Why I'm Glad I Joined the KLLC

I remember doing the housing application for IU during the end of my senior year in high school and wondering if I should apply to the Kelley Living Learning Center.  I was worried that I might not fit in since I was not directly admitted into Kelley and that I wouldn’t like living around seemingly all business majors.  In the end, I decided to apply and I am SO happy I did!

One of the greatest things that I love about the KLLC is that you are around people who have common interests and you build a community that not a lot of other dorms have at IU.  I am not saying that everyone is a business major, (I’m a SPEA major), but everyone in the KLLC is hand selected to be here because of their passions and willingness to succeed in college.  Not only does everyone relate to one another in one way, but the KLLC really does give you a sense of family in a “home away from home” type of setting.  From the very first days of orientation, you bond with each other during activities that previous KLLC residents have put on.  Those events really helped me because before school started, I already had a network of friends who I could go to class with or eat dinner with.  They were simply people who I felt comfortable with and who helped me during those first scary weeks of school when you’re adjusting to living away from home.  I have really met some of my best friends here in the KLLC and that is something I will always cherish. 


Kimberly Chomyn

It seems embarrassing and almost impossible to say this now, but my first day in Bloomington consisted of lots of crying. I was thrilled to be at college, but was also scared. I could not imagine living in southern Indiana at all, let alone a long period of time. I met Karen Grant and she had an amazing talk with me. She was so compassionate and I felt so blessed to be a part of the KLLC. Within a few hours I met friends I will have forever (and this is really true!) and spent the entirety of the KLLC orientation with a huge smile on my face.

The Kelley Living Learning Center is an amazing opportunity. It allows you to be surrounded by passionate and interesting people all the time. And that’s not just the students! The people that work with the KLLC are also like this. Through my various X255 classes and trips with the LLC, I have found that the faculty consists of incredible people that I will definitely stay in touch with after I graduate. Next year I plan on being a mentor for the KLLC because I am so passionate about this!

Something the KLLC has definitely helped me out with is class. There are KLLC tutors that help you one-on-one with various challenging courses. Most TA’s have a room of 50+ at free help sessions, and the KLLC allows you to get individual attention with someone that has been through the same thing before. I know that the Kelley Living Learning Center’s mission is to help facilitate strong bonds between students interested in business, but the people are so fantastic that Kelley almost seems secondary because we all have so much in common besides business!

Jacqueline Birkel

I am excited to share some insight with you on life in the KLLC.  I think that, for the most part, you will realize the benefit of living in this community as you go.  I am not here to convince you to join the LLC because you are already there.  What I would like to share with you is some advice to make the best of your opportunity.  There were a million opportunities when I was a member 2 years ago so I am sure that there are even more now.  What I want to tell you is simple, take advantage.  The most that anyone can do is to provide you with the opportunities, no one is going to hold your hand and walk you to each event.  As a freshman you have the ability to try out everything that sounds appealing to you and get involved if it interests you or drop it if it doesn’t.  Don’t have any regrets in missing anything and wishing later that you had tried it.  As a member of the KLLC you have even more opportunities than the average freshman, specialized in your potential interest in business.  Even if the events offered aren’t at the most convenient time or there are other things you would rather be doing, sometimes it may be worth it.

I came to IU from Cincinnati, Ohio interested in Finance and Accounting.  I attended as many events as I could (because I am a nerd) and it paid off.  One event that I remember most clearly was a CFO Roundtable.  Several CFOs from several big name companies came to visit a select group from the KLLC.  It was an honor to be a member of a community they wanted to take time to visit specifically.  Although it was a breakfast event at 8:30 in the morning, it was worth it.  Free breakfast, good insights from awesome people AND I was selected after breakfast to walk one of the many CFOs down to the Kelley School.  During the walk, another KLLC member and I had the chance to chat with her about her background personally and professionally.  At the end of the short walk she even gave us her card and told us to email her if we ever had any questions.  She just so happened to be a CFO for the accounting firm Ernst and Young and I just so happened to be an accounting student.  As a freshman you may not know as well as I did exactly what you want to do, but it never hurts to make connections like this.  As it turns out, I am going to be a junior this year and have secured an internship for the spring with you guessed it, Ernst and Young in Chicago.  It may not necessarily be that I wouldn’t have gotten the internship without having a chance to network with this particular CFO, but it is cool to look back and see the connections.

My main advice for you this year is to have fun, make great friends, and work hard.  You have all heard how awesome it is to have so much support from other business students in your building so you can all do homework together, etc. but you will learn that on your own.  What I am telling you is go to the speaker series talks that sound interesting to you, go on the KLLC trips, and go to the events the KLLC puts on because it will benefit you in more ways than one.  My mom is even going to be part of the speaker series and she is definitely someone it would be good to hear from if you are at all interested in a company like Proctor and Gamble or a career in the field of finance (or business in general).  And get involved outside of Kelley too; it will make you more of a well rounded person!  Finally, make sure you are having fun along the way and making lots of friends.  The friends you make this year are the ones you will have for a long time.  My current roommates are 2 girls I met on the first day of living in the KLLC.  There are so many people there to help you so be sure to network and always ask for help when you need it.  You may only be a freshman, but you will have such a leg up on everyone else that it will be worth starting early!

Let me know if you have any questions or want to talk anymore about the KLLC, Kelley, IU or life in general.  I would love to help out!

Katie List

kelist@indiana.edu

Hello readers!

My name is Julianne Bohlen, I am going to be a Junior at IU majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. I am from Stony Brook, NY. One of the best decisions I made regarding IU was living in the Kelley Living Learning Center. The KLLC was such a great experience because you live with all students of the same major. Everyone is taking the same classes, which makes it easy to help each other with homework and study for exams. You automatically have an interest in business in common with everyone you are living with. I noticed the first week of school that many of my KLLC peers were in all my classes. IU is such a huge campus and living in the KLLC made it feel small. 

One great memory I have about the KLLC is when I first moved in. Students in the KLLC are encouraged to move in 2 days earlier than the rest of the freshman on campus. This gives you extra time to meet the kids on your floor and in your building. The first day I moved in, one of Kelley faculty, Keith Dayton, had all of the KLLC students over for a pool party/BBQ. It was so much fun and a great way to meet everyone I was living with. I was able to bond with my floormates and meet faculty members before school even started. 

The KLLC was a great experience for me and I hope you enjoy it!

The Little Freshman That Could

First off, I want to congratulate and welcome you to Indiana University!  The next four years are going to pass by in a blink but will stay with you for the rest of your life.  Now, I know that you are only a freshman, but it’s time to start preparing yourself for the real world as a business professional.  If you are freaked out by this, don’t read the rest, but instead take a read in a month or so.  And if your heart rate is still relatively stable at this point, do read on.

               

I came to Indiana University three years ago thinking that freshman year was a time to settle into the college culture and meet new friends, but it’s really much more than that.  I hadn’t really given much thought to my career or internships yet either.  But three weeks into the semester, my Dad gave me a call advising me to attend the Finance Career Fair.  I thought to myself, “Why would I go to a career fair?  Let alone a Finance career fair?  I’m a freakin’ Marketing major!”  After an intense but short internal debate, I put on my nicest shirt and dress shoes and walked down to the Union for the career fair.

           

Everyone in the room was probably much older than I and was wearing sharp business suits and carrying around padfolios holding their extensive resumes.  And here I stood with a bright orange folder with a not so impressive resume looking rather…”underdressed.”  With the word "Freshman" plastered on my forehead (figuratively of course), I took a deep breath and lined up to speak with a few companies.  To my surprise, recruiters were impressed that I had taken the initiative to come to the career fair as a freshman.  I walked away that day with a couple of business cards, tired feet and a dose of confidence.

               

Since that first career fair, I have attended at least 8 other career fairs, networked with countless recruiters, have obtained 14 interviews, have accepted 2 offers for internships, and…I was only on campus for two years!  I cannot thank my Dad enough for forcing me to go to that Finance Career Fair; it has truly made all the difference in the world.  And now, I advise YOU to go out to the career fairs, to attend networking events, to start building your resume, to start building relationships with career coaches at the Undergraduate Career Service Office, to start being a real business professional.  Because in this day and age, we all know that it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.  So start sharpening your teeth, but have a little fun while you’re at it!

If you have any questions for me, feel free to email me at margli@indiana.edu.  I can’t wait for you to get your feet wet!

Margaret

My advice for the KLLC class of 2011: Take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you as a resident and you will position yourself ahead of your peers in the Kelley school. Also, begin cultivating relationships with fellow students and faculty. The KLLC will help you build a strong network that will serve you for the rest of college and into your career. Most importantly, remember to enjoy yourself and live everyday to the fullest--college is short and there is much to be experienced.

Best,
William

The KLLC is going to give students a competitive advantage over other kelley students. You have a team of dedicated individuals whose jobs are to keep you informed about kelley programs that most freshman don't have the opportunity to attend, like the CFO round table. The KLLC introduced me to the people who are my best friends here at IU and even people I plan to stay involved with when I start my professional career. I met a handful of guys who I really fit in with quickly and we ended up becoming fraternity brothers which has been a life changing experience. I was also fortunate enough to be involved with a venture with a group of guys from the KLLC that has turned in to a profitable business with over 65 individuals working for the firm. You will be living with some really smart people. My advice to incoming students: Leverage what's given to you as a KLLC'er, including those living around you, keep your door open as much as possible, and get involved with campus organizations. 

Logan