Eric Sterling Chu is an up and coming senior at Purdue University. I asked him to share his experience going to college out of state and how he dealt with the adjustment of not only being away from home for the first time but putting himself in a climate and culture that he was not used to. I hope that his experience can help those who are already struggling with or are going to be experiencing the transition to college in a different state in the near future.
Why did you decide to go to school in Indiana?
Frankly, because I did not get into the good California schools that I wanted to go to.
But why Indiana?
So you know, I applied to Purdue as a safety school and I got accepted to it and I was like okay that’s cool let me try it out as far as visiting the school and seeing if I liked it. I went and visited it and didn’t like it at all. I’d never been to Indiana and thought it was the weirdest thing in the world. But I decided to go there to experience a different culture and to experience college life and as a result fast forward and I love everything about Purdue except our current football team and the brutal winters.
What are your favorite things about Purdue?
Wow where do I start, let’s see, there are some amazing down to earth people and they are very welcoming to people who aren’t from Indiana and make you feel at home. I like how family oriented and supportive the Midwest is. The college life at Purdue is fun, you work hard, you play hard and there’s so many different things to do with different kinds of people. I love meeting people who are cool and in the same position as me because I know that we are all in this together. It's a life changing event when you turn 21 and get to go to Harry’s Chocolate Shop, the local bar, and your bank account gets demolished. I also love watching Purdue Basketball and other sports even though we lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament this past year.
So, what was it like adjusting to the midwest after living in California for 18 years?
It sucked at first but it got better as it went.
What were the most difficult parts about it?
The winter because the temperatures were below freezing and being away from home was hard. Adjusting to the challenging academic lifestyle was something that took some getting used to. #boilerup. You know, you have to adapt, you need to suck it up and get through it or you struggle with it and literally don’t survive. It's really helpful to be active and keep yourself busy, you know, join clubs, find a friend group, get involved in greek life. Whatever you can do to make yourself love your college.
Looking back, are you happy with the decision that you made?
Yes, 100%.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
To be honest, no, everything happens for a reason and I would not be the person I am today without making the stupidest decisions in college while also making the smartest decisions in college. In college you have to make dumb decisions so you can learn from them. When you make a smart decision it helps to reaffirm that you're doing something right.
"Usually I'm 5'6" but with these Yeezy's I'm probably like 5'8 1/2" - Eric Sterling Chu
