Bridge Week

Welcome to your first year

Bridge Week marks the official start of the fall semester for incoming freshmen at IU Indianapolis. Throughout the week, you'll have the chance to meet people, ask questions, and adjust to college life before your fall classes even begin.

While your Bridge Week experience may vary slightly, depending on your school or major, all first-year students will participate in activities and attend events that will allow you to explore campus, get to know fellow freshmen, learn about college expectations, and much more to set you up for success at IU Indianapolis.

On this page

Fall 2024 Bridge Week is August 19–23!

What to expect

Schedule

Incoming freshmen are expected to attend Bridge Week activities from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are encouraged to attend all additional afternoon programming from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Here's an example of how you might expect a typical day of Bridge Week to look:

Example Schedule

9:00–9:15 a.m.—Ice breakers

9:15–11:00 a.m.—Campus tour

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.—Faculty meet + greet

12:00–1:00 p.m.—Lunch break

1:00–2:00 p.m.—Mock lecture

2:00–3:00 p.m.—Campus expectations

3:00–4:00 p.m.—Afternoon events + programming

 

Your first day

Make sure to leave enough time to find your Bridge Week classroom by 9 a.m. on the first day!

Driving? Arrive on campus by 8:30 a.m. to find parking and your classroom.

Participation

There’s a lot to know about being a new Jaguar, and with so much to learn in only five short days, it’s essential that you attend all five days of Bridge Week. If you need to miss any part of the program, please contact us promptly at fyeindy@iu.edu so that someone from our team can assist you.

Parking

Purchase a permit

You may purchase a parking permit as early as August 1. Questions? Contact IU Indianapolis Parking and Transportation Services at permits@iupui.edu.

Buy your permit early so you have it in time for Bridge Week! We recommend that you also print out a temporary permit when you purchase your permit in case your permanent permit does not arrive the first day of Bridge Week.

Campus is large and it’s important to be on time, so allow enough time to find parking and walk to your classroom. Check out the parking map or use the IU Mobile app to find an ST garage or lot where you can park. Pro tip: select a back-up option too in case your first choice of parking location is full.

Bridge Week: New experiences start here.

Frequently asked questions

To secure your spot in Bridge Week, all you need to do is enroll in your fall First-Year Seminar course. During orientation, your advisor can help you figure out which section is right for you.

Since Bridge Week is so essential to your success in the fall semester, your participation in all five days of program activities and sessions is expected. If you need to miss any part of the program, contact our team promptly at iupuifye@iupui.edu.

Yes, you can! Housing and Residence Life will communicate with you directly about early move-in opportunities. 

In the meantime, check out these tips for preparing to move in, or visit the Housing and Residence Live website.

If you plan to live in campus housing this fall, a prorated daily charge for your housing and meal plan will be billed directly to your bursar account.

Students who will be commuting during Bridge Week and do not purchase an early meal plan will be responsible for their own meals, as well as transportation to and from Bridge Week activities, each day.

There are no additional costs for any Bridge Week programming or activities.

Information about where to go and what to do on the first day of Bridge Week will be sent to your email about one week prior to the program start date (be sure to check both your personal and IU email). When you arrive, plan to go directly to the location indicated in the email you received. You can find a map of IU Indianapolis's buildings here, or using the IU Mobile app.

If you still aren’t sure where to go, don’t worry! We’ll have a tent setup in Taylor Courtyard, and volunteers will be around campus to help you find your way—just look for folks wearing red “Welcome to IU Indianapolis” shirts!

  • Bring a pen, pencil, and notebook. Your instructor will let you know on the first day if you need any additional materials.
  • Dress is casual. Wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing and shoes that will allow you to move around campus during the week’s activities.
  • You do not need to bring any textbooks to Bridge Week.

Because the details of your Bridge Week schedule are in some ways determined by your major, it’s important you check with your academic advisor to make any necessary schedule changes.

What comes next? Look forward to Weeks of Welcome!

There are four major traditions you can look forward to as a Jaguar. The first is Weeks of Welcome (WOW)—and it starts right after Bridge Week! Throughout the first two weeks of classes, you can attend events each day to learn more about all IU Indianapolis has to offer. 

Check out Weeks of Welcome

Still curious about how to make the most of your first year?