About the First-Year Experience
IU Indianapolis offers an extensive range of experiences and opportunities to enhance your education the moment you step foot on campus. During orientation, you'll work with your advisor to enroll in the option that best fits your major, interests, and schedule. First-year seminars are the core component of all experiences. If you participate in a Learning Community, the first-year seminar is part of that experience.
Bridge Week
Bridge Week takes place the week before fall classes begin and gets you ready to hit the ground running. Talk to your advisor at orientation about Bridge Week options!
Learning Communities
Learning communities combine a first-year seminar and one or two other linked general education courses.
Standalone First-Year Seminars
Standalone first-year seminars are individual classes that meet during the regular semester and are not connected to any other courses that you'll take during your first semester.
Live the experience
No matter which first-year experience you choose, you can expect to make lifelong friendships and have the support you want and need to guide you through your first year. All experiences provide opportunities for you to engage in exclusive experiences both in and out of the classroom.
Create lasting friendships
Make deep connections with other awesome Jaguars starting college like you
Serve your community
Service learning is a key element of many first-year experiences
Inside access
You'll have countless opportunities to get to know your major, campus, and everything in-between
Support from day one
You'll have a strong support network of faculty, advisors, and mentors
Have fun while learning
Experiences are designed to engage students and make learning a breeze
Go beyond the classroom
You won't just be listening, you'll be doing, going, visiting, making, and more!
Participating in Bridge really helped me feel like I belonged and helped ease my nerves about starting college.
Former Bridge participant
Keep up with us
Connect with us on social media to keep up with all of the great first-year experiences available to you.
