Welcome to IWU!

As you are new to campus - as a first year or transfer student - you should use this phase of your IWU experience to ask lots of questions and get to know your campus and community. This phase is also valuable if you change majors or adjust professional trajectories. 

 

Check-In Questions

Use the links in these prompts for resources that can help you

• Are you familiar with how office hours work?
• Do you know how to find a tutor or get help with research?
• Have you chatted with our Tommy Titan chatbot?
• Do you know how to connect to the free counseling appointments on campus?
• Do you understand the role of your academic advisor?
• Are you finding your way around ok?
• Have you figured out how and where to spend your munch money?
• Are you the first in your family to attend college?

Pathways Folder

Start a Pathways Folder on Google Drive and add these items:

• Your current resume/curriculum vitae (CV). Here’s a handout on making a resume and the link to the Hart Career Center calendar for resume workshops.
• A photo of yourself on move in day
• Your current Four Year Plan  
• A photo of your Engagement Map from Turning Titan
• A letter to yourself to open at your senior dinner using futureme.org

Transition Reflection Questions

Think about these questions as you launch into your IWU journey:

• What are 3 strengths you bring to IWU?
• What are 3 priorities you hope to accomplish while at IWU?
• What are 3 things you hope to achieve after IWU?

What you should do

Identify your support network and talk with them about your short-term and long-term goals. Make a list of 5-8 people you can count on as your “inner circle.” You might include friends, family, coaches, mentors, high school teachers, or anyone you trust that has shown they are in your corner. 

Apply yourself academically as you explore the liberal arts, polish your writing skills in your Gateway course, attend the John Wesley Powell Undergraduate Research Conference, and get to know your professors and peer students. Meet with a librarian to find the resources you need for coursework, research, and projects at the Ames Library.

Find community with others by visiting the Registered Student Organization (RSO) fair, being dedicated to your sport, engaging in residence hall programming, rushing Greek Life, participating in multifaith activities, and staying in touch with your Turning Titan group.

Learn and grow beyond the classroom by attending events such as guest speakers, sporting events at Shirk, films, colloquia, discussions, convocations, art shows in Merwin and Wakeley galleries, and theatre productions in the Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall or the E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre, as well as concerts and recitals in Westbrook Auditorium in Presser Hall. 

Know your strengths and develop new skills with the FOCUS assessment at the Hart Career Center and set up your Handshake account. Consider registering for the Do Good Leadership Program (for first year students only). 

Get to know key resources such as Counseling & Consultation Services, Ames Library, the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

Follow campus accounts on the social media (these are all Instagram): IWU Campus Activity Board (CAB), Hart Career Center, InvolvedIWU, Student Senate, Study Abroad, Writing Center & Tutoring Services, and Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Establish a sense of place at IWU and the local community. There’s so much to see and do here. Enjoy some local favorites of students, staff, and faculty. Walk the Constitution Trail, visit local small businesses in Bloomington or Normal, and find places you enjoy.

Your academic advisor and other campus mentors will ask you about:

• What inspires you and what you are passionate about
• Areas of academic interest and whether you are undecided or have declared a major/minor (it’s OK to be undecided/undelacred or to switch majors)
• Your transition to campus, connections you are making with others, and things you enjoy about IWU
• The challenges you are encountering and the support you need to address them, including classroom concerns, managing your schedule, your physical and mental health, and any concerns about meeting basic needs.