Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

eura

My favorite class as far for me has been organic chemistry. As much as I hated and i was very afraid about it, now its totally different. Our professor is really nice and helpful, always available after class and in his office hours, AI all great. They have a group room meeting specifically for this chemistry class. I met a lot of student same level as me or even better, which made us study harder and share thoughts together ! It is very competitive ..

Anna

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Jin

some of the professors konw my name and speak it right. I like the music class here. It is usually to see the students work around the clock when the exam is closing .

Jaclyn

As a direct admit business student, I have been showered with support since before I even decided to go here. Direct Admit Day (now known as Connect with Kelley Day) showed me that I would never just be another number at IU. Since being here, that still has not changed. Faculty really do care, and, while the classes are big, professors are more than willing to get to know you. I am also a Hutton Honors College student. Being in the honors college, I have the option to take smaller classes of about 30 people. This is really helpful for difficult classes, or even just to get to know the professors.

Kara

Academics can be extremely difficult or fairly easy at IU, depending on your course-load or program of study. The Kelley school of Business program is difficult, and most Kelley students are studying often. The Jacobs School of Music is a very competitive music program and music students are constantly practicing and performing. Other programs known to involve more work are the Education program and the Journalism program, for they are also well known. Students are always studying in the Herman B. Wells library, even on Saturday nights during basketball games. The library is beautiful and the consensus on campus is that most students prefer to study on one of the 14 floors of the library. The type of education one gets at IU all depends on a person's major or program. In the exploratory program, advisors encourage students to learn for learning's sake, while the Kelley school is very career oriented. Even though IU Bloomington is a big school, it is possible to get to know your professors very well. All of my professors know my name and have been extremely nice to me. It is not true that all freshman classes are large lectures, it just depends on the department the class is in. Usually I do enjoy my smaller classes more, for student interact and often times form friendships. However certain lectures can be very interactive. For instance in my philosophy lecture I made friends with 2 girls and had interesting conversations with the professor several times outside of class. In my experience, the best classes are language classes. IU has a fantastic language program, where most classes are taught by native speakers and students converse only in the learned language. For a student with a disability, I can say it has been hard to find proper equipment for academic usage. Although IU has an adaptive technology center, the software is outdated and the service is unhelpful.

Sydney

My academic situation is a little bit different. I happen to be a double major in Contemporary Dance and Chemistry. In my dance classes, each professor knows my name because I have class with the same twenty girls everyday. I have really gotten to know my professors, even with only being on campus for little more than a semester. Chemistry is a little bit different. My C117 lecture is a very large class, so it is a challenge to get to know the professor. But she always provides ample time to meet with her during office hours and she responds very quickly to emails. She is very accommodating because she wants to help students succeed in her class.

Ruting

All my professors and instructors are very dedicated and passionate about their class. And if being admitted to honor college, there are tons of oppertunitie to touch people who is the distinguished scholar from his era.

Deanna

In terms of academics, your experience depends on your department as well as your willingness to participate during class. Being an International Studies and Spanish major, many of my classes were small discussions where my teacher knew each student by name. In the business school or other departments, however, there are larger lectures where you will have to work harder to distinguish yourself to the professor. The intellectual conversation, especially from my experience in the College of Liberal Arts, definitely continues after class, especially in social justice, political and philosophical classes. The most unique class I've taken was "The Semiotics of Advertising" in which I learned to analyze the symbols used in advertising media from a variety of perspectives. International Studies is sort of a hodge podge that takes classes from other departments that fit certain thematic and regional themes in order to build an understanding of certain internationally-oriented areas of interest. It requires an overseas experience and language proficiency, so I am also a Spanish major and studied in Chile for one semester. The Spanish department is large and sometimes confusing, but I have really enjoyed some of my classes and professors. International Studies requires students to write a 25 page thesis, which I am currently struggling with, and is therefore more focused on preparing students for grad school or further study. Majors like business, public health and telecommunications seem more apt to prepare students to enter the job market and prepare them with internships.

Benjamin

Academically, Indiana University is top-notch, especially when it comes to the teaching staff. The professors I have had the privilege of learning from have provided over-the-top effort in my learning experience, which has propelled me to a feeling of confidence I don't think I wold have attained elsewhere. I am double majoring from the Kelley School of Business here at IU, and I strongly recommend anyone pursuing business to consider Indiana University. Again, the teaching staff has simply made my college experience unforgettable.

Mitchell

In the business school, freshmen and sophomore year there are typically larger classes in lecture halls. The professor will only know your name if you take the time to ask questions and attend office hours. Junior and Senior year, the business classes are typically smaller in size and it is easier to establish and maintain an ongoing relationship with each professor. All the professors are more than willing to help every student any way possible to maximize each student's learning potential.

Emelly

Yes, some professors do know my name because I often ask and answer questions. Class participation is so common.

Natalie

Professors know your name if you put yourself out there by answering questions in class or especially going to office hours. My most favorite class was X220, an 8 week class in Kelley. It taught me the most relevant information that I can use outside the classroom. Students study as often as they need to. The library is always full around specific times, but in general it's spread out because there's always somewhere to study (Union, student building, etc). Class participation is common, since teachers like to call upon discussion. It's really your personal preference though, in big lectures, if you choose to participate. In smaller class it's much more frequent. Depending on the setting, students have intellectual conversations outside of class. You're not going to hear much talk about calculus at a party you're at, but when waiting for class to start, or walking to/from class, you'll engage in intellectual conversation. In science classes, students are very competitive, I feel like. In business classes, it's more of a collaborative setting, where students are really trying to help one another out more. There have been countless times when a student in my business class has offered to send me a study guide, or other study materials. The most unique class I've taken was K201. It was a class strictly focused on Excel and Access, which is a really relevant skill to have in the business world. I am a finance major in Kelley. I was originally Pre Med and Business, because I had the goal of going to medical school and someday owning my own practice. I always had a passion for business, as well as health care, so it just made sense. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a program or pathway that makes the two types of classes not completely overwhelming. It wasn't until this semester that I decided I was going to put my science classes off for a little while, and finish my ICORE (Kelley) prerequisites. I know that if/when I want to go back to medicine, I always can, so I am happy with the path I am on now. The only time I spend time with my professors is during office hours. Those are optional, of course, but they are very helpful. When on the edge, there have been times I have been boosted up because of the personal connection I made with a professor. I think Kelley is an amazing business school and I feel so privileged to be a student here at IU. They really make you a well rounded student as well as a person throughout the curriculum. I'd say the education at this school is equally geared towards getting you a job and learning for its own sake, but probably more heavily geared towards the job market. Kelley has a 98{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} job placement through their career services office. It makes you feel like you're in good hands.

Alaina

Academics at IU are challenging but not impossible if you seek the help you need early. Class size varies from large lecture halls to small discussions of 15 students depending on the class. Be proactive and get to know your professors. They want to help.

Drew

Academics at Indiana University are incredible. IU is considered a Public Ivy, which is a school that provides an Ivy level education at a public school price. IU has over 120 majors and programs ranked in the nation's top 20. Professors are extremely knowledgeable, and many have written textbooks that are used widely. In addition to your major, an IU degree provides you with a background in a broad variety of academic areas. This has allowed me to take some really interesting classes that I would not have taken otherwise. My favorite elective has been an advertising class, and an ethnomusicology class.

Will

Most of the classes I have taken have been fairly large. I have taken a few smaller classes that have allowed for more intimate discussion between students and the professor. In the smaller classes, the professor will know your name. Unless you make it a point to introduce yourself to the professor in larger classes, he or she probably will not know your name. The competition between students generally depends on the major. I'm a telecommunications major, so the competition isn't as fierce as in a pre-med major. The most unique class I have taken is probably "The Music of Bob Dylan."

Whitney

I'm an Arts Management major which is located through the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). I love the classes I get to take for my major, I feel like there are a lot of options within the curriculum so I can customize my degree for exactly what is going to benefit me the most. Some classes are harder and require more attention than others, but I haven't had a class yet that has been impossible. IU offers so many resources to help a student, like study groups and online tools, and all of my professors love when students come and talk to them.

Rachelle

Indiana University academics differ depending on what the student studies. I have heard that some programs are more lax, although as a part of the business school I have always felt challenged. I love being a student here and learning from such bright minds. Many of my professors write their own textbooks or are experts in their field. Professors care a lot about their students, and for every hour of class a professor must have an hour of office hours. I think some students might not study but if so, their GPA reflects it. To get excellent grades, it does not come easy. I enjoy the atmosphere of studies because studies are not extremely competitive or cutthroat. Instead, we all collaborate and work together. Indiana University is a school that is geared toward practical application, not theoretical silliness. Every program is geared toward career success, and they all have programs to help students find jobs. Some schools are stronger than others, for instance as a part of Kelley I understand that the career resources are especially strong. I also love that I can take so many different classes that still contribute to my business degree. Even if you study political science or history, you will not just take those courses. You are forced to get a good solid foundation of classes from all areas, and since there are so many topics of study you can learn anything you want- from basket weaving to accounting.

Amanda

Academics at IU vary depending on which school you plan on graduating from (College of Arts and Sciences, Kelly School, HPER, SPEA, etc.) My experience from the College of Arts and Sciences has been a great one. I am a Spanish and Telecom major so I have experienced a few different kinds of classes. One of my general education lectures when I was a freshmen was 500 people large in one of IU's largest classrooms. In an environment like this, the professor never knew my name or even me directly. In large classes and even some small classes teachers have AI's or assistant instructors that are there to help the students on a more personal and individual basis. The AI can even be the person responsible for giving you your grade. It is a good idea to get to know your AI's. I have also have had more discussion based classes (Spanish classes) where the teacher learns all 20 of our names by the 3rd class meeting. IT is imperative that the teacher learns our names because in classes like this we usually meet 3 times a week and your grade is based on class participation. Classwork is not too difficult. My recommendation is that you stay on top of all of your studies. Don't fall behind and let something slip under the radar. Also, take every opportunity for extra credit, teachers sometimes don't give it out very often. Since teachers don't give it out very often it means you must make sure you give them quality work on all of your regular assignments.

Ivonne

IU has a top business school for me and a top (1st or 2nd) German department in the nation for me! Classes can be small and sometimes very large. Getting a professor to know our names in a large class takes us establishing a relationship with them; once established, it is very helpful and always pleasant to hear our name in a classes with 250 students. We all care about school, and our schools are always focusing on improving techniques and technology.

Bridget

Professors are brilliant. Most classes aren't too big, and if they are there are smaller sections or T.A.s that can help you out. There are an abundance of programs at IU, plus an Individualized Major Program so literally everyone can find world-class programs that suit their academic interests. There are many resources for finding jobs after graduation as well. I've had a life-changing experience at IU. It's encouraging to be surrounded by such driven intellectuals.

Austin

The academics are top-notch, especially at the Kelley School of Business. The professors have their own businesses or consulting jobs, meaning they're teaching from experience rather than from a book. Most of the classes inspire greater intellectual conversations, but these classes are generally after students complete I-CORE, a comprehensive semester-long class.

Anna

Not many professors know my name because my lectures are full of 200+ students. Unless I have questions that my A.I.s cannot answer, I usually leave my professors to be bugged by some kiss-ass student who thinks it will help his grade. My favorite classes are the small ones. Probably my guitar class back freshman year. I study everyday; at least 3 hours a night. Literally. No joke. Students in my upper level science classes are very competitive. I'll be taking racquetball next semester! That's pretty unique! I am a Biology BS major. I do not spend time with my professors out of class; that would be weird. This school is a great school for someone like me who is trying to get into dental school.

Courtney

The academics at my school, I believe, are very impressive. As a marketing student, I am attending one of the best-rated schools in the country for business, the Kelley School of Business, and I feel that I am constantly be pushed and challenged to become the best student and professional that I can be. At a school of over 40,000 students, I can see how one would become nervous that it would be difficult to get to know one's teachers, but, from my experience, even in my larger lecture classes, if you make the effort to introduce yourself and talk to your professors, then they will make the same effort to get to know you as a student. Most of my lecture classes also have smaller discussion or lab classes that are included so that you have the opportunity to learn in both a more public and a more intimate environment. The students here are very competitive and truly care about their future, which is beneficial because it challenges you to work harder.

Deborah

Classes at Indiana University are very challenging and rewarding. The teachers here are very concerned with your overall success, and will not give a grade out that you do not deserve. Students here want to learn, and it is evident in the classroom.

Sinan

I would have to start by saying that the best thing about IU is the size of the campus. It's so large that it breeds diversity and there are all kinds of people to meet and friends to make. It's definetely a college town. Also, IU offers a huge variety of classes from fly fishing and scuba diving to your typical business or science classes. And the staff is very knoweledgable of their fields; they're very top notch. Overall, I would not say that the campus is too large. Also, school pride is a pretty important thing at IU, so it's always fun to go to the basketball and football games, and the tailgating it like no other college's. Finally, the campus itself is very beautiful with all of the trees and openness. It defensively played a part in why I came here.

Ryan

tough

Taylor

Academics at IU is rigorous. The classes are enjoyable and challenging, and the teachers strive to make their respective subjects interesting. I feel that the academic requirements at IU are achievable and well designed to assist incoming freshmen, so as to accommodate them into the foreign college environment. It must be noted that political participation, voting, and debates/conversations often occur outside the classroom. One must be careful when using the term "intellectual", for how does one know which conversations can be described as "intellectual". However, a large number of conversations are stimulating and intelligent.

Leah

I'm not entirely sure what other student's study habits are like, but one thing that for sure; Indiana makes studying easy. I talk to my professors, I use the libraries, I participate in study groups...it just makes so much sense to take advantage of all the opportunities given to me as a student.

Chris

My academic advice would have to be this: make sure that your professor knows your name. A lot of career paths require recommendation letters and it is important to remember that a professor cannot write a recommendation if he/she doesn't know you. Also, make the transition from high school to college easier on yourself by remember that the nature of the beast is a lot different. High School and college are complete polar opposites and you can't hold yourself to the same standards that you do in high school. It's great if you are a straight A student, but don't expect to maintain that if you do the same amount of work. It'll be overwhelming and you cannot afford to let yourself become stressed because if you do, you're just going to waste a lot of energy bouncing around and end up where you started with the same problems.

Jonathan

The class sizes are vary diverse. From my experience, the beginning classes have the largest number of students and the more advanced classes have the fewest. Instructors and professors will bend over backwards to ensure success. There are always office hours available and students who utilize them are the most successful. Some of the upper level classes have been difficult, especially when dealing with lingiustics. It always helps to talk to the professor or instructor to get advice. Getting help from another student outside of class always helps too. I have not seen within the Spanish department too much of a competetive spirit among students, but rather, mainly a deep concern about one's own's grades. Again, professors are always available outside of class and the more time you arrange to spend, the better. There are all kinds of internships, jobs and other opportunities, and it's the student's responsibility to do the research.

Charlie

Classes and standards are pretty reasonable allowing students to balance school and a social life.

Amelia

I have been very happy with the academics at IUB. Every professor has been very knowledgable on the subject they are teaching, and also very helpful if you need it. This is a large university, but the professors, administrators, and other students create an atmosphere of a much smaller, close-knit place. Since this is a big school, you will have to take classes that meet in large lecture halls, but usually the professors are very adament about class/student participation. You almost always have a smaller discussion class that meets once a week for each large lecture class, where you get to know other students and usually some of the associate instructors (usually graduate students). Once you begin focusing on requirements for your particular major, the classes become much smaller and more focused on specific topics.

Sara

Definitely go to class and get to know your professors. I get good grades mainly because I try hard and my professors know so. I do poorly on tests but because they see the effort I put in, they raise my grade. This is true!

Rachel

The professors in the music are great! The music school offers a ton of courses in all aspects of music so you are able to get a well-rounded "book" education beyond the perfomance aspect of music. Since there are a lot of general electives needed to graduate (more than other conservatories), I would reccomend either studing for AP Exams or taking a few community college classes.

Drew

I'm accounting and finance in the Kelley School of Business and have been extremely pleased with my experience. The professors in the B-school have been awesome. They are down to earth while still having an incredible knowledge of the subjects which they teach. Some profiles include former VP of Tax for Fortune 500 Company, fair value accounting expert who consulted the chief economist of the President of the United States during the subprime housing crisis, and alumni from companies such as McKinsey, PwC, GE, etc. The school is nationally recognized and provides top performing students opportunities to pursue premium career paths such as management consulting and investment banking. If interested in either of these industries, check out the Consulting Workshop (contact Prof. Rubin) or Investment Banking Workshop (contact Prof. Haeberle).

Caleb

Kelly Business school is re-donk-u-lus. They produced Mark Cuban, yeah that billionaire that gets to boss around Dirk Noviwnkskwyssksky. (sp?) Great Med School. The Journalism School puts out a great publication with the IDS (Indiana Daily Student). Can't forget about LAMP (Liberal Arts and Management) and CMCL (Communications and Culture), these programs contain the best professors in the country, and ensure you a broad level of learning that will land you a job ANYWHERE. Oh yeah, and we have the Kinsey Institutue, where sex was invented..

Amy

Looking back on my first year at IU, I am surprised at many things. The amount of participation and interaction students engage in during classes is much higher than I had expected. Students want to get everything they can out of a course. Learning is of top concern in the classroom. If you happen to have a large lecture course, you have student email addresses available to you through the IU website and students welcome help from each other. You can really get to know your professor if you are the type of person who enjoys more specific, one-on-one teaching or just trying to find out who your teacher is. I feel every professor and employee at IU is there to help you. Any questions or concerns you may have, there is always someone there to guide you. They are there to help you in your path towards a career and a better education.

Dale

Some of the classes are huge lecture halls with at least 200 students. Professors of those classes never know your name, of course. But the smaller classes tend to be about 20-40 people, I would estimate, and teachers often try to learn students' names in those classes. Class participation is common in some classes, and definitely minimal in others. Some teachers are really good at getting the students interested in the subject and initiating discussion, while others are more passive in this respect and would rather do most of the talking themselves. Each class has a different atmosphere, I've noticed. Having to take four semesters of a foreign language (because I'm in the college of arts and sciences) sucks! I am really bad at learning other languages, memorizing vocabulary, etc. So I can't wait to get that out of the way. I think most students would agree with me on that. I also think the Spanish department here is pretty terrible: the books they choose to use are awful. They don't give hardly any examples, they aren't organized at all (it's impossible to find things in them), the dictionaries in the back don't have half the words you need to look up in them, and the requirements for the course don't help you learn how to speak Spanish at all. I haven't learned how to construct sentences. I can't even say a single sentence in Spanish, and I've taken two semesters of it! I mean, the books we had in high school were much easier to use than the stupid Sabias Que series we're using here. I would like to be able to speak another language, but I've found out college isn't the place to learn one! Also, being a music minor here sucks a lot, too. Music majors are usually in performance. For they most part, they're uppity bastards who think they're smarter at everyone else and better because they also play an instrument all badass-like. If you're a music minor, all these majors think you're some sort of push over or something. You still have to take classes with the majors, and they go around and say what "their instrument" is. Like the own the world's supply of the damn thing. And I always don't know what to say when that happens because I play like three different instruments and I wouldn't consider any of them "my instrument." The practice building sucks, too. like 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the pianos in there are pieces of shit. The keys stick and they're always out of tune. This is supposed to be one of the best music schools in the country or something, and the practice building is really small and has crappy pianos? What kind of nonsense is that? Being a music minor has been difficult for me because of how discouraging it is. They pretty much make you feel like if you're only a minor, you probably suck at music but you just like it so you're wasting time and taking up space in the Jacobs School of Music. It has been very frustrating for me, having grown up with a love for music and learned to play multiple instruments and having been involved with a lot of music programs in high school. Now I have to take really basic classes about theory and music history where they treat you like you're in middle school, just because I'm a music minor and wanted to learn about other things rather than being couped up in a stinky room practicing "my instrument" for about 12 hours a day. As far as what the education is geared towards, I would say that depends on the school or department the student is in. Some schools, probably like the business school and SPEA definitely focus more on getting a job and what types of jobs are available to those students, and a lot of classes required through the college of arts and sciences, which often have nothing to do with a students' major, are more geared toward learning for its own sake, like culture studies and arts and humanities. Some students' majors have nothing to do with courses in those subjects, but they have to take them, anyway.

Alyssa

I feel that the professor that I have had are always willing to go the extra mile and help you if you don't grasp something that was discussed in lecture.

Ellyn

Academics? I won't talk long on that. It's definitely what you make it. I won't make this personal, but I can give you plenty of general stuff. Your intro classes for your major are always big... I've been in classes that's had 5 students in it, and I've had an online class that's had 300 students in there. We only met for exams. Regardless of the size of your class, you should never feel like the professor won't have a chance to know your name. For example, I knew my professor that taught the class of 300 because we actually participated in the same social/dance group! Connecting with the class and instructor could not get too much easier. Email is the main means of communication, so we get mass emails all the time. However, they have adopted a few ways to avoid clutter in your mailbox. We use an online collaborative learning tool called OnCourse. With this, we can see the people in our class, check out our syllabus, course assignments, and retrieve resouces and articles that our instructor might post for us. Chat is oftentimes activated as well. We can take our test online, if the instructor chooses to do that, and we can submit timed and untimed assignments online. I've also used an online system called webwork. With this online web system, I was able to do my calculus homework online. One very interesting class I had, the one with 30 students in it, was a class called the "Sociocultural perspective of African American Music." This class allowed us to see and hear the instructor, watch his powerpoint slides, view the music and videos that he had for the class, and it allowed us to have public and private chats that allowed us to have a very collaborative and effective learning environment. Speaking of instructors, I do my best to get to know all of them. There are less than a handfull that I may try not to cross in the future, but for the most part, I either meet with my professors during office hours or for lunch, and I usually pass by, email, or facebook my past instructors. I think that IUB has a stable academic environment, and I feel that with the requirements for being admitted to IUB undergrad and the institution's colleges rising, I think that they sometimes make it a little more difficult for some students who may have more potential or knowledge that their gpa or other credentials may show. At the same time, I hope that this means that the caliber of students that IU will have will be more competant and persistant. I also believe that IUB will be looked upon as a more selective institution...

Cruz

IU has nationally ranked schools in Business, Medicine, Spanish and others. We're also home to the number one Music school in the nation, ahead of schools like Julliard, Eastman, and Yale. Besides this, IU of course has large 100 level lecture courses just like almost any school, but most of the other courses are quite small and personal. In all of my non-lecture courses my teachers know my name and encourage discourse among the students. Another wonderful thing about the teachers here is that they are always available to meet outside of class to answer questions or discuss the material. I also have to mention that IU is home to the world renown Kinsey Institute for Sexual Studies.

Ashley

Professors here are great. They all love what they teach and are willing to hold extra office hours by appointments. They also want us to ask questions and learn our names, which is important. The academic requirements here are attainable. I spend time in the library to study every week day. If you spend some time each day doing a moderate amount of work, it is not difficult to manage a full schedule.

Gabe

Not to taxing in general for undergrads exept for music, and pre-med (there's a reason why we're the wierd people on campus). Things are not too competitive either because scholarships and stuff like that are given based on many different criteria (such as country of origin), and you usually don't get more than what they give you as a freshman. But it's just not a very competitive campus in general, very "politicaly correct" if you will. So it's more geared toward getting a job that making a difference. Not that you can't make a difference, its just that you'll have to find your motivation inside rather than out.

Melissa

I'm a business student at IU. That means a lot of work and class sizes ranging from very small to very big. The business school is pretty competitive, but at the same time places a high value on student cooperation. I have yet to meet a professor who isn't more than happy to spend time working with or talking to an eager student. Also, IUB, particularly Kelley, has one of the best job placement records around.

Matt

Maybe I'm biased, but I'm of the school that considers the college learning experience to take place, mostly, outside of the classroom. However, that doesn't mean class is anywhere near expendable. I think class should (regardless of the field) feed you with the litany to begin a dialogue outside of class...where you can take what you've been taught in class and expand that knowledge to encompass YOUR life experience. Facts and figures mean nothing unless you can relate them to yourself and then use them to get your work done.

Melissa

- You can be anonymous if you want, but if you want to introduce yourself to professors and talk to them, they will know your name! IU even has several professors who learn the names of all of their students, even in 300-people lectures. The professors here are here for the students and want to help us have great experiences. - I believe that all students should take a fun class! There are a lot of HPER (pronounced "hyper", as in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation) classes that you can take that are a lot of fun! Examples would be martial arts classes (IU has the 2nd best martial arts program in the country...West Point is #1), archery, rock climbing, and human sexuality. - The psychology experience at IU is world-class. I say this because I have been lucky enough to get to work closely with people who are very important within their area of the field. It is very easy to get involved in doing psychology research and the faculty is very receptive to students and love to discuss things with their students. I have had some great conversations from visiting my professors during their office hours! - I think that students can gear their education to be about learning or to be about getting a job...Because of my own personal interests, I have done a lot of learning for the sake of learning (although it will eventually lead to a career for me). I have friends who take classes that give them real-life experiences (like doing practical exams to demonstrate nursing skills, or having a wilderness experience trip to work on wilderness and leadership skills that they have been taught, or even the case study experience known as I-CORE that business students complete). because it's a large university, there is a little bit of everything and you can make it your own.

Elizabeth

The amount students study was suprising to me when I first came here. There are always students in the library studying and around the dorms doing their homework and engulfed in their studies.

Claire

IU academics are great. I wish the advisors were more helpful.

Allie

My professors in my smaller classes know my name, but in the large classes it is hard for them to learn about everyone. I live on the honors floor in my dorm, so most of my friends study quite a bit. My major is Exercise Science (I am pre-physical therapy) and all of the classes I have taken in that area have been interesting (which makes me happy that I chose my major).

Rachel

As i said, your academics is waht you make of it. I'm studying Apparel Merchendising and I love it. The professors are all willing to help you and make time for you even if your class is HUGE. There are really big lectures, but it's not hard to find small classes.