As an incoming freshman, I was very nervous about my first year in college. In February, I got an email about applying to the Intensive Freshman Seminar program (IFS). IFS is a two-and-a-half week program devoted to helping incoming freshman adapt during the transition from high school to college. I was a little wary at first, but I decided to apply. When deciding which class to choose from, I chose Professor George Malacinski’s The Trouble With Modern Medical Miracles: Understanding the Science and Impact of Cloning, Curing Cancer, and Modern Advances in Biology. A very long title, I know! We called it MMM for short.
What to expect
MMM was such an interesting and thought-provoking class. Each weekday consisted of a three-hour class, and on Saturday and Sunday we had class as well. We did get one Saturday off, though. Class started at 9 a.m. and Professor M wanted to make sure we all got a power breakfast, so sometimes he would eat breakfast with us in Forest (pictured below, where you also stay for IFS) and lunch! After class, we did have a solid amount of homework but we all pretty much worked on it together and studied for the test together. The first week and the first test is all about learning the science of curing cancer and how cancer forms. After that, you start to dive deep into the morality of curing cancer and cloning animals to help humans. The class is so thought-provoking, and sometimes challenging, but overall I would not have chosen a different class.
My favorite moments of IFS
A few of my favorite parts of IFS were my classmates, the actual material, and the memories that I will never forget. I met some of my best friends during IFS that I still hang out with all the time. I learned more in the two and a half weeks of IFS than some high school classes all year long—and earned 3 credits! Some of the amazing memories that I have include going to Hartzell’s with my friends, going to the Kirkwood Observatory with my whole class one night, and going on a bike ride with Professor M. Some other highlights of IFS were the talent shows. There were two talent shows in Forest for all of IFS to participate in, and they were super fun to watch. Our floor had a movie night with pizza and Baked (a cookie place), too!
Overall, I highly recommend IFS to anyone who is coming to IU and looking for a great way to meet people with the same major or same interests. Like I said before, I met some of my best friends during IFS and I wouldn’t change doing it for the world! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the IFS office at ifs@indiana.edu, or you can contact me at kenbunch@indiana.edu. Thanks for reading!
Kennedy Bunch
Human Bio Major, Class of 2021
I am a freshman human bio major at Indiana University Bloomington Class of 2021! Being almost a townie and familiar with the area, I'm so excited to share all of my tips and tricks of IU and the memories I make through my four years! Go Hoosiers!
