With the promotion of comprehensive enrollment policy in the college entrance examination, it has become an indispensible topic that how to attract excellent students to engage in building environment and energy engineering. Cognitive practice is an important practice for new students to have an idea about the major. Based on the development history, positioning and characteristics of the universities, enough attention should be paid to connotation construction of the major. Through comparison of knowledge and skill points of cognitive practice, metalworking practice, production practice and graduation practice, the differences and characteristics of cognitive practice are presented. By comparing the experiences and teaching methods of cognitive practice in domestic colleges, their successful experience is referred to. It provides ideas for formulating the cognitive practice program for Nanjing Tech University. The cognitive practice model of "culture edifying + base visiting + literature review + group discussion" is introduced. The enthusiasm of students is mobilized and good results have been achieved.