With so much buzz around student startups, you might wonder how they’ve been able to run their own company while still being a full-time student. For the first time in history, the truth is being revealed: you can get university credit for starting a business. Is this too good to be true? Decide yourself with the top 5 misconceptions of the IDS (Information Technology, Design, and Startups) minor.

1. You can’t ‘learn’ startups.

You’re exactly right. This is why the course is designed for you to actually build your own, using your own experience as a textbook and applying to pitch competitions for funding as your “exams.”Innovation GIF

 

2. I can’t start a business because I don’t have an idea.

No ideas? No problem! The introductory course, IDS 401: What’s the Big Idea?, helps you understand idea generation through games and activities. You’ll complete the Harmann Brain Dominance Assessment, which maps out the qualities of your brain. Then you’re paired with other students in the class with differently networked minds. You get to work on a team of your peers who complement your abilities for the rest of the semester. What a great way to find or join a startup team!"No idea what I'm doing" GIF

 

3. I can’t minor in IDS because I’m not an iSchool student.

Fun fact: not every IDS minor is an iSchool student! Actually, some schools on campus are required to have a minor in another school. Any student can enroll in IDS 401, the IDS introductory course. To enroll in IDS 401 all you have to do is add it to your shopping cart on MySlice and then add to your course schedule. VOILA, you’re enrolled in your first IDS class.

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4. The IDS minor doesn’t fit into my curriculum.

Out of the 18 credits required to complete the minor, 3-8 credits are from electives that help you further understand or develop your business. That means if you’re working on a business that manufactures furniture, you could take a supply chain or industrial design class that would perfectly with the minor and count as electives.

The other 12 or so required credits come from the 4 required IDS courses. Some majors in Whitman and Bandier already require some of the curriculum as their own requirements, so it’s possible you’re already 1/4 of the way there! Make an appointment with your academic advisor to check on your credits.
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5. I don’t even know how to declare a minor.

Once you have completed IDS 401, the hardest part of declaring your IDS minor is printing out the iSchool minor declaration form and finding a pen to sign your name with. Although it doesn’t seem that difficult, it can feel like a big hurdle! The easiest way to get yourself enrolled in the IDS minor is to make an appointment with your advisor to fill out the declaration form. But if you would like to talk to a student in addition to meeting with your advisor, send me an email at sgrosz@syr.edu and I can help answer some questions about IDS.idkgirl