After freshman year, students have to choose whether they should live in dorms on campus or off campus in a house or apartment. For me, I chose to live off campus. I can't say living off campus is better than living in the dorm, since there are several aspects.
I lived in Read when I was a freshman. It is near the Music School, so most of the students in my dorm were students in the music major. Some other dorms also have the same characteristics, for example, students who live in McNutt are basically all business majors, since it is near Kelley School of Business. There are numbers of dorms like, Forest, Wright, Willkie, etc, for you to choose from before you come to school.
Moreover, there are several dorms that have their own living learning centers, such as the Global Village in Foster, Kelley Living Learning Center in McNutt, etc. This helps students know more about each other and make friends. IU has not only dorms but also apartments for students who are not in their freshman year. Students can have their own room, kitchen, and living room.
It is typically closer to classrooms/academic buildings if you are living in the dorms. However, we also have a bus line for students who live outside of campus. Most buses are coming every ten minutes so that students could arrive on time. Furthermore, it is convenient for students who are living off campus to go to the mall or other shopping venues. There is College Mall and Kroger around campus which some of the buses can take students to.
No matter if you live on campus or off campus, enjoy your studies and living with your roommates together at IU!