This was a great way to earn three credits and begin your college career on the right foot. Even though the class was difficult and you had to put in a lot of effort to receive a good grade, it was the easiest and fastest three credits I have and probably will ever receive in college. IFS is a program filled with kids that are ready to get a head start at college, make new friends and learn how to budget their time. It is important to take school seriously from the start because it is very difficult to get lower grades up. Get involved, introduce yourself, and make connections. Everyone is in the same boat as you and the best way to make this your new home for four years is to be friendly and meet the people that will be living around you. Have fun!

IFS was hugely instrumental in my success here at IU. It was a great feeling when the first day of fall semester rolled around and I didn't have to deal with the anxiety that a lot of my friends were facing because I was already comfortable around campus. My class was a really dynamic experience and has helped me find my niche here in Bloomington. Since I got exposed to the community early on, it was easy for me to jump into opportunities. Right now I'm volunteering for two of the agencies that I learned about through that class on a weekly basis. I've found a family here in Bloomington through my work with the other volunteers at these places and it is great to have a support system that extends beyond my floor.

IFS is a great way to ease into college from high school. Many students are nervous about making the big change from high school to college and IFS offers a solution to this anxiety. In IFS you only have one class and so you can adjust easier than if given a full load of classes at once. In addition, IFS offers a great way to meet new friends before the first semester begins. It is really nice to see some familiar faces in the first week of classes.

IFS was the best thing I could have ever done to prepare myself for being a full-time college freshman. Not only did I get to experience what it is like to take a college class for the first time, but I also learned the tricks to getting around on campus. When the first week of regular classes began, I was ahead of the other freshmen in my dorm because I knew where everything was. I also felt more prepared when entering my classes because I had already leaned what my professors would expect of me. My transition from living at home to living in a dorm with hundreds of other students had taken place during IFS; so, I did not have to spend my first week of the semester trying to get used to my environment. I could enjoy meeting people and focusing on my classes. Now, I am a senior and will soon be graduating with a degree in Secondary English Education. I always tell the students I work with to sign up for IFS because I truly feel that it prepares you for your freshman year and eases your transition into the college atmosphere.

I think that incoming students should know how great IFS is and how much a better start to your freshmen year will make by partaking in it. I was able to adjust to living on my own, being away from home, and learn how much work and commitment college takes. I am so happy I did IFS because it allowed me to learn campus, understand how college classes were taught, and get a feel for college life, while making life long friends from all over the country.

I think the students there should know that high school is completely different from college and that it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to succeed. And that IFS taught me what it was going to take without just throwing me onto a campus of 30,000 with five classes and huge midterms. I think the best thing I got from IFS was that I learned how to handle my own situations and stresses without needing my parents for everything. I really don't think I would of stayed at IU if It wouldn't of did IFS because I don't think I could of handled all the stress plus being away from home, because it took almost all of IFS to become comfortable with being away.

IFS helped make my transition to college life so smooth. Being in a small class as my first college class was like practice for later. In that class I was able to get to know everyone really well, and because the class (Global Political Economy) was similar to my major subject (business) a lot of my classmates have been in my classes the past four years. In fact, I am still friends to this day with a few of my classmates. IFS helps you feel comfortable so that way you can succeed. By the time the rest of my classes started, I was already used to being away from home, eating dorm food, living on a floor in a dorm, walking to classes, and using all of the computer systems IU uses. I was able to get over the shock of the differences between high school and college classes and learn how I to study all over again for a different level of challenge. I also learned the importance of office hours during this time and got over the intimidation of talking to professors. I feel that IFS definitely played a big part in my success at IU. Without doubt, it is a great program for those who are already excited about college and want to start it early OR for those who are concerned about going away and could use some transition time.

IFS is a great way to get comfortable with IU and the campus before everyone else arrives. It helps to create bonds with classmates and get involved. Getting involved is key to success and a great time here at IU.

I attended Knoxville Catholic High School (in Knoxville, TN). I'm so glad I attended IFS, coming here all the way from TN is hard because I didn't know anyone. While going through IFS I met some of my best friends here at IU and I had a comfort zone. It is definitely easier to deal with the overwhelming adjustment to college the first few weeks when you already have friends to fall back on.

The friends I made in IFS are still my closest friends here in Bloomington, and the class I took remains one of the most difficult and rewarding classes on my transcript. Be as prepared as you possibly can, but keep your mind open because a lot will change, both about you and about your surroundings. Be ready to work hard and play hard, and you will have a great time at IFS as well as the rest of here time here at IU.

I would definitely say that IFS has been one of my favorite experiences here at IU! It was one of my hardest classes; I worked my tail off for that class! Because of that, though, I learned how to manage my time and social life with class, because after all, we are primarily here to get a good education. I would without a doubt recommend IFS to anyone who is thinking about it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I absolutely believe that doing the IFS program to kick off my college experience was the best decision I could have made. I had been sure that I wanted to take a summer course the first time I heard about it on a college visit. I went straight home and selected my top 3 class choices. Turns out, when the time came for me to leave home early and cut the summer short, my feelings about the class started to change. I remember pulling up to the dorms outside of Foster Quad and asking my parents to remind me why I decided to come. They had no doubt that I would adjust quickly, but I wasn't so sure.

Roommates were decided by alphabetical order so it was by the grace of God that I happened to get a great one. She and I will be friends for a long time. Besides my roommate, I became close to just about everyone in my class, all of whom were on my floor.

Taking a class while the campus is virtually empty was great. It was a great way to become familiar with the campus without congestion at every corner. Not only was it good to get adjusted to campus, it was also very helpful to get acclimated to the amount of work that college will bring. It was a very different experience than high school. I had always been used to being at the top of the class and school came pretty easy. Not so much in college, though. It is a humbling and challenging change when you realize that you aren't the best in the class. It really opens your mind to other people’s ideas that are potentially better than your own. It was hard work but it all payed off. I learned how to write a 3 page paper in a night, how to study for a final, and how to have a great time developing new relationships with a very diverse group of people.

On top of all of that, my professor was awesome! I still make an effort to keep in touch with her and I have been to visit her during her office hours a few times this year. All of the teachers in the summer sessions are completely devoted to their students and honestly want everyone to succeed. They are demanding, yet understanding.

My experiences at IU have been the best of my life! I just recently finished 2nd round interviews with some major corporations in Chicago and am currently waiting for offers! It’s been a crazy four years and I wish that I could stay here forever! I just want to thank IU in providing the opportunities that I have had in the past few years! Thank you.

I was an AP and IB student in high school. That meant that #1 I wasn't worried about succeeding in college classes and #2 I wasn't worried about being all alone. Lots of people from my school come to IU. Nevertheless, IFS was a great way to get comfortable with college and the campus. I did make new friends that put me "ahead" of some of the other freshmen. I had people to go hang out with, go shopping with, etc. on the very first day of Welcome Week.

If you want to brag about your IFS alumni, you can tell everyone that this alumna has maintained a 4.0 and has been selected for Phi Beta Kappa. I'm in the process of applying for law schools, which actually relates to my IFS class (The Social and Legal Construction of Race, 2003).

At a big, state university such as IU it is easy, at times, to feel like just another number. Coming in as a freshman can be especially overwhelming. That is why it is so important to have your own community or organization. IFS was that community for me. It allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, and it gave me time to get familiar with the campus and Bloomington before the rest of the students got here. I felt supported by the fellow students and staff. The memories, opportunities, and friendships that this program brought me are truly invaluable.

IFS is basically your ticket to having a great Freshmen year at IU. By taking a course, meeting a bunch of new friends, and just exploring the campus earlier than the rest of the new students, you are much better off starting that first day of fall semester.

Students should know that in order to be a success at any university you have to remember that you're here to work first and play later, but also know your academic strengths and limitations as well. Going to IFS not only helped me get a feel for the campus, but I also had an easier time adjusting to my schedule because I already knew where everything was. IFS also helped me find what study methods worked best for me with big workloads.