Choose your college town wisely

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I have an older sister who is about to graduate from the University of Georgia (UGA), and she absolutely loved her time in Athens for good reason. Aside from the obvious dominance in football, she got to watch (she was thoroughly humbled this year), one of her favorite parts of Athens is the downtown and nightlife.

While UGA is a “frat school” known for its Greek life (as the SEC typically is), the downtown restaurants and activities are incredibly high. There are so many to choose from downtown, almost an overwhelming amount. In Iowa, there are 10-12 people who really go to on any given night; in Athens, that number is way closer to 30 or 40.

Athens is also widely considered the best college town in the country. While I disagree and believe it is Iowa City, Athens is a lot bigger, which is where the title comes in. UGA has around 45k total students compared to UI’s 30k, making it much more packed. However, the downtown situations are very different.

Because there are so many more restaurants in Athens, fewer are filled and busy, while Iowa City capitalizes on it. Spots like China Star and Sumo Sushi thrive on great prices for great food while being packed and have led to some of the most fun nights for me and my friends.

So, while Athens may be higher on a lot of people’s boards, you might want to think twice about going out and the kind of vibe you want while going out with friends.

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I went to Print with The Daily Iowan

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Hey y’all, so if you’ve been following along this year, I’ve been talking A LOT about my experience working for DITV, The Daily Iowan’s TV affiliate that goes live three times a week simulating a real news station.

But back in January, I stepped back from the station to switch to the print side. While they focus on their physical paper and daily newsletter that goes out to all their subscribers, I joined their digital division and started helping brainstorm content for their social media channels.

I worked with the executive editors and the photographers at a much higher rate and actually learned a lot about how they operate, which differs so significantly from how DITV operates. The editors are there EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, along with some of their workers, ensuring a product is delivered to their readers and subscribers every day that is worthy of their payment.

It is honestly so impressive to see the incredible dedication from so much of the staff to actually get stuff like that done so often. At DITV, there are three shows a week, meaning we have three nights a week where we have to prep everything and three morning shows where we need to come in, but absolutely every day the print staff is in doing insane work.

While I did re-join DITV, it is honestly so cool to see just how much work goes into their side of everything, and also how positive the staff is despite their workload as editors. If you are coming in as a journalism major, and want to write but not do anything in front of the camera, the DI is the perfect spot for you.

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Why I LOVE a big school (Especially Iowa)

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So, last semester, I started making TikToks. Specifically, I made interviewing TikToks, where I’d go around and ask people whatever question popped into my head that day, and people liked it! I have a hat I always wear, a catchphrase I always say that people yell at me from across the street (bonus points if you know what it is), and I have overall seen some traction.

I’ve gained a very solid following of Iowa students, and my videos consistently get viewed by the student body, which has led me to be recognized a surprising amount when going out and to classes. I love it; the point of this post is to not bash people talking to me (it’s my favorite thing ever), instead just the spontaneity of it.

I had no idea in August that I’d be the University of Iowa TikTok guy, and it has already led to some insane opportunities. I’ve gotten to do interviews for publications like Pink News, which has seen over 2 million views across all platforms. Now, I’m looking at working with a particular Dave Portnoy-owned company with a University of Iowa page.

While this could happen at a small school, your odds increase dramatically at a bigger one like Iowa. The chances someone sees your growth and talent, and the chance you get roped into something that becomes your new thing, are so much more likely to happen and so much more possible when the student body sharing it and seeing it is so much bigger.

I just ask that you consider the possibilities that haven’t even hit you yet and consider how going to a bigger school will make those opportunities much quicker when you don’t expect it.

(Follow the TikTok @dravinterviewer, and if you comment you saw me here I’ll follow back)

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Grades are Out- But It Was SLOW.

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So, I was slightly annoyed with my grades. Not because they were bad, I finished with a 3.80, and given I maintain a job while also taking 18 credit hours I am not mad, but because of the timing of the grades.

Finals week wrapped up on Friday the 20th, I had my final “final” exam on Thursday the 19th, and hoped to have grades in decently soon. I didn’t know until night of the 27th.

All due respect for teachers, but come on, you can’t help me out and you’re going to make me stress all throughout Christmas because of it? They all got in eventually, it was just so annoying how long it took to have them in.

That was really my only gripe with finals week. I thought it was great given there were no classes, and it was oddly wholesome to see everyone on campus, regardless of major, be forced to lock in at the same time and need to really work. I’m currently writing this on NYE, partly because I was busy over break, but also because I wanted to wind down and really share my thoughts after a while on the entire situation.

Waiting for grades is just so annoying haha, but Iowa makes it pretty clear when they’ll come out and how they’ll come out, but I think I just had teachers who were a bit lazy when it came to it- although that can happen at literally any school in the country, so don’t think going somewhere would change it.

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Headed Home as an Out-Of-State Student

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So many students around the country find the idea of going to a school that is far away or out-of-state, away from family, not knowing anyone, and general uncertainty, daunting. While this can be for a few reasons, one of the main reasons is travel.

Also when I say out-of-state, I live in Pennsylvania now, so I mean REALLY out of state, not Minnesota. Y’all can suck it up and make the four hour drive.

But I want to tell you that distance should not be the thing to deter you from not only going to any college but specifically U Iowa. I have loved every moment of my time at Iowa so far, I’ve found some popularity on social media which is leading to new opportunities, and I’ve made a killer friend group that I wouldn’t trade for the world. But the one question I had to think about before any of this was, how do I even get here?

Iowa isn’t exactly a bustling hub of trade and commerce, shocking, I know, so me and my family had to get savvy when it came to not only getting there but for an affordable price. I live right next to Harrisburg, PA, which has a small airport that will at least go to Chicago. I then transfer there to Cedar Rapids and I’m all good! If you aren’t used to flying like I am, it can be daunting, but I assure you it isn’t once you’ve done it once.

While I had to be ruthless when it came to deciding whether or not to bring certain things home, and leaving space to bring things back, it wasn’t bad. I didn’t have to check anything and I got home with no problems.

I know it can seem like a tall task as an out-of-state student to head to/from U Iowa, but not only is it worth it, the rhythm will come to you and the way to do it will show itself. Don’t let that deter you from going to any school, as it will always be worth it to venture out into the world and explore.

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Halloween At Iowa!

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I am so ridiculously excited for halloween. While it is one of the most fun holidays by far for everyone, it is the best for college students.

Firstly, because Halloween is on a Thursday this year, students across campus have unanimously agreed that it is the entire weekend along with Thursday. This means that not only do you get to wear multiple costumes throughout the festivities, but you can also miss a day if you need to get work done or aren’t feeling well. When we were young, if you couldn’t trick or treat, you were screwed, but that has changed for the better.

Second, there is so much fun stuff to do. Obviously college will always have parties and functions, but outside of that there is always something to do. Whether it is going to one of the several dorm hosted events involving pumpkin painting, or the haunted house at the IMU if you prefer, regardless of what you desire or want to do, your halloween spirit can be fulfilled without having to do anything you don’t want to/don’t feel comfortable with.

Third, being able to just spend time with friends is so much fun. Like I said, there is always something to do, but everyone gets into the halloween spirit around here, which means you and your friends can do whatever you feel like! Whether that is going out, doing a group costume, or just binge-eating candy (I don’t judge, lol), everyone gets into it, and it is a fantastic time to spend with your friends and have some fun!

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3 Things To Know About DITV!

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In my last blog post, I went in-depth about the sneaky advantages of Iowa’s journalism programs and extracurriculars that the university has, which others around the country do not. During that post, I mentioned DITV (Daily Iowan Television)- a branch of The DI that does live news broadcasts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and allows reporters many excellent opportunities unavailable to general students. There are a ton of really cool perks and things that DITV reporters and staff have that others may not, so I wanted to give you three of my personal favorites as a new freshman!

  1. Studio Space!

    The DITV studio is exclusive to DITV members, requiring a scan from your Iowa One card to get in, but it is added after you join, so no one can come in. The studio is always open if you have a card and offers many nice things. First, it’s a great place to sit, relax and edit. Second, several editing bays are noise canceling, so you can go and do work in private if needed (coincidentally, where I am right now as I write this). It’s a great, quiet, and exclusive place to study or work if needed, as long as no one needs to edit.

  2. Opportunities!

    When you join DITV, you’ll be a general reporter, covering local stories and learning. But as you advance at DITV, getting used to the flow and getting better at reporting, you’ll get opportunities to join the sports or political staff that cover specific things. I worked my tail off to start the year, and I am now a 50/50 split between sports and news, but I’ll have a multitude of opportunities to cover sports games for free, including both men’s and women’s basketball. It’s a great chance to explore different fields and areas of reporting while also getting to do it all for free.

  3. Social Life!

    While it is a workplace, DITV is a great place to meet friends. DITV is a massive time commitment, so you bond with those around you pretty hard and quickly. Everyone is genuinely amicable, creating a welcoming and fun environment that helps people feel like they belong. I’m incredibly extroverted and worked my butt off, so people got to know me quickly, but some of my other friends who are new to DITV aren’t nearly as out there or devoted as I am, but they would 100 percent agree that this place is welcoming and friendly.  You spend a lot of time here, but so does everyone else, and you all have some basic interest in journalism, which leads to bonding quickly and effectively.

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A sneaky advantage for Journalism at Iowa

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So, when I was looking at colleges, I looked intending to pursue journalism. I have always had a backup plan and a double major in economics, but my true love is and continuously will be broadcast journalism and social media. I looked across the internet, and no matter how far you looked, there are always differing opinions and thoughts about how good a school is or the opportunities provided. However, I have yet to see rankings for student organizations. If you seek it out, you’ll find it, but they aren’t something that most people think of.

I mention this because The Daily Iowan and DITV (where I work) are ranked incredibly high nationwide. Compared to Ivy League colleges, Iowa has one of the best-ranked student newspapers and TV stations of any college that will help prepare you for your future in journalism. I personally work for DITV, the student broadcasting station. We do live shows every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve worked my butt off and actually got to anchor my first show on Friday (tiny brag), but DITV is also the #2 ranked student news broadcast in the country, only behind Baylor. But they pre-record their broadcasts, and we do them live, so we’re better.

The point is, when looking at schools, don’t just look at their rankings for specific schools and departments. Some schools might have better journalism schools on the surface, but the experience and hands-on work you get from a top-ranked station is second to none. It is one of the best things about U Iowa and one of the highest ranked. I urge you to check out a broadcast (specifically on October 4th, as some super handsome and charismatic guy is supposed to be making his anchoring debut).

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City Food Is The Best

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Hi everyone, I’m Dravin. In case you didn’t read my bio, I was born and raised in New York City (A small town in the Northeast; maybe you have heard of it?) But after COVID-19 hit, I had to move to a small town in Pennsylvania for high school.

The suburbs were a shock. I had been walking myself to school in NYC since I was eight or nine, in third and fourth grade. I had grown accustomed to not only being able to get anything I needed at any time but just anything being open past 9 p.m.

Pennsylvania was the complete opposite.

Everything shut down at a specific time, especially food. If you wanted food after 10 p.m., it was McDonald’s or starve (No hate to McDonald’s, but I like variety). This pushed me towards Iowa City, and Iowa City has not disappointed me.

Iowa City is widely known as one of the best college towns in America, and the central part of that is the food and nightlife. Off the top of my head, there is Cane’s (Chicken), China Star (Chinese), Saigon’s Corner (Thai), Chipotle and Pancheros (Mexican), Mesa’s (Pizza), Subway and Jimmy Johns (Sandwiches), and Insomnia (Late night sweets). That is all within a 15-minute walk from the west side, the furthest part of campus. The variety, late hours, and diverse pallets allow students to match any cravings they desire at any time.

As someone who grew up with this luxury, I miss it dearly. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to someone who hadn’t had this kind of experience before.

I may be a big back, but Iowa City is fantastic for allowing me to become one.

Till Next Time!
-Dravin

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