Indiana University student culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have kids who go to IU? We just visited and loved the beautiful campus and would love some feedback on student life. Do kids regularly attend sporting events? Are there fun things to do for under 21 kids who don’t join Greek life? Is coursework challenging, and are academics a priority for most students?

OP, did you go to the Kelley DA day? If so, how was it?

No, we were there for the Red Carpet Day. I did see the Kelley DA day mentioned on CC, and I think people who attended were very impressed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is junior there. From OOS, into progressive politics and sustainability, not into Greek life (and before choosing IU she checked with some recent alums to confirm Greeks orgs aren't the dominant force of social life there -- and they haven't been). She liked the campus, liked the programs in her fields, liked the range of options. She's having a fantastic time. It's a huge school and it seems like to offset that they have a lot of smaller-sized groups and clubs as an initial way to meet people. She opted to live in a "living/learning" dorm that focuses on sustainability and that's provided many of her closest friends (but she's made friends outside that too -- in the Kelley business school, in some sororities and fraternities, etc). She also joined a few clubs freshman year - isn't as active in them now but again it was a good way to meet people. Bloomington is wonderful and offers a lot of dining and entertainment options; the performing arts programs bring a lot of inexpensive events to campus; Big Ten sports are not really a primary focus for her but she likes the energy it brings to the campus and she and friends attends a couple of times a semester. She and friends get up to Indianapolis for concerts from time to time, and have road-tripped to places like Chicago and Cincinnati and Nashville. Her friends are serious students (okay, one exception) and she is too -- actually, she's probably more serious about her studies than she ever was before. Over five semesters she's has had one meh professor and has liked or loved all the others. She studied in Europe last semester - not in a generic "Americans abroad" drinking and sightseeing program but in an honors exchange program IU has with a leading European uni (which I mention only to underscore that IU has some great programs that smaller schools won't).

Any surprises? Her best friends are from Indiana and they are smart and hardworking and well-travelled (because we didn't know what to expect). The IU campus and Bloomington absolutely seem like a typical university town (or small city) bubble consumed by the usual student passions and insulated from a lot of state- and national-level politics (because she wasn't sure if going to school in a pretty red state would feel different from the blue states she's more familiar with). IU doesn't feel isolated (Bloomington is an hour from Indianapolis, which isn't NY but is a real city). 'Midwest nice' is actually a thing, not just hype -- with the kids, with the administration, with the people in town.

We really hadn't known what to expect - had no prior connection with the school except some grown family friends whose eyes would tear up whenever they talked about their time in Bloomington. But she liked the programs and loved the campus when she visited, and that IU seems to look for reasons to accept rather than reject applicants. It's vastly surpassed her expectations (and ours to the extent that matters). I obviously can't categorically promise every student will have a great time and find their niche there, but it seems to offer as good a shot at that as anywhere, and DD's experience (since she's definitely not a sorority/business school 'type' of IU cliches) tends to confirm that. Hope this helps.

OP here. Thank you for taking the time to write this! This was such a helpful post.

[Anonymous]

I have two kids there. Both are thriving there in different ways. It's definitely a big place that can be anything you want it to be. It's also a big place where a kid can feel isolated. As worrying parents, we were nervous about our daughter falling into that latter category for the first few weeks. But she found her people and is having a good experience.

My son is in the marching band and is just having a blast. He was a high school band kid and, joining the Marching Hundred, he basically had a built in social group, and he goes to a ton of sporting events. (We watch for him on TV at the basketball games.) He's definitely drinking underage off-campus, but from all I can tell, he's going far less crazy than I did at his age.

My daughter didn't join the band, so was a little slower to fall into a social group. I don't think IU necessarily does a great job with orientation activities. They have a lot of them, but they don't require them and don't seem to give the kids much a push to interact. The first week, I think my daughter went to several first year student events where she wasn't really sure how to break the ice (or was too nervous.)

But, she's in the Collins dorm and has a few art classes, so she fell in with an "arty" crowd that seems to suit her.

There's definitely an active Greek community in Bloomington, but my kids aren't part of it. Near as I can tell, that's not a problem for either the people who like Greek life or the people who don't want to be part of a fraternity or sorority. Again, it's a big place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is junior there. From OOS, into progressive politics and sustainability, not into Greek life (and before choosing IU she checked with some recent alums to confirm Greeks orgs aren't the dominant force of social life there -- and they haven't been). She liked the campus, liked the programs in her fields, liked the range of options. She's having a fantastic time. It's a huge school and it seems like to offset that they have a lot of smaller-sized groups and clubs as an initial way to meet people. She opted to live in a "living/learning" dorm that focuses on sustainability and that's provided many of her closest friends (but she's made friends outside that too -- in the Kelley business school, in some sororities and fraternities, etc). She also joined a few clubs freshman year - isn't as active in them now but again it was a good way to meet people. Bloomington is wonderful and offers a lot of dining and entertainment options; the performing arts programs bring a lot of inexpensive events to campus; Big Ten sports are not really a primary focus for her but she likes the energy it brings to the campus and she and friends attends a couple of times a semester. She and friends get up to Indianapolis for concerts from time to time, and have road-tripped to places like Chicago and Cincinnati and Nashville. Her friends are serious students (okay, one exception) and she is too -- actually, she's probably more serious about her studies than she ever was before. Over five semesters she's has had one meh professor and has liked or loved all the others. She studied in Europe last semester - not in a generic "Americans abroad" drinking and sightseeing program but in an honors exchange program IU has with a leading European uni (which I mention only to underscore that IU has some great programs that smaller schools won't).

Any surprises? Her best friends are from Indiana and they are smart and hardworking and well-travelled (because we didn't know what to expect). The IU campus and Bloomington absolutely seem like a typical university town (or small city) bubble consumed by the usual student passions and insulated from a lot of state- and national-level politics (because she wasn't sure if going to school in a pretty red state would feel different from the blue states she's more familiar with). IU doesn't feel isolated (Bloomington is an hour from Indianapolis, which isn't NY but is a real city). 'Midwest nice' is actually a thing, not just hype -- with the kids, with the administration, with the people in town.

We really hadn't known what to expect - had no prior connection with the school except some grown family friends whose eyes would tear up whenever they talked about their time in Bloomington. But she liked the programs and loved the campus when she visited, and that IU seems to look for reasons to accept rather than reject applicants. It's vastly surpassed her expectations (and ours to the extent that matters). I obviously can't categorically promise every student will have a great time and find their niche there, but it seems to offer as good a shot at that as anywhere, and DD's experience (since she's definitely not a sorority/business school 'type' of IU cliches) tends to confirm that. Hope this helps.

OP here. Thank you for taking the time to write this! This was such a helpful post.

+1 This is an accurate description of Indiana.

[Anonymous]

OP I have two kids there too. They love it and I am anticipating a 3rd there shortly. Neither of mine are greek and have found their own crowd independent of each other. One in Kelley and one doing a International Relations and foreign language (which is one of the specialties which I didn't know). Both have had great classes. Kids are studious or at least the crowds my kids are in. Lots of kids from IN and IL but also plenty of OOS. Travel is really easy. One of the hotels has a shuttle from the airport hourly which most of the kids grab. Mine also go home with friends on breaks or weekend which is nice also.

Bloomington is a great college town. A ton to do for everyone and the campus is definitely one of the most beautiful around. It can be a party school or it isn't. I will tell you that the fakes DO NOT work more most of the college bars. Huge crackdown on those. Obviously kids still party but you won't find underaged at the bars. I love that fact that there is a lot of live music there too. My kids are really into catching shows both here and there.

Sports are huge. Yes the football team has sucked the last few years but basketball is huge. Kids need to get a sports pass ($500ish) for the year then you can get into the lottery for men'sbasketball games. No gurantee you will get a ticket but there is a lot of swapping that happens at the last minue. Assembly Hall is packed for every game. Mine love going to the women's basketball games and my DS has friends on the rugby team so he goes to those.

Mine have come back to DCand gone abroad for summers. One is off to Chicago for an internship this summer and the other will be back here. Plenty of DMV kids there who they now hang out with when home.

Really just a great school. We have been really please.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that none of the kids mentioned so far have gone greek at IU. Not as appealing to east coast kids for some reason?

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned the not being able to get into the bars is a negative...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Any surprises? Her best friends are from Indiana and they are smart and hardworking and well-travelled (because we didn't know what to expect). The IU campus and Bloomington absolutely seem like a typical university town (or small city) bubble consumed by the usual student passions and insulated from a lot of state- and national-level politics (because she wasn't sure if going to school in a pretty red state would feel different from the blue states she's more familiar with).

I wonder if you're aware how gross this entire paragraph is. Like, OMG, they aren't backwards hicks in Indiana! They've actually left the state and some even vote Democrat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Any surprises? Her best friends are from Indiana and they are smart and hardworking and well-travelled (because we didn't know what to expect). The IU campus and Bloomington absolutely seem like a typical university town (or small city) bubble consumed by the usual student passions and insulated from a lot of state- and national-level politics (because she wasn't sure if going to school in a pretty red state would feel different from the blue states she's more familiar with).

I wonder if you're aware how gross this entire paragraph is. Like, OMG, they aren't backwards hicks in Indiana! They've actually left the state and some even vote Democrat!

You must be the same idiot that abuses the word "gross" all the time. 99% of us know exactly what PP was thinking and are happy for the perspective.

Please, stop calling everything "gross"...it really does make you sound like a fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Any surprises? Her best friends are from Indiana and they are smart and hardworking and well-travelled (because we didn't know what to expect). The IU campus and Bloomington absolutely seem like a typical university town (or small city) bubble consumed by the usual student passions and insulated from a lot of state- and national-level politics (because she wasn't sure if going to school in a pretty red state would feel different from the blue states she's more familiar with).

I wonder if you're aware how gross this entire paragraph is. Like, OMG, they aren't backwards hicks in Indiana! They've actually left the state and some even vote Democrat!

You must be the same idiot that abuses the word "gross" all the time. 99% of us know exactly what PP was thinking and are happy for the perspective.

Please, stop calling everything "gross"...it really does make you sound like a fool.

Please, stop treating Midwesterners like they're beneath you. It makes you sound like something worse than a fool.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if you're aware how gross this entire paragraph is. Like, OMG, they aren't backwards hicks in Indiana! They've actually left the state and some even vote Democrat!

You're a moron. Much of the common DCUM speculation about IU (and about many other state schools from different regions) is: the in-state students all already have their own friends and come from a different background than prosperous, diverse DMV so it can be hard to get to know them well; in-state students generally face easier admissions standards than OOS and certainly pay less so maybe they're not as academically motivated; IU is located in a state that's fairly famous for right wing culture wars so that might be a big cultural adjustment for kids from the mostly blue DMV/East Coast; IU is in the Midwest and that's mostly cornfields (!) so it probably feels isolated. It's actually useful to see each of those misconceptions addressed and rebutted very specifically. If someone trying to be helpful (and btw providing entirely complimentary assessments about Indiana) triggers an urge in you to virtue signal and say "gross!" then you should get a life and probably get off the site.

[Anonymous]

Following. Does anyone know how campus life compares to Virginia Tech?

The most prominent building on VT campus is the Administration Building. The campus feels imposing to me, not in a good way.

[Anonymous]

This post has me even more interested in IU which is on our Spring Break campus trip. Thank you to the PP's who have kids there and gave great perspective!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone mentioned the not being able to get into the bars is a negative...

I'm not going to lie. Our DC has brought this up. They've heard the bars that cater to freshman are either no longer taking that clientele or have closed down. They want a big university town experience - bars included - that a large flagship usually provides. But they're worried they will be stuck in dorms if they don't join the Greek life.

Also, thank you to the posters with children at IU right now who have weighed in on life in Bloomington. It is VERY much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I have two kids there too. They love it and I am anticipating a 3rd there shortly. Neither of mine are greek and have found their own crowd independent of each other. One in Kelley and one doing a International Relations and foreign language (which is one of the specialties which I didn't know). Both have had great classes. Kids are studious or at least the crowds my kids are in. Lots of kids from IN and IL but also plenty of OOS. Travel is really easy. One of the hotels has a shuttle from the airport hourly which most of the kids grab. Mine also go home with friends on breaks or weekend which is nice also.

Bloomington is a great college town. A ton to do for everyone and the campus is definitely one of the most beautiful around. It can be a party school or it isn't. I will tell you that the fakes DO NOT work more most of the college bars. Huge crackdown on those. Obviously kids still party but you won't find underaged at the bars. I love that fact that there is a lot of live music there too. My kids are really into catching shows both here and there.

Sports are huge. Yes the football team has sucked the last few years but basketball is huge. Kids need to get a sports pass ($500ish) for the year then you can get into the lottery for men'sbasketball games. No gurantee you will get a ticket but there is a lot of swapping that happens at the last minue. Assembly Hall is packed for every game. Mine love going to the women's basketball games and my DS has friends on the rugby team so he goes to those.

Mine have come back to DCand gone abroad for summers. One is off to Chicago for an internship this summer and the other will be back here. Plenty of DMV kids there who they now hang out with when home.

Really just a great school. We have been really please.

+1 on the sports culture. IU women’s basketball team playing right now and the game is completely sold out. 17,000+ in attendance.