What I’m Doing This Semester To Avoid The Mistakes I Made Last Semester

Posted on January 24, 2025

Hey queens! I hope you all had the best winter break and are ready to take on the next semester!!

My first semester of college was a whirlwind, as I’m sure is the case for most freshmen. It was scary, confusing, exciting, exhausting, and lots of fun. However, I made a lot of mistakes – which is totally okay – but the thing about mistakes is that we have to learn from them. So in this post, I will be outlining what I messed up last semester and what I’m changing this semester. It’s not always going to be easy and I’m not going to be perfect at it, but I hope that you guys can learn from this too. And if you made similar mistakes, maybe this will help you work on a plan to fix them. We WILL have an amazing academic comeback!!

1. Skipping Class

Everyone told me before I got to college that if you skip class, it snowballs. But I thought that if I skipped it just once or a few times when necessary or I needed to work on something else, I’d be fine. Spoiler: I was not fine. After skipping one lecture, I barely showed up to lecture again for the rest of the semester.

Something in your mindset shifts after skipping the first time. And by finals week, I realized how much it hurt my grades that I hadn’t gone. Attendance wasn’t mandatory but I hadn’t gotten enough information to study and do well on the exams without going to class and getting the notes and info. And it killed me that I knew that if I had just gone to class, I would have done so much better. I still passed the class, but barely – so to save my GPA, I am making a rule for myself this semester that I have to treat going to class so, so seriously, and the only time I will let myself skip is if I am sick.

Will I magically go to every single class every time now that I have this rule? Probably not. But self-reflection is the first step to self-improvement, and it’s worth a lot to try!

2. Skewed Priorities

Obviously there are lot of things we all have to balance while we’re here, and who am I to say that one thing is more or less important than another. But on a personal level, one thing that really affected my wellbeing last semester were my priorities and how exactly I prioritized them. It being my first semester, I focused so much the first couple months on finding and building good relationships with other people. I am an extrovert and finding ‘my people’ was so, so important to me – and still is. But I was spending so much time seeking out friendships that I neglected to maintain other things that were also important to me – like forgetting to call my family or choosing to spend the time I had studying doing other things instead. And then in the last couple months of the semester, I was focused so much on academics that I started to struggle with building on these friendships that I had found. This resulted in me being disorganized, stressed, and all-around unhappier with myself.

So next semester, I would like to juggle all my priorities a little more consistently. For example, while my friends aren’t more important than my family or vice versa, both are obviously a huge priority and presence in my life and need the appropriate attention without it overshadowing anything else.

3. Prioritizing My Health

Last semester, I got so anxious about figuring out where I was going for each of my classes and stressed about getting there on time, and early, that I didn’t really give myself time to relax or even eat. I also often stayed up long nights to study or go out and didn’t prioritize my sleep as much as I should’ve. And on the days I had off, I was so tired I just rotted in bed all day and didn’t get up or stretch or eat good meals.

All of these things resulted in a burned out, low-energy, stressed version of myself that was not very fun to be around and I still ended up being behind on a lot of my to-do list items. So this semester, to all-around be a more productive and healthy person, I will be going to bed earlier and using my time during the day to cross off my to-do list things. I will aim for eating three full and balanced meals each day and not just mac and cheese – which I pretty much lived off of first semester. Overall this will help me so much better and way more energized and refreshed so I am ready to take on my workload each day.

I hope that everyone is prepared to have a productive and healthy semester!!! We can do this and we will be ok!!!

xoxox,

Haven

 

Continue Reading →

Christmas Gift Ideas (For When You Have No Idea What to Get Someone)

Posted on December 14, 2024

Hey queens! Welcome back. I hope everyone is feeling prepared and ready to take on their finals, and even if you’re not, I hope you at least are excited to have a long break soon!!

The holidays are coming up, and besides all the stress of finals, one more minor thing that may also be stressing you out is – what on earth do I get people for Christmas?? Every year I ask myself this question, and even though I’ve been getting gifts for the exact same people for many many years, I always want to give them something unique that I haven’t done before. And if you’re in the same boat, I’ve got some ideas! So: here are 10 ideas of Christmas gift ideas to give you a little inspiration.

1. Lego Flowers

For the person in your life who loves building things and deserves flowers, or the friend that can’t kept real plants alive!

2. Mini Whiteboard & Whiteboard Markers

Perfect for college students who need to study (especially if they’re studying chemistry or math!)

3. Snackle Box

Easy to put together and full of variety.

4. Phone Wallet

These are incredible useful for anyone, but especially those who hate carrying their real wallet around!

5. Weighted Stuffed Animal

For your friends with anxiety or anyone who loves stuffed animals <3

6. Portable Charger

For the friend whose phone is always dying!

7. Apple Airtag

For the friend that is always losing their keys, wallet, or other important items

8. Wall Posters

Great, budget-friendly apartment or dorm decorations to add personality to a room.

9. Moon Lamp

For your friend who hates the big light & it’s a fun decoration!

10. Tumbler

For the friend that is always drinking coffee or tea!

 

Good luck on finals everyone, and I hope you are able to find the perfect gifts!

Happy Holidays!

xoxox

Haven

Continue Reading →

My Favorite Little Moments From This Semester

Posted on November 18, 2024

Hey queens! Welcome back. Now that it’s approaching mid-November, we’re getting to that point in the semester where assignments are piling up, exams seem to keep coming every single week, the weather is cold, and personally I’m losing motivation and am ready to go home for break. Although November is a rough month for a lot of people, especially this particular November, when I start to feel super down I like to reflect on the little moments that make life just a little bit sweeter. Because this semester is my first semester of college ever, I’ve had a lot of new experiences and a lot of these little (and not-so-little!) moments. So I’m going to share my favorite ones! I hope I can bring just a little bit more serotonin to your day today, or at least help you reflect on your own favorite little or even  moments you’ve gotten to experience over the last few months of school. Enjoy <3

Walking Back to Mayflower

At first, this may not seem like a positive thing – as a Mayflower resident, I can confirm that even though I’m used to it by now, the distance from campus is still really annoying sometimes. But it has actually helped me form some of my closest connections here. There have been several nights where people have kindly walked back with me to Mayflower to help make sure I get home safe, which is so sweet of them – and the long walk has also given us a chance to talk one-on-one. I am a big believer in going on a walk with someone to get to know them better. So even though the 20 minute walk can sometimes feel like a struggle, I have loved the opportunities it has given me to connect with people. Even though it’s just a walk (therefore making it a ‘little moment’) it has been such a good way for me to form deeper friendships here.

Exploring New Study Places

As I’m constantly on the search for new study spots around campus, I’ve gotten the chance to explore many new places with some of my friends that I wouldn’t normally, including Blank Honors Center and the art library! It’s been so cool to discover fun new places on the Iowa campus and I highly recommend exploring.

Just Dance Night

A couple weeks ago, some new friends and I got together to eat a meal at Hillcrest together and play some games. We played a few board games that my friend actually had made and designed himself, which was super fun! And then we headed over to the HawkeyEsport Arcade on the bottom floor of the IMU to play some Just Dance. It was nice to hang out with a small comfortable group of people and just have a fun time. And I probably would have never known about or been to the HawkeyEsport Arcade if not for them! If you haven’t visited it, I definitely recommend. It’s open from 11am-11pm every day!

Picnics in the Park

Every Wednesday I have a two hour break between classes starting at 3:30, and since none of the dining halls are open during that time, and my residence hall is too far away to get back there and actually be productive in that window of time, I’ve gotten in the habit of getting a walking taco from Burge and then, weather permitting, going to the Pentacrest lawn to sit under a tree and enjoy it. I love my solo picnics here and it’s one of my favorite parts of my Wednesday.

I hope you’re able to find something like a little moment in every day that brings you joy. It’s truly the little things that keep us going!! I wish everyone a good rest of November and a fantastic fall break.

XOXO,
Haven

Continue Reading →

Things That Saved My Life During Midterms

Posted on November 5, 2024

Welcome back queens! I hope everyone is getting excited about Halloween and the cold weather. Now that (my first!) midterm season has come and gone, I must say that these exams sucked and also made me learn a lotttt about myself and my studying habits. Considering that I have many more midterm seasons to withstand, I took note of the things that worked really well for me while preparing for these exams and the things that really didn’t. And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t share that knowledge?

So – here are things that saved my life during the last couple weeks and will definitely save your grades next midterm season, or anytime you have truckloads of work to do.

1. Finding a good study spot

Now, I’ve already made a post about this before, but finding your ideal study spot is CRUCIAL to a good midterm season. Because you will be doing lots of studying, and you need a place where you are comfortable and you can focus. Most of all, that place should NOT be in your dorm or apartment. While I do know many people who can manage to be productive in their homes, I also know that the majority of us cannot adequately be productive for long periods of time that way. So finding a place away from your room where you can still be comfortable and not get distracted is vital. Plus, studying elsewhere is a nice change of scenery and forces you to actually go outside – I know that I sometimes have a tendency to rot away the days in my dorm which is very much not healthy. So get up, grab your backpack, and leave. your. room!!

If you need some suggestions on where exactly you might be able to go study, you can access my previous post about this here.

2. Knowing how & what to study

This may seem obvious, but knowing what to study and how you can study most efficiently is extremely important. Once I got to college, I realized that I actually didn’t really know how to study and I needed to figure it out – fast.

Two things that personally helped me learn how to study was the fact that I know I will not remember something if I don’t write it down with a physical pen and paper, and I am a visual learner. So while figuring out what works best for me during this time period, I tried lots of things.

If applicable, I looked up and rewatched videos we’d seen in class. I hand wrote all my notes, looked over them the next day and highlighted important parts. I made flashcards on Quizlet (highly recommend, though unfortunately I am broke and still can only use the free version) and utilized the games and practice tests available there.

This was all wildly helpful, but the most useful thing I ended up doing was the spaced repetition method – a scientifically proven method to help improve active recall and assist with memorization. Studies have shown that the spaced repetition method can improve learning and reduce the time spent studying, which is the ultimate goal! Spaced repetition involves reviewing the information you need to learn in intervals the slowly become closer and closer together as you get closer to when you need to actually apply the information (like on an exam). Personally I liked the 2357 method – I first started studying the material for my exams seven days before the exam, then studied again 5 days before, then 3 days, then 2 days, then the day before. I haven’t gotten my midterm grades back yet, but I felt pretty confident, so I would say it worked! In addition,  Quizlet actually uses the spaced repetition method in the way they present the flashcards to you and generate the practice games. So if you discover that this is something that works for you, I highly recommend.

Now, keep in mind that everyone’s brain is wired differently. So these things that worked for me may not work for you. It’s a big trial and error process! To each their own 🙂

3. Knowing when to stop

It often seems like there are never enough hours in the day to do all that we need to do – but even though the stress and chaos of midterms may make it seem like you have to be locked in nonstop, that is unsustainable and unhealthy. While I’m sure you’ve been told this many times before, taking breaks and making sure you’re keeping your brain and body healthy will help you do better on your exams. I know that personally I tend to hyperfocus on my schoolwork for hours and hours at a time without eating or taking a break, and whenever I finish an hours-long study session like that, I always feel so bad – mind numb, migraine starting, back hurting, throat dry, etc. etc.

So to make sure I stayed healthy and balanced during the midterm season (and also in general, not just during exams) I blocked out my time in my planner so that I would never be studying for ridiculous amounts of time. I would study for a calm two or three hours and then take a break to eat, doom scroll, take a walk, etc, and then come back for another two-three hours whenever I next had free time. I noticed that I was able to be more productive during these shorter study sessions when I did other things to care of myself in between – and I always tried to go to bed before midnight on the weekdays so I could stay well rested for the next day. I know it’s not easy to stay up on taking care of yourself – I have struggled with it for a long time. But you can do it, and you will feel so, so much better!

4. Making it as painless as possible

Studying itself is not the most fun activity in the world – we all know this. But one thing that helped me get through the long hours was making it as painless as I could – I always had snacks to eat while studying, or a coffee, or both! I’d reward myself after a long day with a sweet treat (usually soft serve from the dining hall). Some days I would listen to my favorite music (though sometimes when I really needed to focus I’d study in silence). I’d pick somewhere comfortable to sit. Studying itself will never be the most enjoyable, but there are definitely ways to make it better, and it definitely helps.

So there you go! Next time exam season rolls around, I hope you’ll feel prepared and ready to ace every test. You can do it!

XOXO, Haven

Continue Reading →

Is Mayflower Hall Really the Worst Dorm?

Posted on October 14, 2024

Hey queens! It’s been a minute – I hope midterm season went well for everyone, and I hope you all take some time off this weekend to rest and relax. You deserve it!!

Now that I have nearly two months of freshman year behind me, I’ve been thinking back to the moment when I first made the decision to commit to University of Iowa in March. I was unbelievably excited to finally know where the next four years of my life and schooling would take place, and one of the biggest changes for me was moving away from home and living on my own (sort of) for the first time! I was so ready to receive the true ‘college experience’ and a big part of that for me meant living in a residence hall. Because my room selection number was really high, by the time I was able to access the housing application, there wasn’t a lot of space left. As I opened the housing portal, I realized that Mayflower Hall had the most space still available out of any residence hall, even towards the end of the housing selection process. Without knowing anything about Mayflower, I selected my room on the sixth floor and then headed to social media to look up what previous Iowa students had to say about it. And what I saw made me heavily regret my decision!

Mostly everyone I saw was talking about how Mayflower was so far away from campus and one of the worst residence halls. I read how the hall was put on the market in early 2023 for millions of dollars, but ended up staying as a residence hall because so many students enrolled at Iowa for the 2023-24 school year. Most people I saw talked about how it was annoyingly far away from the main campus and not as nice as some of the more newly renovated dorms. Hearing this made me worry that my living situation was going to be, well, less than ideal. But as the housing portal had closed, I didn’t have any other option but to stick it out and experience it for myself. 

When I stepped into the Mayflower building for the first time on August 17, I had no idea what to expect. I knew I was on the sixth floor in a suite-style room – every dorm in Mayflower is actually a suite style, which means that there’s two doubles connected with a shared bathroom and kitchen. But besides that, I knew nothing about the size of the room or how ‘nice’ it would be. 

On August 17, as I stepped into my new home for the first time, I braced myself for the worst. But to my surprise, it was nowhere near the dismal dorm I had been told to expect from previous students. My high captain bed was right by the window looking out over the park and river, making for an absolutely gorgeous view. A wall with plenty of closet space separated the bed area and the desk area of the dorm, making it feel like two rooms instead of one! The kitchen came equipped with a four burner gas stove and full size fridge and freezer. The bathroom had two sinks, a closed-off toilet area and shower, and mirrors with storage behind them. It was a lot more spacious and ‘homey’ than I was expecting. And best of all, it was not any more expensive than if I had roomed in a more “traditional” double dorm in a different residence hall!

Besides just my dorm room, I discovered the other cool features at Mayflower – like the convenience store stocked with delicious snacks and flex meal options, the fitness center equipped with lots of machines and equipment for when I didn’t feel like heading over to the Rec, and the computer lab. 

Over the first week while I settled in at Mayflower, I learned some good (and bad) things about the residence hall. For example, the elevators were tiny and always crowded, but that gave me more opportunity to bond with people and make new friends. The distance from campus was definitely annoying at first, but that means when I decided to walk I could get lots of my steps in for the day. And because most of the time I chose to take the bus, I quickly learned the bus routes and how to navigate the Transit app, which was super helpful. Because Mayflower is one of the largest dormitories (housing over 1000 students!) there’s a lot of people I’m able to bond with over the fact that we both live in Mayflower. Finding out someone else lives in the same residence hall as you is always a great way to connect!

Overall, even though I wasn’t sure if I would like living in Mayflower, it’s actually been a great experience with not a lot of downsides. And plenty of other Mayflower residents agree. ” I like having a kitchen and fridge because it keeps me from being homesick and I can make food that reminds me of home,” said Haya Hussain, a freshman resident. 

“I like that the bed and desk area is separate so I can study while my roommate is sleeping and we don’t have to go to bed at the same time,” said Lilliana Wenk, another freshman resident.

So if you plan to live in a residence hall next year, don’t cross Mayflower off your list yet – you might just be surprised at how much you’ll end up liking it!

Continue Reading →

My Top 5 Study Spots On Campus

Posted on September 26, 2024

Hey queens!! I hope everyone is enjoying the first month of the new semester and settling in. My first couple weeks here were a huge adjustment and took a bit to get used to, and I’m sure many other freshman felt the same. One of the biggest changes was the workload – so many notes, readings, and discussion posts! 

And now, as we start to head into the first exams of the season, the workloads are continuing to pile up for all of us. Now that I’ve been settled in at Iowa for a hot minute, I’ve realized the most important thing for me to stay on top of it all is to find my SPOT. You know – a quiet place to sit down and really lock in on my schoolwork. While exploring campus I’ve found several good study spots, and though I’ve considered gatekeeping my favorites, they’re really too good not to share! So if you haven’t discovered your spot yet, I hope you can take a little inspiration from mine 🙂

Before I jump in, remember that everyone works differently in different environments. What works super well for me might not be your favorite option. That’s why I’m sharing pros and cons of each spot so you can know if a spot that I hate might actually be good for you, and vice versa. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Prairie Lights Cafe
   One of the places I always see people studying in are coffee shops – because who doesn’t like some caffeine to sip on while doing schoolwork? So I’ve tried studying in a few coffee shops and my favorite by far is definitely Prairie Lights cafe. In case you didn’t know, Prairie Lights is a local bookstore downtown with a cafe on the second floor. I like to sit by the window and enjoy the view while drinking some iced coffee, and it’s super nice! However, if you like to be in a place without a lot of people, this might not be the spot for you – it’s never super crowded, but there’s always other people in the cafe (they have good stuff!). 

2. Outside
   When the weather’s nice, it’s good to go outside and get some fresh air. It can certainly help boost productivity. And I know I’ve already seen a lot of people studying outside in the grass this semester. So I’ve tried it too! My favorite outside spot so far has been on the lawn in front of the Pentacrest, facing the downtown area. There’s lots of space to spread out and so many trees to shade you from the sun. Now of course you can always hear the sounds of the downtown area and the people walking by, so if you need mostly quiet to study, this probably won’t work for you, but it can be super nice to enjoy the outdoors while studying, especially in autumn!!

3. Lindquist Center
   

   

   As an elementary education major, I’ve spent a lottt of time in the Lindquist Center. So, I’ve often ended up studying there so I don’t have to walk a super long way to get to my next class. In my time there, I’ve discovered some amazing study spots! 

   If you go into South Lindquist and go through the doors to the Al Hieronymus Student Learning Center, you’ll find a cozy lounge area with lots of tables and chairs. including these huge gray ones that are so comfortable to study in! They have a really tall headrest that covers three sides, so you can’t see the people next to you and get distracted. (That’s why I call them cubby chairs). It’s really helpful for me personally, and I always see at least a few other people using them too, so they definitely work! 

4. Burge Booths
   Anyone who knows me personally knows that my absolute favorite color in the entire world is green – it’s even scientifically known to help calm your mind. And to be productive, I need a comfortable place to settle in. So that’s why one of the best study spots I’ve found is the booths located in the basement of Burge Hall. If you enter through the main entrance and go down the stairs, you’ll see a row of green booths right in front of you! These booths are cozy and quiet and can fit multiple people if you want to study with some friends. They even have a large whiteboard on the wall of each booth, which is super helpful for planning group projects or working out math problems! I’ve done some of my best work at the Burge booths (I actually wrote this post in one of them). 

   

   
   It’s a pretty quiet place most of the time, however, if you don’t have headphones or earbuds and you get easily distracted by noise, this might not be the place for you. Because it’s right below the main lobby, you can hear a lot of noise from the people coming in, or the other people in the basement (there is a ping pong table and people can get loud!). Luckily, I’ve never had anyone super noisy come into the basement while I was studying. Just something to keep in mind if you need total quiet while doing your work.

5. Hillcrest Booths
   In my humble opinion, Hillcrest has the best dining hall – and the best study spots. On the floor right above the dining hall, there’s plenty of little study areas. My favorite are the blue and green booths, but they are a popular place, so sometimes it’s hard to snag one! Whenever I do, though, I become super productive – there’s an outlet so I can plug in my computer, a bathroom right nearby, and the dining hall right below for when I get hungry. Whenever the booths are full, I like to sit on the lounge chairs overlooking the river. It’s a fantastic view! The only qualm I have with the lounge chairs is that it’s hard not to fall asleep because they’re so comfortable. And besides the booths and lounge chairs, there’s lots of other seating options for studying in the area. It’s easy to find one that suits your needs!!

So there we are – hopefully I inspired you to explore and find some new study spots. I hope you can find your best places to be productive this semester. Wishing all of you health and good grades!! Go Hawks!

XOXO, Haven

Continue Reading →