Where Will They Live -Managing the Gap
Michelle Balaun2020-06-24T15:36:09-04:00Managing the Gap Although it feels like you just moved your students into their dorms, you now have to move them out. The worst part is that some may be [...]
Get on the Bus
Michelle Balaun2020-06-24T15:24:48-04:00A Guide to IU’s Bus System They’re going to be some of those days when you just aren’t in the mood to make the trek across campus to class. Bloomington [...]
Budget 101 for Students
Michelle Balaun2020-07-16T17:12:30-04:00Budget Let's Talk Money In college, students definitely learn a lot, but was your student ever really taught the best way to budget and handle finances [...]
Money, Money, Money
Michelle Balaun2020-08-21T17:55:45-04:00When Does Financial Aid Get Disbursed? The time has come to pay for your college costs and panic sets in. Time to pony up the money! Whether you are in- [...]
Roommates and Residential Life
Michelle Balaun2020-06-16T11:49:53-04:00Roommates - Learning to Live With Others… For many students entering college, this may be their first time away from home for an extended period of time [...]
An Insider’s Guide to Living On Campus
Michelle Balaun2022-03-09T12:59:22-05:00Here is what you need to know about living on campus! You can certainly read about the dorms and just where to live on campus on the IU Housing pages, b [...]
Dress for Success
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T15:51:44-04:00Time to Step It Up, Success Is Waiting! First impressions can lead to success. Throughout college, there are going to be many circumstances where studen [...]
Best Ways to Find a Roommate
Michelle Balaun2020-06-08T15:47:36-04:00What To Look For In An Ideal Roommate Finding the ideal roommate can be stressful, to say the least. I’m here to tell you about my personal experiences [...]
Finding an Internship
Michelle Balaun2020-09-09T14:36:57-04:00Learn About Your Internship Options I’m the type of girl who wants to have her life planned out. I like to stay organized, set goals, and reach for the [...]
Food for Thought
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T15:00:43-04:00No Student Hungry, Food for All Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that ar [...]
More Veggies Please – Vegetarian/Vegan Dining
Michelle Balaun2020-10-30T12:34:50-04:00You Really Do Want To Eat More Veggies! Slowly, but surely, more and more young people are going vegan or vegetarian. I can’t blame them. Veggies are go [...]
Who are You Going to Call?
Michelle Balaun2020-07-06T13:31:04-04:00…When You Need Answers, You can Call! When you have a University-related question, sometimes the hardest part about this is not knowing who to call. At [...]
Storage IU, Where does the Stuff Go?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-03T14:11:58-04:00Where Will They Put All Their Stuff? That time between semesters when they want to bring everything home for a few weeks or summer and you are wondering [...]
I Am Not Your Maid – Maid Cleaning Companies
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T15:12:59-04:00Because Sometimes You Need a Maid I never thought I would be saying this, but sometimes it is a good idea to hire a maid cleaning service for your stude [...]
Having a Car at College, Is It a Good Idea?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T09:43:34-04:00Can You Get by Without a Car? Going to college, I remember being so nervous that I wasn't going to have a car with me. I thought it would be so hard to [...]
Student Accessibility Resources at IU
Michelle Balaun2020-05-28T13:02:53-04:00Accessibility Accommodations for all Students Accessibility for all students is an important issue. Before college, I went to public schools in my town [...]
Transferring to IU
Michelle Balaun2020-05-26T11:15:08-04:00Transferring and Change is Good Some students leave for college unsure of what to find and realize when they get there it is not the place for them. Per [...]
Advice I Would Give My Freshman Self
Michelle Balaun2020-08-06T21:24:46-04:00A Little Advice Goes a Long Way We could do with a bit of advice. Moving to an unfamiliar place where you don’t know the area or a lot of people can be [...]
Working While Attending College
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:42:36-05:00Working it - Make Some Moola While at School Growing up, working was normal for me. I have always loved having a job. I actually met my best friend from [...]
Where the Wind Blows
Michelle Balaun2020-10-07T12:33:28-04:00If a Tornado is Around, Get Low to the Ground The wind is howling, now what? Growing up in South Florida, I have gone through at least one hurricane eve [...]
Tutoring – getting help keeps you competitive
Michelle Balaun2020-09-02T12:26:26-04:00Tutoring Can Be the Key Students who attend IU, no different than many other highly sought-after colleges, will be faced with challenging classes, taugh [...]
Home Sweet Dorm
Michelle Balaun2020-09-24T16:19:12-04:00Turn Their Dorm Room From Drab To Fab Dorm rooms, ho-hum boring. You may be surprised at how one can transition a mass-produced, industrial-looking dorm [...]
How to Transition as a Transfer Student
Michelle Balaun2020-05-21T12:54:28-04:00Better late than never. Transfer requirements. Want to transfer to a university, especially one as large as Indiana University, can be nerve-racking, bu [...]
They’ve Been Accepted, A New Hoosier!
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T16:36:43-04:00Accepted, here’s what you do now, new Hoosier! For those of you who have been accepted, and are lucky enough to be a future Hoosier, congratulations! It [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-05-15T14:36:31-04:00Here are Ways to Beat Stress at School Stress is a real issue in college life. Although college is a lot of fun and games, students also have a heavy co [...]
The Best Apps for Students
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:42:10-05:00IU and College Studying Apps As students, we always hear from parents “Our lives were so much more difficult when I was your age.” While this is not alw [...]
Stay Fit While In College It’s Smart!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-08T14:58:24-04:00It’s Easy to Stay Fit! Staying fit at college is good for grades, did you know that? This is near to my heart as I truly believe exercise is critical to [...]
Spring Break
Michelle Balaun2020-05-15T14:04:14-04:00Letting Off Steam Before Spring Finals It's Spring! If you're anything like me, you are putting together the cutest spring outfits, buying any bathing s [...]
Sorority Girl – The Inside Scoop
Michelle Balaun2020-10-02T16:40:38-04:00Sorority Life - It’s More Than Parties So now you have joined the sorority life, and oh is it a life to live. Being in a sorority does not only open you [...]
So You Want to Be an Indiana Hoosier
Michelle Balaun2020-10-28T12:37:32-04:00Of course, you want to be a Hoosier! I was a senior in high school visiting my best friend who was a Freshman at IU. I wasn’t even thinking about becomi [...]
Sick at School
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T14:38:19-04:00Mom…..I'm Sick... It’s bound to happen. At some point, while our kids are at college, the phone will ring and suddenly our mature, independent college s [...]
Are You Sending A Package to Your Student?
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T14:33:56-04:00Sending it... If you are planning on sending a package to your student, you want to make sure they get it. There are many reasons that a student receive [...]
Searching for Scholarships to Pay for College
Michelle Balaun2020-08-21T17:57:24-04:00Now you’ll need to pay for that college! Scholarships can help you manage the financial pressures of starting college. Almost as soon as the first accep [...]
Safety Matters
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T17:02:44-04:00How To Handle The Fact You Are Not There Of course, our concern is for our college students' safety. I’m not a helicopter parent. Really, I’m not. I bel [...]
Rushing His Way
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T16:51:30-04:00What Is The Real Rush Story? What really is a fraternity rush? So many times, we think about a fraternity and think of the movie Animal House. The brot [...]
Rushing Her Way – Recruitment
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T16:33:41-04:00Joining A Sorority Has Advantages HaveUHeard rushing is now called recruitment. Before students even step foot on the IU campus, most already know about [...]
Retail Therapy Makes Starting College Easier
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T16:21:49-04:00A Little Retail Shopping Helps! There is plenty of retail shopping in Bloomington and although your student is there for school, there is always somethi [...]
Restaurants for a Delicious Dinner Time
Michelle Balaun2020-08-05T10:47:01-04:00Dinner, Early or Late! Here are some of the best restaurants Bloomington has to offer. From classics to food from all over the world. It is a true colle [...]
Places of Worship to Continue your Traditions
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T17:39:50-04:00Keeping The Traditions of Worship If you’re wondering about keeping up the tradition of worship, here are some thoughts. Shortly after my daughter start [...]
Pets in school?
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:42:24-05:00Take Your Pets (Dog Or Cat) to College! Pets bring so much love and joy to our lives, and there’s nothing like a good facetime with your dog when you’re [...]
Orient Yourself With These Orientation Tips
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T15:35:24-04:00Orientation Overwhelm Potential Orientation, the beginning of the journey. If two nights and two days can make your head spin, these might be the two. I [...]
Off-Campus Living
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T15:22:55-04:00…Economical to Extravagant, Off-Campus Apartments Galore Off-Campus living, after only one year in the dorm, your student may drop this on you. It happe [...]
Nature vs Nurture
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T12:17:08-04:00So much more Nature than you think! It's so important to get out into nature. On your first trip to Bloomington will most likely consist of long hours m [...]
Moving Out
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T15:01:02-04:00Is Moving Out Harder? Moving out can be almost as hectic as moving into the dorms and apartments. It does not make sense to drag the entire contents of [...]
Move-In Day
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T12:37:52-04:00How To Be Prepared For Move-In Day. Whether you are a freshman or a senior, IU’s move-in day is …well… A lot of work. Be prepared for many trips to the [...]
Move-In? All the Tips and Tricks to Making it Easy
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T12:40:41-04:00Move-In Date! Apartments and Dorms It's time... move-in dates are set! Your student has been given their move-in date and dorm/residence assignment! Now [...]
Mother-Daughter Time
Michelle Balaun2020-05-13T13:10:37-04:00A Little Retail Therapy Is Good for Mother-Daughter Time! Mother-Daughter weekend is something to look forward to. Shopping in Bloomington can be challe [...]
Meal Plan and Other Ways to Eat
Michelle Balaun2020-08-27T13:06:34-04:00Burgers and Pizza and Fries…Oh my! One of the many decisions you and your student will make is about the meal plan. With college right around the corner [...]