College Decision Stress: Tips for Staying Calm

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You’ve spent months visiting campuses, submitting applications, and hearing back about admission statuses. However, just because you’ve put in all the hard work doesn’t mean your stress levels have gone down. You may have people constantly asking where you’re going and what you’re studying, and you likely have classmates who have already made their decisions.

We get it. Right now, it’s super easy to get overwhelmed and anxious about your future, especially if you haven’t decided on where to attend college.

But here’s the thing: it’s okay not to have everything figured out. That doesn’t mean you’re behind. There’s still time to select your university and choose a starting major.

We aren’t going to tell you not to stress, because that’s not how destressing works. However, we are going to share a couple of things to remember to help keep your stress levels down:

  • If you’re deciding between a couple of colleges, campus visits are a great choice to get a sense of if that university is for you. Plus, many places offer visit days just for admitted students.
  • Give yourself time for self-care. Throw on a face mask. Watch an episode of your favorite comfort show. And don’t forget to drink some water – you’re probably dehydrated!
  • Check your top university’s policies on housing applications. Many places, like Iowa, don’t require you to have accepted admission before submitting your housing application. If you’re really thinking about a school, you’ll appreciate having your spot in line for room selection when you make your decision to attend there.
  • Research ways to help fund your education. Finances can be a huge factor in your college decision, and it’s important to know the resources to lower your overall cost. At Iowa, we have a whole site that goes into detail about different ways to maximize your financial aid.
  • Enjoy the last months of your senior year. You likely won’t attend the same school as all your friends and you may not be involved in all the same activities and extra curriculars, so make sure to appreciate the time you still have with them.
  • Know that there is no wrong decision. While we’d love to welcome you to Iowa as a Hawkeye, you’re going to choose the college that’s the right fit for you.

Amazing things are coming your way. Take a deep breath, accept an offer of admission when you’re ready, and know you’re going to have an amazing college experience.

Go Hawks!

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8 People You Probably Didn’t Know Attended Iowa 

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Jake Johnson 

Any “New Girl” fans? Jake Johnson, AKA the beloved Nick Miller, attended the University of Iowa for two years. He studied Creative Writing and even wrote a play that got him into NYU’s Tisch School of Arts. 

(Mary) Flannery O’Connor 

Best known for her short stories, such as “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor attended the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1946. You can find a Literary Walk Plaque on Iowa Avenue in her honor. 

Jean Seberg 

For those who have not heard of Jean Seberg, her story is heartbreaking and worth reading about. She was an American actress, considered an icon of the French New Wave, and appeared in 34 films in her short life. 

After growing up in small-town Iowa, she enrolled at the University of Iowa and took up Filmmaking. 

Tom Brokaw 

Although he graduated from the University of South Dakota State, Tom Brokaw started college at the University of Iowa. He was the anchor of NBC’s “Nightly News” for over 20 years, and in 2010, he was awarded an honor doctorate from Iowa. Thanks to his donation to the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections and Archives in 2016, we have an extensive collection of his papers. 

Ashton Kutcher 

He may be known for his on-screen presence and modeling career, but that all began while he was a student at the University of Iowa. He was a Biochemical Engineering major when he was approached downtown in The Airliner Bar by a model scout. He may have left before graduating to pursue modeling, but we hear he’s still a die-hard Hawkeyes fan. 

Gene Wilder 

 You probably know him best for his perfectly eccentric portrayal of Willy Wonka back in the ‘70s. But did you know he was a student at the University of Iowa first? Wilder graduated with a BA in Communication and Theatre Arts back in 1955. It didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself in Hollywood, where he was best known for his comedic roles. 

Tom Arnold 

Not only did Tom Arnold grow up in Iowa, but he also attended college here as well. Arnold was a Business Administration and Writing student here at the University of Iowa who went on to become a successful actor, comedian, and television host. 

John Irving 

Another writer whose plaque graces our Literary Walk on Iowa Avenue. John Irving attended Kurt Vonnegut’s workshop in 1965 at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in Dey House. Fun fact: He’s also a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. 

Iowa’s Center for Advancement has a great article that highlights his career. 

 

At Iowa, you should study what draws and interests you. You can do great things no matter your major, even if you attend college in the Heartland. You never know what, or who, you will find in Iowa City! 

 

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5 Lesser-Known Perks of Living in Iowa City

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When you decide to become a Hawkeye, you aren’t just choosing to study at a top university. You’re also choosing to live in a top college town – Iowa City!

There are plenty of reasons why you’ll love it here. Sure, we could tell you about our restaurants serving all types of delicious cuisines, our amazing public library, and downtown events hosted throughout the entire year. But what about some lesser-known perks that make Iowa City the best college town?

Target

Want a quick grocery haul without having to drive? Target. Move into the residence halls and realize you need extra hangers? Target. It’s a convenient, downtown stop as you settle into your new campus. Plus, with over 70 other locally owned shops, you’ll have access to everything you need within walking distance.

50+ Sidewalk Cafes

You certainly won’t have to search – or walk – for long to find a cozy coffee shop. Whether you’re looking for the perfect drink or a quiet spot to study, you’ve got plenty of local cafes to choose from (plus some old favorites like Starbucks and Dunkin’s).

Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday from May to October, our Parks and Recreation Department hosts an open-air market with tons of local vendors. It has everything from fresh produce to live music, plus handmade crafts that totally fit the artsy vibes of the entire city.

Free Downtown Iowa City Transit Bus

While the CAMBUS is perfect for getting around campus (especially on a rainy day), the Iowa City Transit bus is a great way to explore different areas of Iowa City that are a little further away. It can be especially helpful if you choose to live off-campus at any point while at the university. Just hop on and enjoy the free ride!

Easy to Navigate

This might not seem like a big deal, but the quicker you feel like you know your way around, the quicker you’ll feel at home. During your first week at Iowa, you’ll have the chance to participate in various On Iowa! events that lead you through our pedestrian-friendly downtown. It won’t be long before you’ll have a list of favorites and recommendations when friends or family come to visit!

 

Of course, there’s plenty more to discover about Iowa City. But you’ll have to discover those perks for yourself once you become a Hawkeye 😉

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Biomedical Engineering the Hawkeye Way

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Welcome to the Hawkeye Way series! Get to know majors at the University of Iowa and find out why studying the Hawkeye Way is the best way.

Let’s start at the beginning. What is biomedical engineering?

Biomedical engineering combines engineering, biological sciences, and medicine to improve human health. Biomedical engineers work with medical professionals to design and develop medical devices such as implants and prosthetics, improve medical procedures, and conduct research into new technologies.

So why should you study biomedical engineering at Iowa?

Two students in biomedical engineering lab

The University of Iowa is home to one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. You’ll be able to work and conduct research at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) right on campus. You can explore areas like biomechanics and cellular engineering in the classroom as well as the laboratory, gaining real-world experience before you even graduate.

It’s worth mentioning our graduates have a median salary of $62,000 within six months of graduation. Want to continue your education? With top-ranked programs in physical therapy, dentistry, and biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering students at Iowa pursue graduate programs, such as our undergrad-to-grad program, or enter medical schooling.

With unmatched access to pioneering research labs, the UIHC in the heart of campus, and numerous health science colleges with top-ranked programs, the University of Iowa is the perfect place to study biomedical engineering.

Ready to learn more? Schedule a visit and explore all that Iowa has to offer!

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Ready for Orientation? Three steps to prepare

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Hey Future Hawkeyes!

We’re so excited to have you arriving on campus soon! Before we get there, though, let’s talk about Orientation this year. As you know, there are two components of Orientation: Online Orientation (required) and Becoming a Hawkeye sessions (optional). We would love to see you on campus this summer, but understand if you can’t join us until this fall. Whichever you choose, here’s what you need to know:

Online Orientation

This is the required component of Orientation which includes advising and course registration.

  1. Complete pre-advising and placement tests in the Orientation Tile on MyUI. This must be done one week prior to the start of your orientation week.
  2. Once you complete the above steps, you will select a date and time to meet with your advisor and register for classes. This meeting will take 30-60 minutes on the day you choose.
  3. Complete the New Student Checklist items in the Orientation Tile before you arrive in Iowa City this August.

Becoming a Hawkeye

Students and families are invited to join us on campus to learn about resources, explore campus and Iowa City, and meet staff and other new Hawkeyes! We highly encourage you to join us! You can register through the Orientation section of your Admissions Profile if you haven’t already.

Becoming a Hawkeye includes sessions for students and their family members. Students will participate in Small Group experiences with our Orientation Leaders, enjoy lunch with new Hawkeyes, and attend information sessions. Families will also have the ability to participate in their own sessions as well as lunch before reconnecting with their student at the end of the day.

After the main program, you’ll have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with campus resources and explore campus on your own as well!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact our office via phone at 319-335-1497 or via email at orientation@uiowa.edu.

Want to stay up-to-date with all things Orientation? Check out Orientation on Instagram and Facebook.

As always – On Iowa! Go Hawks!

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3 Reasons NOT to Choose Iowa

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There are a lot of great reasons to choose Iowa (really, a lot), but today let’s talk about why you shouldn’t choose Iowa:

  1. You’re scared of birds.

Ornithophobia: the fear of birds. Maybe a goose chased you. Perhaps a seagull stole your sandwich. We’re not here to judge. But we should point out that our mascot is a rather large bird. While Herky would never intentionally scare a fellow Hawkeye, we get it.

Iowa spirit squad member carrying tigerhawk flag across end zone at Kinnick Stadium

  1. You HATE black and gold.

We’ll admit it, our color palette isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer red, and well, we don’t. We like to sparkle in our gold. And with the unbeatable Hawkeye spirit, you’ll have no choice but to indulge in that black and gold drip.

The Old Capitol building lit from behind from the sunset. Slightly eerie looking as the building silhouette is visable.

  1. You think the Old Capitol building might be haunted.

Old Cap is an icon. A landmark. A site of historical importance. You’ve seen hundreds of pictures of the gleaming golden dome. It’s a rite of passage to capture your own Old Cap pic. But sometimes, pictures seem to just… appear. Old Cap has that ✨magic✨. It’s giving spectral presence, and like Scooby-Doo, you’re outta here.

All jokes aside, the University of Iowa is a phenomenal place to call home, and we hope you’ll join us, Future Hawkeye. If you’ve had a chuckle (or rolled your eyes) at this post, then you’re our kind of person.

The number one reason you should be a Hawkeye? Because Iowa feels like home.

Drop a comment to share the reason you’ve decided to be a Hawkeye!

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Housing 3: the Deets

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Welcome to part three of our three-part housing series!
Part One: West Side, Best Side?
Part Two: Let’s Eat!

We’ve covered some of the highlights of housing and dining, so now let’s cover the process.

The housing application opened on January 5 for the 2023-24 year. This year, our housing process does not feature a first-come, first-served list as it has in the past. Instead, you will be assigned a selection date and time based on the month you apply for housing.

For example, if you apply for housing in the month of February, you will be given a random selection assignment along with everyone else who applied in February. Those who applied in January will have the earliest selection date, followed by your group in February, and so on.

That being said, it’s in your best interest to apply early in the spring if you have a strong preference for where you live. You can’t go wrong with any of our residence halls, though!

You will also be able to indicate your roommate on the application. You must select each other in order to be roommates – we want the other person(s) to have a say, too!

Don’t have a roommate just yet? That’s totally fine, too. You have until May 15 to submit a roommate request or you can have a random roommate.

Finally, consider joining a Living Learning Community (LLC) when you apply for housing. LLCs are interest or identity-based living groups. You will live on the same floor with a group of your peers who all share a commonality. This is a great way to get to know new students who share your interests.

So, that’s it! What can you do in the meantime? Visit campus! We will be offering Admitted Student Days, Junior Hawkeye Visit Days, and daily visits this spring. These are great opportunities to see campus and even speak with our Housing and Dining staff.

Stay tuned for more information on all things housing and dining later this spring.

Go Hawks!

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Housing 2: Let’s Eat!

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Welcome to Part two of our three-part series on housing! Find Part one here.

While we’re not Burger King, you can still have it your way! There are amazing dining options across campus with a variety of offerings. Here’s a breakdown of…

Market Places

Our traditional dining option, the market places, are located in Hillcrest Hall, Catlett Hall, and Burge Hall. These cafeteria-style dining halls offer an incredible variety of food options. You’ll find everything from Mediterranean to Asian cuisine, burger stations to self-serve soft-serve. Menus change daily and each market place offers slightly different specialties.

Retail Locations

In addition to our market places, you’ll find seven retail locations: Clinton Street Market, Grand Avenue Market, River Room Cafe, Union Station, Food for Thought Cafe, Pat’s Diner, and Mayflower Market. These dining locations offer fixed menus with easy access throughout campus. A unique aspect of these locations is the ability to use flex swipes. Flex swipes are additional meal swipes that can be used outside of the market places.

Now that we’ve talked about some of the places you can eat on campus, let’s talk about meal plans.

There are two primary meal plan options for students living on campus: the Gold meal plan and the Black meal plan. The key difference between these two plans is the amount of meal swipes. The Gold meal plan offers unlimited swipes, while the Black has a certain number of swipes for the semester.

For students living in Mayflower Hall or Parklawn Hall, you also have a third option: the Hawkeye meal plan. As these residence halls offer kitchens, you may not need as extensive of a meal plan, though you can always choose a Gold or Black meal plan!

For more information on what’s included in our various meal plans, check out our Dining website. You’ll also find information on special diets, nutrition, and more.

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Housing 1: West Side, Best Side?

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Welcome to a three-part series on housing at the University of Iowa!

Is the west side really the best side? Will the east side catch your eye? Let’s talk about the dividing topic of where to live on campus.

First and foremost, the University of Iowa is divided into two sections, east and west, as a result of the Iowa River.

If you have visited campus before, you’ve likely become acquainted with the east side of campus. Here, you’ll find our iconic Old Capitol building, the Iowa Memorial Union, and the Admissions Visitor Center. The east side is also home to the College of Liberal Arts, the largest college on campus. As our tour guides will share, the majority of your classes as an undergraduate student will be on the east side of campus. You’ll also find six residence halls: Burge Hall, Catlett Hall, Currier Hall, Daum Hall, Mayflower Hall, and Stanley Hall.

View of Old Capitol Building from Pentacrest sidewalk

Living on the east side makes getting to classes convenient, especially around the pentacrest. You’ll also be steps away from iconic downtown Iowa City (did we mention we’re located in a top college town?). From shopping to dining, there are amazing businesses to explore.

It’s easy to see the appeal of the east side – it appears to have everything! But not so fast; let’s look at the west side.

The west side of campus is home to various colleges including the College of Public Health and the College of Nursing. You’ll also find nearly all of our athletic facilities on the west side, including Kinnick Stadium and Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The west side is home to five residence halls: Hillcrest Hall, Parklawn Hall, Petersen Hall, Rienow Hall, and Slater Hall.

The west side offers a unique component – it’s across the river from the majority of classes. However, that gives you the perfect separation between school and home. This is often one of the main reasons our hardcore west side fans love living there. They go “home” at the end of the day and leave their work behind them.

If you happen to be into health sciences or would like to volunteer at the hospital, being on the west side puts you within steps of amazing medical facilities. There are countless opportunities to volunteer, work, and intern within the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

Finally, you can’t talk about the west side without addressing how much closer you are to the game-day action! With Kinnick Stadium mere blocks from you, getting to football games in the fall is a breeze. Come winter, you’ll also be a stone’s throw away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena where you can cheer on both men’s and women’s basketball.

View inside Kinnick Stadium during the Wave to the Children's Hosptial

Regardless of which side of the river you find yourself on, you’re going to have an amazing experience as a Hawkeye.

Want to explore the University of Iowa from the comfort of your home this winter? Check out our virtual tour for an immersive experience including 360° views of key campus locations, audio from our students, and more.

Go Hawks!

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It’s Finally Fall! Now What?

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It’s Iowa’s favorite season: fall! The air is crisp, the leaves turn gold, and the cheers from Kinnick can be heard for miles. You may be wondering, besides watching the Hawkeyes, what you should be doing during this beautiful time of year. Well, we’ve got you covered.

Two students walking in front of the Old Capitol building on a crisp fall day. The leaves in the foreground are brightly colored and have begun to fall onto the sidewalk where students are walking.

  1. Apply to Iowa! This may be the most obvious step, and you may have already completed it. If you haven’t applied yet, we strongly recommend applying before our November 1 Early Action deadline. This is a non-binding application, but it will get you the best consideration for aid, housing, honors, and more.
  2. Send your test scores. While test scores are optional, we strongly encourage students to submit test scores if they’re available (and you’re happy with them). Sending a test score will never reduce your scholarship or consideration, it can only help!
  3. Complete the FAFSA. The FAFSA opened on October 1, so it’s time to get started! You’ll need to have some important information on hand, and it might be best to complete this with a parent, guardian, or counselor. Our deadline to complete the FAFSA is December 1.
  4. Check your email. Make sure to regularly check your email to stay on top of any deadlines and events coming up! Important information will be coming your way, and you don’t want to miss it.

Have you checked off every item on this list? If so, there’s one more thing you can do…

Carve an amazing Hawkeye pumpkin and share it with us on Instagram! Use the hashtag #FutureHawkeye and you may receive some Iowa swag.

Happy Spooky Season!

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