Hometown: Highland, Indiana
Major: Marketing

Ashley remembers being a senior in high school. She'd already decided to attend IU, in large part because of the great reputation of the Kelley School of Business, but was still a little nervous about going away to school and keeping up with college academics. That's when she received a brochure for IU's Intensive Freshman Seminars (IFS), a three-week summer program during which students take a college course for credit and live in the residence halls..

"I was starting to feel a little intimidated about being a freshman, and I thought IFS might help me adjust, both academically and socially. That turned out to be so true. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and three of the best weeks of my life."

Ashley chose Professor Eric Richards' personal law course from among the IFS options. She was in a small class with just 20 students who also lived on her floor in Foster Quad. Together, and with the 300 other IFS students, they figured out what it takes to succeed at IU and found their way around campus before all the other freshman arrived for the start of Welcome Week.

"My IFS class was really, really tough. Professor Richards pushed us all to the limit. We had so much homework that there were definitely days when I wasn't sure I would get it all done. But the thing is, when I finished, I was like, 'Yeah, if I can handle this class, I can handle anything.' Professor Richards taught me how to study and I really think that's why I'm getting A's this semester."

In fact, Ashley is surprising even herself with how well she is doing in school. She was picked to be a peer tutor in her business administration class, and she has a 3.7 GPA in the Kelley School. "I spend a lot of time studying, ten times more than I ever did in high school, but it's paying off for me. I use a lot of the campus resources like the tutoring services and workshops and study groups, and I go to my professors' office hours about once a week. I love IU and because I'm happy here, I'm working harder and doing better in everything. It's like I've found the balance that makes everything click."

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