I did the worst thing I could possibly do at IU...I left it. I spent three wonderful years as an Indiana Hoosier before graduating this past May. While here, I (like every other person in their late teens/early 20s) documented a lot of the fun stuff I did with photos. So, if you didn't realize how beautiful and awesome IU is before, hopefully looking at some of the photos from my photo diary will help. Check out what else I have to say below the photos as well if you STILL aren't convinced that IU is the best place to be.
Freshman Year:
Got to love dorm life.
That's me in the middle in the Indiana shirt. The other three are my best friends from high school (two of which do not go to IU - it's possible to stay friends with high school friends!)
Some friends decorated our door for my birthday.
We decked out our entire room for the holidays, including our door. We had a mini Christmas tree complete with toy train running under it and everything.
My roommate and I used to have a competition to see how many bottles we could carry to the recycling bin before without dropping one. When that got old, we did what any college freshman would do....we made bottles into a chair.
Walking to class in the cold doesn't seem so bad when you have such a pretty view!
Sophomore Year
My friends and I carved pumpkins at my apartment.
Who doesn't love puppies at the pet store?!
I took a road trip to Washington DC with two IU friends during Spring Break! With all of the money I saved by going to IU, I could afford to do these types of things!
Football games - there is more to them than tailgating.
Bloomington has the BEST hiking. This picture is of Griffy Lake Nature Preserve (which is free and right across from campus!). My favorite is Yellowwood State Forest.
And, obviously, basketball games are a must.
Junior/Senior Year
Downtown Bloomington is so pretty! Go check out the holiday lights.
Can you believe I waited until my last year to try Baked!?! Don't wait. Eat it now.
The Sweetheart Tree.
Herman B. Wells, only one of the best university presidents ever. Go shake his hand!
There is a new baseball stadium, and the team was great this year! It was so crowded at this game that I couldn't even find a seat!
We liked to play practical jokes on our neighbors (all in good fun, not hazing or anything. We don't do that at IU. They are our friends!)
So, what can you take away from looking at all of these photos?This is just a small sampling of the memories I created while attending Indiana University. I made new friends. I tried new things. I had fun. IU not only provided me with a great education, but it was a great overall experience. I was terrified to move away from home and come to Bloomington, but now all I want to do is go back next year. (I'm going to graduate school at Clemson University next year - don't worry, I'll still root on my Hoosiers when you play the Tigers in sports.) The students and professors are friendly. There is SO MUCH to do, that I couldn't even fit it all in (check out my bucketlist for a list of things to do!). I received a valuable education that allowed me to obtain good internships and get into a respected Masters program. I love IU and Bloomington so much, that I have actually driven down there more weekends this summer than I have stayed at home.
After seeing some of my experiences at IU and learning about how much I love it, it's time to go make your own memories as an Indiana Hoosier. I know you will love it just as much as I did, and still do.