IU INFO-I 101: Introduction to Informatics
I101 is the gateway to IU's informatics major: a survey of how information technology shapes problems and solutions, mixing conceptual material with hands-on technical work including introductory programming and web skills.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Indiana University Bloomington. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The mix is the challenge: conceptual readings and exams alongside technical labs, so students strong in one mode neglect the other. The programming components surprise students who chose informatics to avoid CS, and the steady multi-format workload (labs, quizzes, projects) punishes anyone who only tracks the big deadlines.
What you'll cover
- • Information and computing concepts
- • Intro programming
- • Web fundamentals
- • Data organization basics
- • Technology and society
The INFO-I 101 study guide
How to study for IU INFO-I 101, step by step.
- 1
Track the small deliverables, not only the big ones
I101's grade accumulates across labs, quizzes, and projects in parallel. Students who only watch the big deadlines bleed points on the steady small ones.
- 2
Give the programming labs honest reps
The technical components surprise students who expected a conceptual course. Treat the programming work as a skill to practice, not a hurdle to clear. Later informatics courses build on it.
- 3
Self-quiz the conceptual material weekly
The readings and lecture concepts are real exam content alongside the hands-on work. Weekly self-quizzing beats a pre-exam reread, especially with vocabulary this broad.
- 4
Connect concepts to the lab work
The course's point is that the ideas and the technology are one subject. When a lab uses a concept from lecture, note the connection. Exam questions live exactly there.
Today
Today's INFO-I 101 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for INFO-I 101. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is I101 at IU hard?
Not deep in any one direction, but broad and steady: conceptual exams plus technical labs plus projects, all accumulating in parallel. Falling behind on the small deliverables is the standard failure mode, not any single hard topic.
Does I101 involve programming?
Yes. Introductory programming and web work are part of the hands-on component, and later informatics courses build on them. It's beginner-paced, but it's real technical work, not a formality.
What's the difference between informatics and computer science at IU?
Informatics centers on how people and organizations use information technology, with less math and theory than CS; computer science goes deeper into programming, algorithms, and systems. I101 and C211 are the respective entry points. Sampling both early is common.
More IU courses
BUS-K 201: The Computer in Business
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BUS-A 100: Basic Accounting Skills
A100 is Kelley's one-credit introduction to the accounting environment of the firm, a fast tour of financial, managerial, audit, and tax perspectives, required of all business majors as the gate into A201 and A202.
BUS-A 201: Introduction to Financial Accounting
A201 is Kelley's financial accounting course: the mechanics, measurement theory, and economic context of the financial statements. It's an I-Core prerequisite required of all business majors and a course whose grade Kelley admissions and recruiters actually look at.
BUS-A 202: Introduction to Managerial Accounting
A202 is Kelley's managerial accounting course: product costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, budgeting, and performance evaluation. It's the internal-decision-making counterpart to A201 and the other accounting prerequisite for I-Core.