From an academics point of view, the benefit of attending an exchange term is that while you do get to meet, interact with, and learn from a very diverse set of students, you also get to understand business in a different context, and from a perspective that is unlike your own. I got the opportunity to learn how management practices differ in the USA when compared to India and how businesses grow and sustain in developed economies.
Purdue gave me a lot of opportunities to go out and explore. There are so many events happening across campus every single day that you can run out of time, but not places to go to. These events range from star gazing to dance nights, Halloween parties to tech conferences, magic shows, music concerts, frenzied football games and everything in between. The Boilermakers, as Purdue students are known, sure know how to do it all. The university boasts of excellent infrastructure and the sports facilities at the university are world class. This is underscored by the fact that Purdue students won 4 medals at the Rio Olympics. I absolutely enjoyed using the swimming pool and Jacuzzi after tiring work days.
Put up in student apartments at Purdue Village with a roommate from Taiwan, I got around the town pretty easily. Boilermakers ride free in the CityBus. But, the wanderlust did not end in Indiana. Since academic commitments for the week ended on Thursdays, the extended weekends allowed me to travel across the country extensively. Through the term, I managed to travel to 10 states in USA, visiting Illinois, California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington DC, Texas, Virginia, Maryland and Florida. I visited both the East Coast and the West Coast. Some highlights include my visit to Los Angeles, Miami, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Hoover Dam and Universal Orlando Resort. But the best experience hands down was at the Grand Canyon. Trust me when I say no pictures do justice to its magnificence and sheer brilliance.
I learnt a lot in these exciting four months. I went to USA with a lot of expectations and came back with new experiences, life-long friends and a lot of memories. If you are still contemplating whether you should apply for that exchange term, I urge you to go ahead and not to think twice. This will probably be one of the most memorable adventures of your life.
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