<p>Basically, I'm a really introverted person with terrible social skills and I don't connect with many people. As a student, I excel when I have a close relationship with my teacher and I absolutely thrive on class discussions. </p>
<p>On the one hand, I'm thinking that classes at IU will feel too impersonal for me and the social scene will be totally overwhelming and clique-y (not to mention really similar to high school, since most people go there along with a bunch of their high school friends, which I don't have the privilege of doing...!)</p>
<p>On the other hand... I can't really afford an expensive private school and I don't have high enough grades to get accepted to most of them anyway. </p>
<p>So, what's the verdict? Is it possible to get a small school feel out of IU, or should I continue to explore my other options? Will IU be such a bad fit for me that the extra money spent on a private school would be worth it?</p>
<p>By the way, I've already decided on my major (Art History) if that helps.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s definitely possible to get a smaller feel at IU if you make wise choices. The Honors college is one way to do so if you are accepted into it, but that’s not an option for everyone. </p>
<p>Another way to do so is to consider an LLC (living/learning center) or a “themed” floor for your first dorm choice. There are many options available. Some of the LLC’s have classes available specifically for that LLC. There are also the FIGs (freshman interest groups) Any of these would be a great way to make a big campus smaller. See this link for the possibilities. [IU-RPS</a> - Learning Communities](<a href=“http://www.rps.indiana.edu/llprograms.cfml?aud=adm]IU-RPS”>http://www.rps.indiana.edu/llprograms.cfml?aud=adm)</p>
<p>I want to address your concern about having friends from HS, etc. I suspect that my D’s high school (especially if one thinks about both community high schools) has one of the largest contingents at IU. They definitely don’t all hang out together. As a matter of fact she rarely sees them, even the ones that live in the same quad. Will there be cliques on floors? Sure, that’s human nature I think to hang out with like minded people. BUT you have the option of choosing a dorm/floor that will put you in the middle of many like minded people. I noticed there is a FIG for studio art/art history majors or you might check out Collins LLC. I’m told lots of “artsy” students there. </p>
<p>In terms of classes, try to choose classes with a smaller lab section, etc. for your general ed requirements. After you finish those most of your classes will be smaller.</p>
<p>Before I start my message to you, I’m going to have to point out that this forum is generally filled with IU students, parents, and alumni, so it’s going to be a little biased. That being said, I would recommend IU over private schools in some cases. I didn’t visit many schools, but most of the ones I did visit were private schools (Butler, University of Dayton, and Vanderbilt). I got the impression that these schools would be more clique-y than IU, because everyone seemed to come from similar ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Cliques are going to happen whether you go to a school of 500 or 38,000 people, but that doesn’t mean people won’t be open to meeting new people.</p>
<p>I’ve always been a shy, socially-awkward person, like you describe yourself. There are a couple of girls on my floor who were best friends in high school, and they now live next door to each other and have this clique-ish, perceivably exclusive group of friends. They are nice, and I have no problem with them, but I don’t spend much time with them because I always feel out of place. Other than this, there aren’t really any cliques on my floor, even though a lot of us have someone on the floor with whom we went to high school. I am one of those people who come from a school where about a fourth of my class went to IU. I have people from high school in two of my classes, but other than that I don’t see people from my school much. I have one friend who I hang out with from high school, but I don’t spend all my time with him.</p>
<p>Class discussion occurs in all my classes, even my 260-person class. I will admit that smaller classes generate better conversation, but like rrah said, your classes will be smaller after you finish your gen ed requirements. You can also get to know your teachers by going to office hours. Many of my teachers have theirs in the union starbucks, so it has a relaxed atmosphere.</p>
<p>Sorry my response is so long, but I had similar worries to yours when I decided to go to IU, but I think I made the best decision. You just have to be open to meeting new people.</p>
<p>Strongly consider enrolling in an IFS (Intensive Freshman Seminar). There is quite a bit of information about the program on IU’s website. The testimonials there are one hundred percent accurate. My freshman daughter had the same concerns the OP has expressed. After her IFS experience, she did not even want to come home for the 4 day break before fall semester. She had acclimated herself to collegiate academics, learned that having a roommate involves compromise, could confidently navigate around campus, had made contacts for some volunteer work, and most important of all, had made many new friends from all over the country. Check it out.</p>
<p>My ds went to IU with many kids from his high school–along with his four closest friends. He only kept in contact with one of them, and they all lived in the dorm next door. I wouldn’t worry about that.</p>
<p>I think it is important to view the average size of the classes offered in your major (Art History), which you will find in the Fine Arts section.</p>
<p>In viewing the average course size, I find two of the courses have classes of 170 students (that then break out into groups of 25 for discussion purposes), four of the courses have about 45 to 50 students each, and then about 6 of the courses have small groups of around 25 or less in each class.</p>
<p>In other words, this tends to be a popular major at Indiana University at Bloomington–and you should therefore expect some very large classes–especially during your freshmen and sophomore years. During your junior and senior year, expect smaller classes.</p>
<p>This is a fairly common occurrence at most schools–especially public ones–but if you truly want all your courses to be small ones (in terms of number of students), then–quite bluntly-you would probably be best advised to attend a different university (probably a smaller liberal arts school). </p>
<p>Indiana University at Bloomington is a great school----------------------------------------------------but, it is not for everyone.<br>
Fit is important–and this may not be the best fit in your case. Consider, however, what linz1990 wrote above, though, to get a different perspective–and to consider whether smaller classes are truly what is most important in making your choice.</p>
<p>I do wish you success in finding the right school–and wish you well whether you end up at IU-B or at some other college.</p>