I’m interested in going to IU next fall but I’m worried about the sheer size of the school. What are freshman classes like? Size and professor interaction? Is it easy to feel lost because of the number of people attending?
IU like most large schools can feel big at first but after a few days on campus and getting to know your way around it starts to feel smaller. My D has never had an issue with professor interactions with one exception and that was an on-line class where she had a hard time getting feedback but outside of that she’s had no issues.
IU is a very pretty campus and seems to always have something going on. My D says the bus system is pretty good for getting around so no need for a car her freshman year, she has her car there now but still uses the bus quite a bit to get around.
Ran across some information regarding very successful research by IU graduates and special NSF “career awards” at another university. I poked around and found there were more “career award” winners in this moderately sized University from IU alumni than from any other university. I was confused as I thought all great CS and Engineering in Indiana came out of Purdue. This prize faculty winner started with a BA in CS from IU, as opposed to a BS in CS from Purdue. For an out of stater, it was an eye opener.
If you want CS take a hard look at IU. All the good engineering/science in Indiana is not at Purdue. Size is another issue which relates to personal fit. If possible, see if you can arrange on overnight visit.
One of the things I like about IU is that even though it’s a large enrollment school, the campus is relatively compact. Pretty much everything is inside of the four main streets. No real streets inside of campus. I think it’s about a mile end to end. Walking is not an issue.
Compare to Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan – much more spread out with busy streets running thru campus.
I also love the fact that it butts right next to downtown Bloomington. It allows access to things outside of school.