Finding things to look forward to

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The semester has started to shake off the excitement and become routine. Now that the 9th week of classes has begun, it’s important to remember things you are excited about! I like to look up things going on and look forward to it. Even if it’s something small, I try to find something to be excited about every day. Usually, it’s just a phone call to a friend, something in the dining hall, a coffee, or watching my favorite show at the end of the day. It’s also very fun to have concert tickets or a weekend home to look forward to! Iowa City has a whole host of things to do all the time. All you have to do is look up “What’s going on in Iowa City this weekend?” Just this weekend there is a pet Halloween costume show, comedy shows, trivia downtown (almost every night), a craft bazaar, a flea market, and so much more. Having a mix of small and big things to look forward to has been the key to maintaining a good balance between schoolwork and having lots of fun during my first semester of college.

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My favorite places to study in Iowa City!

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In honor of midterms that have already come and gone, I have done a lot (and I mean A LOT) of studying around campus and downtown. I have found that its very unproductive to study in my dorm room as I love talking to my roommate and often get distracted with other things. I find it really beneficial to study outside of my dorm. Sometimes spending too much time in my room can make it feel like I never leave! I’ve done a lot of exploring and here are some of my favorite places to catch up and get ahead on schoolwork!

Java House

This place is my absolute favorite because of the outdoor patio. There is plenty of seating for indoor or outdoor studying. It’s connected to the Heirloom Salad Company, so there are lots of options for salads, sandwiches, coffee, or a pastry.

Main Library

This one is basic, but I do love the campus’ Main Library. It’s super nice to have the Food for Thought Café, where you can use a flex meal or grab a Starbucks! The library offers a quiet and productive space to get work done, and it’s very close to all of my classes!

Poindexter Coffee

Poindexter is located on the lower level of the Graduate Hotel. I love this place because it looks like a cave inside and it’s always quiet. My friends and I love to study here together!

Burge Hall

The basement of Burge has tons of tables, booths, study rooms, and a few whiteboards. This has been great for working on group projects or recording assignment video submissions. This is also nice because it’s very close to a printer and my dorm!

I hope everyone has a lovely rest of the month!

 

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Top 5 places to take your parents next family weekend (or whenever)

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In the spirit of family weekend wrapping up, I decided to ask my friends and make a list of places to check out next time your family is in town. I had so much fun showing my family around Iowa City this weekend. My older brothers had never seen campus! We tried lots of new restaurants between all of the fun, including my family’s first Kinnick football game :). I attached a few photos at the end of our adventures! It’s always fun to have family in town, and an added bonus is great food on your parent’s credit card.

No car? No worries! These are all within walking distance of campus!

  1. Iowa City Chophouse
    My dad wants to stop here whenever they come to Iowa City. I have tried so many things here and I have never been disappointed. The mac and cheese, pork chop, pulled pork sandwich, and asparagus are some of my favorite random things on the menu! Everyone has brought their family here, and I’ve never heard a bad thing about it. I recommend making a reservation if you’re thinking about stopping here on a weekend, it’s usually pretty busy!
  2. VUE Rooftop
    This place is so cool, especially when it’s warm outside so you can sit on the patio! This is my favorite restaurant to show off Iowa City. It’s all the way on the top floor of the Hilton Garden Inn, and you can see the whole city from a 360º view in the glassed-in area. Even if you just stop by for a quick drink or appetizer, it’s definitely worth the trip in our opinion!
  3. The Dandy Lion
    My mom raves about The Dandy Lion and their breakfast menu. Our favorite thing to share is the french toast with the coconut curd. They also have really good coffee. Next time my family is here we’re going to try out their lunch menu!
  4. Harry’s Bar and Grill
    My roommate’s family stopped at Harry’s after the game on Saturday, and they only had good things to say. They have breakfast, lunch, and dinner available. They have a pretty unique menu despite being on the smaller side. My roommate’s family said they would definitely recommend trying it!
  5. St. Burch’s Tavern
    St. Burch’s offers lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch! I had a waffle with espresso butter and it was so good! All of my friends and their families have stopped here, it’s pretty famous in Iowa City. An added fun thing: I met William H. Macy outside of this place after the CyHawk game, so you never know who you’re going to run into :).

Happy family weekend and 4th week of classes!

Family weekend pics!

 

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Moving and the first month of school!

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Hi everyone! I now have four weeks in Iowa under my belt and almost three weeks of classes of the first year done! Some huge transitions come with coming to college, and there are some that I am still getting used to! Waiting for washers and dryers, dining hall food, living independently, and taking more difficult courses are just a few new challenging things that are coming my way each day. There are also so many amazing things that come with this stage of life. I am making so many new friends and having the first look at what my professional career might look like. I participated in On Iowa! week which was so busy and fun. My social battery at the end of every day was completely empty because I was talking to so many new people and trying new things. There was bingo, friendship bracelet making, a silent disco, kickoff at Kinnick, self-care carnival, the president block party, and poster sales, just to name a few! I also did Honors Primetime, which was a course offered (for free) to all honors students during On Iowa! week. I chose to take “The Psychology of Food” and I thought it was a great/quick way to earn an experiential learning credit in only three days and meet a few people in the program. Thanks for tagging along and I’ll update soon! 

 

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