Nine months ago, more than 7,000 freshmen from across the country flooded the campus during Welcome Week. Representing 45 states and 45 different nations, they found a home at IU. As the year comes to a close, freshmen Luke Fisher and Jessica Lehfeldt look back on their first year at IU.
LUKE FISHER \nFisher, a telecommunications and communications and culture major, had a taste of college life before he moved into his Wright Quad dorm room during Welcome Week. \nFisher took part in an Intensive Freshman Seminar, a program where students take a three-credit-hour course for three weeks before school starts. While Fisher was able to adjust to campus during his time in the seminar, he said there were other benefits.\n“When I was doing my laundry for the first time when school started, there were all these ‘real’ freshmen,” said Fisher, talking about students who did not take part in the Intensive Freshman Seminar. “I made like five bucks off all these kids because none of them had money on their Campus Access card, so I would pay with my card and they would pay me. I ended up making money the first day.” \nFisher decided to attend IU primarily because of the telecommunications department. He also said the in-state tuition, proximity to his hometown of Madison, Ind., and the University’s traditional college campus were factors.\nAs an only child, Fisher said he did not have trouble adjusting to dorm life or having a roommate. The only caveats, he said, were the noise and learning peoples’ names. \n“I didn’t know the names of the guys on my floor for a long time because they didn’t introduce themselves,” Fisher said. “So it was like, ‘Hey, buddy, how you doin’ there pal?’ And then eventually you kind of pick up from context what their names are.”\nFisher joined the bluegrass club (he doesn’t play an instrument) and two telecommunications clubs. In the future he wants to be a film director and is in the process or working on a feature-length film with friends from home. During the school year he would meet up with friends on select weekends to work on the project.\n“We held auditions at a local university, Hanover College,” Fisher said. “I wasn’t there for the auditions but one of the three directors filmed it and posted it on YouTube so we were able to watch the auditions and decide on things within the day.”\nWhile Fisher’s plans to be a resident adviser fell through, he is still looking forward to the next three years. Next summer he plans to study abroad in Austria for his German minor. Fisher is also eager to take production classes and hopes to eventually win an award or two.\nJESSICA LEHFELDT\nIn-state tuition and a strong business school inspired Lehfeldt, an information and processing management major, to attend IU.\nA direct admit to the Kelley School of Business and a student in the Hutton Honors College, Lehfeldt quickly became involved with the Honors College. She is an executive in the Honors Student Association and also works with prospective students. The Honors College even selected her to be featured in the viewbook for prospective students. \nLehfeldt said one of the most rewarding moments of the year was getting her first semester grades. While her first college classes were not extremely challenging, Lehfeldt said second semester was different.\n“I was going to be an accounting major until about this semester,” Lehfeldt said. “I took K201 (The Computer in Business) and I did really well and I really liked it. But now I’m taking a financial accounting class and I’m like, this is so not for me.”\nLehfeldt is also a peer tutor for K201 and is applying to be an undergraduate TA next year. She is also excited to be a resident adviser in Teter Quad.\n“I like the dorm experience,” Lehfeldt said. “I am the oldest in my family, and the second oldest is going to college next year. It’s really expensive and I’m like, my parents are paying for college and I feel bad, so I’m going to be an RA and take the $7,000 a year off my bill.”\nThis summer Lehfeldt will be working at Starbucks in her hometown of Batesville, Ind. She also hopes to have some time to travel to California, England and take a road trip with friends to North Carolina.
