New to campus, IU freshmen prepare to take the walk to their first lecture. Some may get lost trying to find their classes. Others may ask for help.
Next time, those armed with the new app, Campus Maps, which recently launched for IU’s campus, may have an easier time getting around.
Vikram Bhandari, the founder and CEO of Campus Maps, said he created the app in his University of Maryland dorm room ?in 2011.
“I created a map of UMD when I was trying to find classes on my new schedule after sophomore year,” Bhandari said in an email. “I built Campus Maps for myself and put it on my own phone.”
Once the app gained success at the University of Maryland, Bhandari said he wanted to test it at other schools like the University of Virginia and Pennsylvania State University.
“I didn’t think much of it until about a year later when I saw how many thousands of students were using it there,” Bhandari said. “After that, I decided to double down on growing Campus Maps and expanded it to 100 schools, ?including IU.”
Bhandari’s website claims the app has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since the ?expansion of its services.
When the app is opened, a user simply has to find the desired university, then select the building he or she is looking for. The mapping system then gives clear ?directions to said building.
According to the website, the map is designed to help students find any building on several campuses throughout the U.S. in seconds.
Apple iPhone users can simply download the app directly from the App Store. An Android app is in the works, Bhandari said.
“Campus Maps was on Android at one point, and (we) will be building a native app for it soon,” Bhandari said. “Right now, Android users can use Campus Maps directly from their phones and pin it to their home screens.”
Brielle Drelick, 21, is a junior at IU studying journalism and advertising. Drelick said she wishes she could have had access to the app as a freshman.
”If I would have had the app, it would have been a lot easier,” Drelick said. “I used to type the names of the buildings on my phone. It didn’t have the exact destination mapped out, so I wouldn’t get the building right. Sometimes I was late to class and it was really embarrassing.”
As a junior, Drelick said she has a good handle on the campus’ layout, but now uses the app to look for parking garages and dining halls.
Bhandari said that he feels it is rewarding to receive feedback from students who said the app was a lifesaver.
“That was an amazing feeling, knowing I improved a complete stranger’s day,” Bhandari said. “People I would never meet would use it and love it, and that was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever felt.”
Those interested in learning about the app can visit the website at www.getcampusmaps.com/iu.
