weekend down there for the last 5 years.

I just got accepted to Purdue.

I will be accepting, assuming I can afford it.

I have some questions about West Lafayette.

I've never been to the Midwest. What is it like (specifically the area around West Lafayette). I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and have attended college in Boston.

A few specific questions:

What is there to do for fun? Especially outdoors like camping, canoeing, hiking, etc

What is the culture like at Purdue? Where I am now it is a work hard, work harder culture. Should I expect that there as well or a more relaxed atmosphere? I understand of course that it is grad school and that will play into things differently than undergrad.

And perhaps the most important question: Is Guinness common out there? Other good local stouts or porters I should keep in mind?

What else should I know?

Hoping to go out and visit after this semester finishes.

West Laf isn't anything special. It seems like they've always got road construction going on. Makes it sort of a pain in the ass. Game weekends get pretty crazy if you're coming/going.

Outdoors stuff? Not really sure there. Badlands Off Road park is about 30-45 mins south-west. I guess you could canoe down the Wabash. I've never seen anyone doing it, but I'm sure it's possible. Turkey Run is about an hour away. Plenty of stuff to do outdoors there. I'll admit I haven't been there in a LONG time.

Chicago is about 2 hours away, Indy is about an hour. If you ever go to Indy, go to kilroys. They have different flavors of Long Islands that are GREAT.

No idea about the beer as I'm not really a beer drinker. But there are plenty of bars/liquor stores around. Also, no idea about the culture as I don't actually go to school there.

< - Purdue grad, '98 - '02

I'd say the campus is pretty bleak for the most part, mostly because its frigid there for most of the school year.

Go to these places at least once (assuming they're still there) :

Triple XXX (its a diner, calm down)
Harry's Chocolate Shop
Jake's
Neon Cactus
Where Else

All bring back good memories. Of course it was mostly a football frenzy most of the time I was there since Brees was our QB

Triple XXX is still there (diners drive ins and dives on food network did a special on it)
Neon Cactus, Where Else, and Jakes are there also. We've gone out to bars, but they're WAY to packed for my liking. If you're going, get there earlier and find a place to sit. I'm not sure if the chocolate shop is still there.