NSO Handbook

New Student Orientation Handbook

Welcome from Whitten

Congratulations on your decision to join Indiana University! I am excited and honored to welcome you into our vibrant community of scholars, learners, and change-makers.

As you embark on this journey with us, know that you're not just joining an institution; you're becoming part of a legacy of transformation. Whether you're pursuing your academic interests, engaging in research, or serving the community, we're here to support you every step of the way.

At Indiana University, we prioritize your success and strive to provide an environment that nurtures both intellectual rigor and a sense of community responsibility. Here, you'll discover endless opportunities for growth and exploration—it's up to you to seize them and make the most of your time with us.

From the moment you set foot on campus to the day you proudly walk across the stage at graduation, our dedicated faculty and staff will be by your side, offering guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support.

Welcome to the IU family! We're thrilled to have you here, and we can't wait to witness the incredible achievements and milestones that lie ahead.

Pamela Whitten
President, Indiana University

Campus Map

Find everything you're looking for on campus on the IU Mobile app or on our interactive campus map.

Stay On Task Checklist

During Orientation

Stay on track and ensure access to information you need with the following list, some of which you can also find in your FYE Checklist in Orientation Portal.

Before move-in

  • Living on campus? Visit housing.indiana.edu to check the IU Housing website for information and updates about move in. Look for the Move-In Guide to plan for what to bring—and what not to.
  • Get to know your roommate in advance so there are fewer surprises.
  • Review information about IU Dining meal plans at dining.indiana.edu.
  • Review and complete all IU immunization requirements and policies at usss.iu.edu/student-records/immunization. International students must also plan for a TB test once in the states. Review at ois.iu.edu/admissions/prepare-first-year.
  • Before spending money on technology or software, check out the IU ComputerGuide, IUware, and IUanyWare for special student discounts and find free software at kb.iu.edu/d/antk.
  • Review parking and bike permit information at parking.indiana.edu if you plan to bring a car or bike to campus.
  • Explore beinvolved.bloomington.iu.edu for information about student organizations and leadership opportunities.
  • Make sure you have completed all your NSO Canvas modules.

Before classes start

  • Connect to the eduroam Wi-Fi network—the secure network at IU—using your IU email address and passphrase. Visit wifi.iu.edu for more details.
  • Double check the “live” version of your class schedule online (search My Class Schedule in One.IU). Make sure you know when and where the classes you enrolled in will meet.
  • Meet your RA and attend floor meetings if you are living on campus.
  • Review and update your emergency notification settings in One.IU to receive IU Notify immediate danger alerts.
  • Review your bursar bill, financial aid, and To Do List items through One.IU. Connect with Student Central if you have questions.
  • Download the IU Mobile app to access IU information on the go, including Welcome Week schedule info, services, real-time bus locations/routes, and tools you need.
  • Remember to check your IU email account daily.
  • Make a plan for Welcome Week. Some events are required, all are intended to help you have a great start. Find events on the IU Events Calendar at events.iu.edu/bloomington.

During the first month of classes

  • Continue creating your Hoosier Experience by staying connected, exploring, and engaging with people and events.
  • Set up your Handshake profile, IU's one-stop resource for scheduling career coaching appointments, career events, and finding jobs & internships. Learn more at: go.iu.edu/6BfZ.
  • Seek out opportunities for engaged learning including research, internships, creative activity, and global involvement at engagedlearning.indiana.edu.
  • Set up appointments with your academic advisor and career coach.
  • Get to know the IU Student Health Center at go.iu.edu/4NRv.
  • If you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, homesick, or depressed, take some time to review our wellness resources by navigating to iu.edu/mental-health. Sign up for 24/7 support from TimelyCare.
  • Download the Rave Guardian App to connect to safety resources.
  • Get to know 3 other people and share your name and contact info with them. Not only is this a great way to build your community, but it is also a good way to stay safe in a new place.
  • Try tutoring.indiana.edu for tutors and help sessions for many of your classes, and consider a one-on-one coaching session with the Student Academic Center (sac.indiana.edu) to help build a solid system for time management and studying.
  • Go to all classes, even those with no attendance policy. Class attendance is the best predictor of class grades and GPA and is one of the most important decisions you can make for your academic success.
  • Visit all your professors in office hours to introduce yourself, help them put a face to your name, and get to know them. Come with a question about the class or just your curiosity about what they do and how they got into their field.
  • Complete your Hoosier Experience modules in Canvas.

Your First Year

The Office of First Year Experience Programs (FYE) welcomes you to your new home at Indiana University. We are very excited to be the hub for you as you start your Hoosier Experience. Through FYE programs such as New Student Orientation, Welcome Week, and Hoosier Experience programming, we'll introduce you to IU traditions, connect you with events, people, services, and opportunities—and help you live The Indiana Promise.

Your first year has so much in store for you—embrace it all. You will experience amazing academic opportunities and preparation for the future, for new friendships and connections with people from all over the world, and for incredible growth. There will be great successes, adjustments, and even stumbles, but all will provide a chance to learn more about yourself, to build your community, and to become who you are meant to be.

FYE is here to help, and this handbook is just a start to all that is here for you. Reach out to us anytime at fye@iu.edu, 812-855-4357, via social media, or at our office at 1514 E. Third Street, near Forest Residence Center.

Congratulations—and welcome to the Hoosier family!

Welcome Week at IU

Your next step in your Hoosier Experience: jump in as soon as you get here. Attend Welcome Week in August and Welcome Events in January. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Hoosier family—and to the beautiful IU campus. Exciting events and traditions will help you connect with other students and navigate campus. Check the IU Events Calendar and filter for Welcome Week to find events daily. With big and small events, academic and social events, and events designed to help you start to experience all that IU has to offer—some required, all recommended—you will be glad you chose to become a Hoosier.

The Hoosier Experience

With the Hoosier Experience program, you’ll build your own journey and make your college experience everything you want it to be. You’ll have the opportunity to meet other Hoosiers, find exciting new activities and interests, and learn all about IU Bloomington.

You will also be able to explore, engage, and reflect with events and activities that will challenge you and teach you something new about:

  • Academics & Careers
  • Arts & Humanities
  • Equity & Inclusion
  • Health & Wellness
  • Leadership & Engagement
  • Tradition & Community

Continue with your FYE Canvas modules to build your Hoosier Experience with resources, tips from students, and campus events.

Watch this video to see how you can create your Hoosier Experience:

IU Mobile

Maps and directions, appointments and to-dos, classes and schedules, events and more—find it all on the IU Mobile app. No matter where you are, everything IU is at your fingertips. Download it today and log in for personalized information. Visit mobile.iu.edu to learn more.

Tips to help you keep your promise:

  • Connect with faculty. Go to your professor’s office hours to introduce yourself and get to know them and the course material. This is how you find future mentors and recommenders.
  • Know expectations. All communities need boundaries and rules. Be sure you know your rights as well as your responsibilities. Review the Code of Student Conduct. Read your syllabus. Ask questions if you have them.
  • Share and learn. Share your culture, your traditions, your beliefs with others. Ask them about theirs. Embrace the opportunity you have to explore the world right here—through museums, music, performances, culture centers, libraries, and more.
  • Be a part of this community in ways that connect you. Help one another—take care of yourself and of others. Do no harm. Challenge injustice, violence, and ignorance. Challenge yourself to be better than you are now, and challenge others to do the same. It’s a Hoosier thing. It’s who we are.
  • Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Make good choices.

Academic Success

Academic planning

Own your educational experience. It's more than just going to class, doing homework, and taking tests. It's about using resources, planning ahead, and exploring options and technology—all of which you can access virtually. It also means making good choices both in and outside the classroom—your success is affected by both. Refer back to your NSO Canvas modules for more information.

Academic Advisors are committed to helping you achieve your goals. Plan to meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester. Schedule an appointment early! Making an appointment is easy—search “Student Appointment Scheduler” in One.IU.

Advisors will discuss your interests with you and help you explore majors that align with your career goals, understand degree requirements, register for classes, find resources, take advantage of opportunities and support services on campus, and map out your best path to graduation.

Hear advice from students on how to make the most of your advising and course registration:

If you’re a direct admit into a particular school, you can find out more about academic advising specific to your school at the following:

*The College of Arts and Sciences includes The Media School; Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design; and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

Find a complete list of academic units at go.iu.edu/1ADf

As an IU student, you can start working with a career coach right away. Career Exploration and Student Employment is your gateway to career services, providing career coaching for exploratory, pre-nursing and pre-business students as well as hosting job fairs and career-related workshops for all students. Learn more at cdc.indiana.edu. If you are a direct admit or a pre-major student (other than business or nursing) you'll work with that school’s career service office for industry-specific career support. Your first year is a great time to identify your interests and values, learn about career possibilities, and discover opportunities. Visit your Career Coach to explore majors and careers, write a resume, find part-time jobs, and more. For a full list of all of the career service offices on campus, visit go.iu.edu/6BfY.

Academic assistance

Academic Support Center tutoring locations in Briscoe, Forest, and Teter provide introductory math and writing tutoring, study groups, and other academic support. Visit academicsupport.indiana.edu for more information.

Student Academic Center resources help you develop learning strategies, perspectives, and behaviors for academic success. Services range from courses you can take for credit toward any degree—including those created just for first-year students—to free one-on-one academic coaching. Learn more at sac.indiana.edu.

Tutors are available in many academic programs. Visit tutoring.indiana.edu to get started.

Living at IU

Living on campus

New, first-year, undergraduate students at Indiana University Bloomington are required to live on campus—and for good reasons. You’ll connect with others. You’ll be close to services. You'll learn to live in a community. Find out more at go.iu.edu/7x9R.

The IU Housing website reviews policies, outlines opportunities, provides building layouts, supplies packing lists, and much more. Staff are committed to student engagement, community development, and safety. Move-in details will be available online and emailed to all residents prior to their first semester. Find out more at go.iu.edu/7x9S.

Before you move to campus

  • We strongly recommend all students get renters insurance. Learn more at go.iu.edu/7x9T.
  • Connect with your roommate (if you have one).
  • Review the permitted and prohibited items lists. Learn more at go.iu.edu/7xan.
  • Verify your new mailing address.

Meal plans and dining

IU Dining provides a variety of healthy and nutritious foods to meet the preferences and dietary restrictions of each student. The online tool, NetNutrition®, is available at go.iu.edu/7x9W where students can check calories, allergens, and nutritional information. We also have a registered dietitian on staff who works with students to help them plan meals around their needs.

On-campus residents may select one of three IU 7-Day meal plans. All of these meal plans include Meal Scans at all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, Meal Exchanges to use at pay-as-you-go locations, and Dining Dollars to use at pay-as-you-go locations. Visit go.iu.edu/8pFg to compare available meal plans.

CrimsonCard

You will use your CrimsonCard daily to access campus services and resources such as meal plans, printing, and your residence hall. You can also load funds to your CrimsonCard account and use it to make purchases both on and off-campus. Grubhub also accepts CrimsonCard, which gives you access to 300,000+ restaurants nationwide and you’ll be eligible to receive Grubhub+ for FREE, which means no delivery fees! Learn more at crimsoncard.iu.edu.

Getting around

With all of IU’s transportation options, it’s easy to get around campus or explore Bloomington.

Biking and walking are both great ways to get to class. Learn to be a safe and smart cyclist on campus by watching the videos posted at go.iu.edu/7xa0. Don’t forget to register your bike with Parking Operations, use lights at night, and use a U-lock.

Take the bus with either the IU Campus Bus or Bloomington Transit— both free with your CrimsonCard. Track campus buses in real time through the IU Mobile app at iu.edu/mobile-app.

Bringing a car to campus is not recommended but is allowed. Visit parking.indiana.edu for information on parking fees and locations.

IU Ride offers safe evening and late night transportation around Bloomington. Find out more at iuride.indiana.edu.

Building Community

Create meaningful connections, build leadership skills, and make lifelong friends by getting involved outside of the classroom. Join a student organization, get a campus job, volunteer, perform, cheer on the Hoosiers, make connections through the Hoosier Experience program, and more. Make the most of your experience with these resources:

Get involved

There is always something going on around campus. Looking for something to do? Visit fye.indiana.edu/hoosier-experience to check out upcoming events.

Use beINvolved, IU’s student involvement platform, to find student organizations, student events, and related news. Log in to beinvolved.bloomington.iu.edu to get started.

Learn how Recreational Sports can help you lead an active, healthy lifestyle at recsports.indiana.edu.

Get outside with Outdoor Adventures. Participate in trips, workshops, and other activities that foster a love of the outdoors. Learn more at outdoors.indiana.edu.

Make a difference with IU Corps by honing your skills alongside professionals who work toward positive social change locally and globally. Learn more at iucorps.indiana.edu.

Check out Sorority and Fraternity Life to learn more about a sorority and fraternity community of more than 8,000. Learn more at go.iu.edu/OSFL.

Involvement Ambassadors can help you find something that sparks your interest and enhances your Hoosier Experience. Learn more by dropping into the Student Invovlement and Leadership Center in the Indiana Memorial Union or visiting go.iu.edu/GetInvolved.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.

Your IU education includes the time you spend learning with, from, and about others who are not like you. At IU, we denounce all forms of bigotry, hate, and racism. We believe strongly in a society that values the respect and dignity of life for all. Expand your ability to support diversity, equity, and inclusion by embracing the opportunities at IU:

  • Cultural and support centers
  • Festivals, celebrations, religious and cultural holidays, and traditions that are new to you
  • Courses and clubs exploring diversity, cultural engagement, self-discovery, and more
  • Bloomington’s diverse cultural offerings
  • Study abroad opportunities at abroad.iu.edu

For more from the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, visit diversity.iu.edu.

Bloomington

When you come to IU you join more than just the university—you also become a member of the Bloomington community. It’s a college town that has so much to offer—over 100 downtown restaurants, local coffee shops, great music venues, art galleries, and more—all within walking distance of campus. Explore our many parks at bloomington.in.gov/parks. Find out all that Bloomington has to offer at visitbloomington.com and visitorcenter.indiana.edu.

More for families and supporters

FYE is here for you, too! FYE provides:

  • Webinars throughout the year with topics designed to connect you to resources, provide information about processes and timelines, and share ways to support your Hoosier. To sign up for a session, visit fye.indiana.edu/resources.
  • Monthly email newsletters with information of particular interest to families of first-year students.
  • A website—fye.indiana.edu—which includes information just for you. Check out the family sections under the Orientation and Resources tabs. Be sure to review the online Resource Center!
  • Also, check out the Parents Advisory Board and other information under the Communities tab on the Office of Student Life website at studentlife.indiana.edu. Under some circumstances, parents may receive information from Student Life staff when incidents involve alcohol or other controlled substances. The Office of Student Life also sends a monthly newsletter to families of all students.

Key Resources

First Year Experience Programs

fye.indiana.edu
At FYE, we’re here to help you make your first year amazing and help you truly become a Hoosier. If you have questions, reach out to us at fye@iu.edu or 812-855-4357.

IU Contact Center

For general questions, call 812-855-IUIU (4848).

Official IU Academic Calendar

Stay up to date about class schedules, midterms, finals, and holiday breaks at go.iu.edu/1AxK.

IU Cultural Centers and Institutes

Explore diversity, cultural awareness, and advocacy no matter your ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, or gender at diversity.iu.edu/cultural-involvement.

Tentative 9-year calendar

Get a long-term jumpstart to planning your years at IU at go.iu.edu/1AxL.

Office of Student Life

Learn about support, care, getting involved, and being a responsible, active Hoosier at studentlife.indiana.edu.

Student Central

Monitor your finances at studentcentral.indiana.edu.

IU Housing

For all housing information visit housing.indiana.edu.

Dining

For all dining information, visit dining.indiana.edu.

Indiana Daily Student

Visit IDSnews.com for news about IU from the award-winning student run newspaper.