When your student starts their first semester, it will help to know more about academics at IU—from the big picture to detailed information about your student’s specific program. We’ve also compiled information about academics and careers in the Resources section of our website. We encourage you to review this and other information in these pages to learn more about what is available for your student.
Hear from IU Bloomington faculty on how to succeed inside and outside the classroom.
Description of the video:
[Upbeat music plays.]
[Video: An aerial view of the IU campus is shown. Large limestone buildings dot the landscape with a dense canopy of trees between them. The IU trident logo appears at the top of the screen, and the words professors’ perspectives is in the middle of the screen. A view of the Sample Gates is shown, with students walking between flower beds and orange foliage surrounding the gates.]
[Video: The words and campus scene dissolve. A woman is sitting in an office, with a file cabinet decorated with pictures of children is behind her.]
[Words appear: Dr. Ellen Vaughan, Associate Professor, School of Education.]
Ellen: I wanna share with you some things that I hope will be helpful, during your journey here at IU. First, I hope you'll get involved. IU has many opportunities. They're academic, research, and social opportunities.
[Video: The video cuts to a man sitting in front of a projected background of mountain landscape.]
[Words appear: Dr. Keith Dayton, Senior Lecturer, Kelley School of Business.]
Keith: So my best pieces of advice as you think about who you are and how you wanna navigate this, is reach out to faculty. Sit in the front row, introduce yourself, be engaged, ask questions.
[Video: The video cuts to another man sitting in an office. There are boxes stacked up behind him and a whiteboard on the wall that has the words adventure, mystery, and romance written on it.]
[Words appear: Dr. David Rubinstein, Clinical Associate Professor, Kelley School of Business.]
David: Thank you for coming to Indiana University. It was a tough decision perhaps but it's a great decision and I don't think you're going to regret it.
[Video: The video cuts to another woman sitting in her home, with photos and artwork on the wall behind her.]
[Words appear: Dr. Marjorie Hershey, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences.]
Marjorie: When you start college, there's lots of temptation. There are no hall monitors, you won't hear any bells ringing, there are no tardy slips, there's no after-school detention if you skip. So when the temptation hits to skip a class, remind yourself, the way to get a good GPA is to go to class every day and turn everything in. It's simple, we can't teach you if you aren't there and we can't tell you're learning if you don't turn everything in.]
[Video: The video cuts to another woman sitting in her home, with a lamp beside her and a shelf of books on the wall to her left.]
[Words appear: Dr. Bernice Pescosolido, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences.]
Bernice: The syllabus is your guide to the semester. The first thing you should do is read it and you should go through and know all the important dates and get those on your Outlook calendar.
[Video: The video cuts to another woman sitting at a table with a large plant behind her.]
[Words appear: Iman Alramadan, Lecturer, Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.]
Iman: Keep routine and make yourself a daily planner. Always plan ahead and don't wait. And don't forget to start the hard projects right away.
[Video: The video cuts to another woman sitting at home. There are decorations on the walls behind her.]
[Words appear: Dr. Lisa-Marie Napoli, Director, Political and Civic Engagement Program.]
Lisa-Marie: Getting to know your peers is a wonderful idea. If you're noticing somebody who's asking questions along the same lines as you, that might be a good person to talk to after class. Just say hi, share your name, who knows, maybe you'll become study buddies. At a minimum perhaps you'll just have a nice person in the classroom that you can smile and wave to, connect with and just know that they're in the same boat as you.
[Video: The video cuts to a man wearing headphones and sitting in front of a projected image of the Earth as viewed from outer space.]
[Words appear: Dr. Mehmet Dalkilic, Director of Undergraduate Studies for Data Science.]
Mehmet: We come together when we understand each other and what I'm inviting you to do is be uncomfortable your four years here by speaking to people that you normally wouldn't speak with, to take classes that you have no background in, perhaps, you say, I don't even like. To eat food that you've never eaten before. To stay up at three in the morning and watch a meteor shower, to do things that are, strange and wonderful.
[Video: Cuts to Keith in front of the projected mountain view.]
Keith: So if you're going to the Kelley School of Business I expect that you would, every now and then, maybe walk through the Jacobs School of Music or you might meet a nursing student, or you might, walk over to the IMU and hang and meet somebody that's a history major.
[Video: Cuts to Marjorie in her home.]
Marjorie: It doesn't matter if you know what your major will be. A lot of people think they know what their major will be and they will have changed it within a year or two, that's the way college works, it's a process of broadening your horizons.
[Video: Cuts to Ellen in her office.]
Ellen: Your professors are here for you. In my classroom I love sharing, the knowledge, science, and practice of counseling but I also really enjoy getting to know my students. And I hope you'll come to my office hours.
[Video: Cuts to Bernice in her home.]
Bernice: Come by office hours, talk about what you're thinking about, give us an opportunity to
see if we can help you, guide your way through IU, and that can have a lasting impact on your time here at IU and even later on.
[Video: Cuts to Lisa-Marie in her home.]
Lisa-Marie: We are all human just like you all and it's someone to turn to. It's someone to get to know, it's helpful to get to understand. You may even find it fascinating or interesting how they came to be in the work that they're doing and their research.
[Video: Cuts to Iman.]
Iman: In college, we help you to get out of academic bubble and prepare you to be engaged with the class, the school and the community.
[Video: Cuts to Mehmet in front of projected outer space scene.]
Mehmet: The most important thing, in college is that you leave a better person than when you came in, so you need to invest in yourself.
[Video: Cuts to Ellen.]
Ellen: Think about how you take care of yourself, do you reach out to friends, family, or a counselor. What do you do that helps you be you? Do you get out in nature, do you exercise? Do you play a musical instrument? Do you practice mindfulness meditation? Remind yourself of these things, especially when you start to feel the stress build.
[Video: Cuts to David in an office with a whiteboard.]
David: This is a challenge but you are so rewarded, both externally and internally for the efforts that you put out and what you learn about yourself. 10 years from now because you came here, you know what people are gonna call you? People are gonna call you boss, they're gonna call you boss, 'cause you're gonna build stuff and leave stuff and share stuff and grow stuff and you know what? That's your destiny. And you know what else? Indiana University is gonna get you from here to there.
[Video: Cuts to Keith in front of projected mountain scene.]
Keith: Where am I at really? Well let's choose a different background and let's choose here, none.
[Video: The mountain scene disappears, and David is seen sitting in his home.]
David: This is where I'm at, this is where I live. I've had over two hundred students out at my house before. And it's an opportunity to engage, it's an opportunity to get to know you, it's an opportunity to make your experience a good experience, not just because you're at Indiana University or on our campus but because we care about you. As you move forward, please reach out, they're the best resources anywhere that you can find on a college campus or community to help you and assist you as you move forward.
[Video: The screen goes black and the IU trident logo appears. Under that it reads New Student Orientation First Year Experience Programs.]
[Upbeat music plays and then fades out.]
[End of transcript.]
Students will prepare for their NSO academic advising appointment by completing required placement exams and their NSO Canvas site modules. During NSO, they’ll meet with their advisor in a student-only meeting to discuss their academic goals and plan their first semester schedule. This meeting is designed to be for students only.
Remind your student to:
Learn how to help your student succeed in a new college environment.
Description of the video:
[Video]: Video opens with a white screen containing the title “What’s So Different about College Academics?” This screen also contains the words “Advice for New Hoosiers!” in black font, and an Indiana basketball teddy bear.
Voiceover: Welcome to, "What's sodifferent about college academics?"This video will identifythree big differences betweenhigh school and college academics,as well as introduce youto your support network.
[Video]: The video changes to a screen that says “Meet Sam” as the title. The screen also says “Sam is a high achieving high school student, recently graduated. Sam is heading to IU Bloomington! Sam is wondering, What’s the difference between my high school experience, and that at university? Let’s break this big question down into smaller parts.” The video also contains a photo of a teddy bear with glasses looking at a laptop, with a red chat bubble above his head that says, “I am so ready for this.” At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
[Voiceover] Meet Sam.Sam had good grades in high school andwants that same academic successto follow on to IU.So Sam wants to know,"What's the difference between my highschool experience and that at IU?"That's a big question.Let's break it down into three parts.
[Video]: The video changes to a white screen with a picture of a teddy bear holding a clock, with a red chat bubble over its head that says, “Time Flies. How is my time different at University?” This slide also contains a bulleted list, which says, “Think in terms of:
At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: The first part is about time.How is time different atuniversity than in high school?For example, in high school,it is common for classes to start around8:00 AM and to end around 3:00 PM.That's a set schedulethat everyone can count on,but it is different at university.Yes, you might have a class at 8:00 AM,but you might also have a class at 8:00 PM.Classes can be any time throughout the day,and balancingthose responsibilities can be difficult.Another example can be seen in howadults were involved withyour schedule. In high school,adults kept track of where you were,and where you were supposed to be.That's good, because weneeded the help then.But at university, youare assumed to be the adult.It is up to you to be where youare supposed to be and to makeadult decisions. If you skipa class, that's on you.So the student is responsiblefor managing their time,but you are not alone.
[Video]: The video changes to a white background with a photo of the Student Academic Center on it. It also contains the following text: “Located on the 3rd Floor of Student Central, with online options, too! Learn about great studying and time management tips. Sign up for interesting classes, such as You@IU, Becoming the Best Student, or the academic coaching class. It’s free! After your first year, apply to be a paid intern!” At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: One of your allies atuniversity is the Student Academic Center.It is located on the thirdfloor of Student Central.The experts atthe Student Academic Center helpwith time management and study techniques.If you are notgetting the academic resultsthat you want or expect,give them a call and do it early inthe semester - right after the first test.They can help youidentify habits that could beimproved so that you aremaking the progress that you expect.They also offer classesto help change habits,classes to introduce you to IUB,as well as an academic coaching class thathelps students set and accomplish goals.So the Student Academic Centeris one of your key allies.
[Video]: The video changes to a white background with a photo of a teddy bear looking down a road with a text bubble above its head. This text bubble says, “How are academics different at University?” This part of the video is titled “Back to Sam,” and contains the following text: “This sounds difficult, like it’s a long road and Sam only knows a little bit about how to get to the end. Sam has another question: (bulleted) Think in terms of:
At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: Sam has a second question about academics.Of course, university is notonly about academics,but they are the primary reason you are here.So let's look a bit more closely abouthow our academic world changes fromhigh school to Indiana University.One of the main differences ishow much self-educationis expected at university.If you take a three-credit-hour course,for example, you will seethe instructor about three hours per week.And that is where some of the educationoccurs, certainly.But that same instructor will alsoassign several hours of reading each week,which you will be expected tocomplete on your own.And that instructor may assignan essay for you as well,which, again, you will beexpected to complete outside of class.And there may be a testfor which you will study on your own.In fact, it is often the casethat if you take a three- credit class,you can expect about three hours per week inthe classroom andabout six to nine hoursper week additionallyworking on that one classoutside of the classroom.So you are treated like anadult and therefore expectedto teach yourself some ofthe content that you will learn.Of course, some contentcan be quite difficult,but, again, you do not have to do it alone.
[Video]: The video changes to a white background with a photo of a student doing work. This section of the video is titled “Academic Support Centers” and contains the following text:
At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: The Academic Support Centeris one of your allies as well.They are located invarious places around campus,such as some of the residencehalls and culture centersand they offer drop-in tutoring.So if you havea particularly challenging class,(and there are several of thesethat freshmen typically take)you are not on your own.They have tutoring for finite mathematics,for example, calculus,and many introductoryscience and business classes.Simply drop by one ofthe Academic Support Centers to workwith one of their fantastic tutors.They also offer online tutoring.
[Video]: The video changes to a white background with a photo of two teddy bears, one holding a pen and one holding a phone. A red chat bubble is above their heads, and says, “How is academic writing different at university?” The title of this section is “Back to Sam.” This section includes the following text: “So Sam is not alone, and Sam can get help. Sam has a final question:” Think in terms of:
At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: "That's awesome!" Sam thinks.Sam has one final question:"How is academic writingdifferent at university?"If you think back to high school,you probably had several writtenassignments over that time.Your high school instructormay have helped with theseto an extent.University is different, though.There are a lot more writingassignments - a lot!They are more frequent, they are longer,and they requirehigher proficiencies in communication.It's not an exaggerationto say that many studentsfind writing assignments to be themost difficult of any in college.It can be intimidatingwriting for a professor,and it can be especially difficultlearning how to write properly -because a single type of writing will not do.Scientists write differently thanthe humanities which writedifferently from business,for example. Each ofthese have their own styles,citations, manuals, and expectations.It can be daunting to figure it all out,but that's where the fantastic tutors atWriting Tutorial Services can help.
[Video]: The video changes to a white background with a photo of two people working on an assignment. This section of the video is titled “Writing Tutorial Services”, and includes the following text:
At the bottom of the video, a red bar contains the IU logo, the words “New Student Orientation” and #IUNSO20.
Voiceover: Writing Tutorial Services isyour one-stop shop forimproving your written communication.You can improve your verbal communication,too, because they help with speeches as well.Writing Tutorial Services isavailable in the Wells Library,at various locations across campus,as well as online.What's fantastic aboutWriting Tutorial Services isthat they can help with every stepof the writing process.They can help with brainstormingor creating an outline,and they can even read a draft andprovide feedback about your communication.Another amazing thing aboutWriting Tutorial Services is that theyhave experts in various disciplines.So, if you need a tutor whois familiar with science writing,for example, you canrequest one of their science writers.It's an amazing and free service.
[Video]: The video changes to a red background with the title “Contact Us”. This section contains a photo of a teddy bear wearing a cap and gown, and an Indiana grad shirt. This section includes the following contact information:
Voiceover: So, you can see that university issignificantly different from high school.Time management is up to you,for example. The quantityand quality of work is higher.The material is much more demanding andyou are expected to domuch of it on your own.And the writingis copious and professional.But you are not alone. You havean entire network of support here at IUB.Use your allies as soon asyou suspect it would be helpful.Thanks for listening.We look forward to workingwith you and we are glad you are here!
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Discover the many ways IU helps students achieve their career goals.
At IU, students can enter their academic program in two different ways—University Division and direct admission. Students in University Division can explore a variety of fields, identify their strengths, and combine majors and minors to create their own perfect path. Students offered direct admission will begin their studies in their specified school or major.
Find out more about your student’s specific program—or several they’re interested in:
Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design
Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies
Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Find out about services for 21st Century Scholars.
