Aug

19

It’s Back to School Time!

category icon Posted in Campus Life, General

Hi everyone,

I looked back at my old posts and realized it’s been quite a while since I last blogged. I’ve been busy as usual, and I will have even more on my plate this year than in the past, because I’m now enrolled in the College of Pharmacy. All first-year (aka P1) students go through a two-week orientation event, which started this Monday. I’m not super thrilled about starting classes a week early while all my other friends are still enjoying summer break, but I am excited about starting pharmacy school and working towards getting my Doctor of Pharmacy degree. For me, staying in Iowa City for pharmacy school was a no-brainer; the program is nationally ranked, UIHC is an amazing resource, and I’ve enjoyed my two years here, so I didn’t see any reason to leave.

Residence hall move-in has started, and I’ve noticed quite a few young, eager, and nervous faces around campus. Seeing new freshmen makes me a little sentimental. Two years ago, I was a freshman moving into Daum Hall, and here I am now, in pharmacy school. Time really does fly, and I have tons and tons of great memories of my freshman year. Here are a few tips for new students and their families:

For students:

  1. Be brave and step out of your comfort zone. I’ve probably mentioned this in another blog post, but can’t stress this enough. This can take many forms, depending on the person. For me, stepping out of my comfort zone meant starting conversations with people I’d never met before. Of course it was a little scary, but 99.9% of people I talked to in my first few weeks on campus were super nice. I was able to make friends pretty easily, and this helped me transition very well to college life.
  2. Expect the unexpected. Social media paints a certain picture of college, and a lot of students believe their college experience will be like what’s portrayed on the internet. Yes, college is fun, but it can also be pretty stressful, and things aren’t always going to go as planned. Chances are, you probably aren’t going to get along with everyone you meet, you’ll probably oversleep and miss a class at some point, and other issues will pop up out of nowhere. Unplanned things are going to happen. It’s important to realize this and learn to be flexible.
  3. Remember that ultimately, you came to college to get an education. It’s important to take time off from studying to relax and have fun, but some students will get caught up in the excitement of college and forget that grades still matter. Try to find a good balance between work and play — it’s a lot harder than it looks.

For parents:

  1. Care packages and letters every now and then are a great idea. Especially during midterms or finals week, it’s super awesome to get a piece of mail from home. I even got a couple of cards from my mom this week wishing me luck as I start pharmacy school. Little things like these are a nice surprise.
  2. Continue to encourage and support your son or daughter. Everyone changes when they come to college; it’s pretty much inevitable. Chances are, your son or daughter is not going to follow the exact path you want them too, and that’s okay. The best thing you can do as a parent is to support their decisions, be encouraging, and offer some good advice.

All-in-all, college is a really exciting time. It can be intimidating at first, but after a couple of weeks new students start to settle in, and most begin to realize just how awesome it is to be a Hawkeye! I’m extremely glad I decided to come to the University of Iowa as a high school senior and I’m excited that I’ll be able to spend a few more years at such a fabulous university!

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