Sweater Weather: My must haves for Winter

Posted on November 3, 2025

Hey Everyone,

It is officially November, and the weather is getting colder. Today, I am going to tell you some of my favorite products to help you survive the winter.

1. Get some hand lotion. My favorite is from L’occitane.
2. Cozy blanket, my favorite is an Ugg Throw.  The dorm heat is slow to turn on, so it’s nice to have.
3. Winter coat and winter boots. As an out-of-state student, it’s important to coordinate with my parents to make sure I get my winter attire sooner rather than later. I got my coat this weekend and am planning to bring my boots back with me after winter break. 
4. Medicine. When the weather starts getting colder, flu season is upon us. Make sure to have cough drops, cough medicine, and anything else you take when you get sick.
5. Hand warmers. I just like to have these when it’s cold outside and I have to walk or be outside for a long time. 
6. Chapstick or lipstick.  Nobody wants dry lips. Make sure to have your favorite brand on hand. I love Summer Fridays or Laneige.

Hopefully, these winter survival products will help you combat the cold weather that is upon us. Make sure to stock up on the ones I mentioned and anything else you think you will need! Stay warm, Hawkeyes! 

Until next time,
Savannah 

 

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Time After Time: How to Keep Track of your Schedule in College

Posted on October 31, 2025

Hey everyone,

Today, I would like to tell you how I keep track of everything in college.  I personally am not a planner person and prefer to do things digitally. I keep track of my schedule in 4 main ways:

1. Google Sheets Assignment Tracker

I had heard this tip from Upperclassmen to put all your assignments on sheets with the dates that they correspond with. I personally also put on the weight of the assignment, so that I can calculate my grade at the end of the semester. A lot of people put every single assignment, including homework and quizzes. However, during syllabus weeks, a lot of professors don’t say when Homework assignments will be due, so I personally leave those off. I also like to use sheets because then I can highlight the different assignments to keep track of what I have completed.

2. iPhone Calendar

I’m sure everyone uses their phone calendar. However, I personally use mine only for social reminders in college. I keep track of club meetings and activities here. This way, my social life and school life stay separate.

3. iPhone Reminders App

I love to use the iPhone Reminders App to keep track of my assignments on different lists. I have used this system since I was a sophomore in high school, and it has always worked for me. I create lists of the assignments I have to get done on a weekly basis and sometimes even on a daily basis. Whenever I complete the item, I just check it off the list!

4. Outlook Calendar

Finally, something I started using just this year is the Outlook Calendar. I also use this tool to keep track of club meetings and any scheduling in general. The best feature, in my opinion, of Outlook Calendar is that it always runs in the background of my computer. This way, if I get deep into studying or am distracted by doing something else, I get a notification that it’s time to go to class.

I love to use these tools to keep my life on track, and I hope some of them are helpful to you. Give them a try, and remember, if these don’t work, there are tons of other tools out there for you to play around with.

Until next time,
Savannah

 

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Shake it out: How to keep your Mental Health positive during Mid-term Stress

Posted on October 30, 2025

Greetings readers,

Today, I am going to talk about good strategies to improve your mental health at the University of Iowa. As the weather gets colder and the assignments pile up, it’s important to make sure you are taking time for yourself.  I do a variety of different things to keep my mental health positive, but everyone is different. What works for me might not be your jam, so I am including activities my friends do, too, for some variety.

• Getting active
  • My favorite thing to do is take a long walk, either alone or with friends.
  • I also love to go to the rec center and exercise.  Personally, I like to either do the row machine, elliptical, or bike.
  • One of my friends loves to go to pick up volleyball games that happen every Tuesday and Thursday!
  • I’ve also gone to fitness classes offered by the Rec Center. If you are a student, you can find them on your MyUI page, and if not, they are on the Fitness Center website for everyone.
• Hanging out with friends 
  • On Tuesdays, Insomnia gives out free cookies if you come in your PJs. I love to go with my friends and grab cookies.
  • Every Tuesday night, there is a new DWTS episode. One of my friends meets up with me every week to watch it.
  • Finally, every Friday, my roommate and I do what we call Fro-yo Fridays to celebrate getting through the week.
• Staying Organized and Keeping Clean 
  • I keep track of all my assignments on my phone’s reminder app (I have another post about how to stay organized with college assignments coming soon).
  • I also clean my dorm once a week, usually on Thursday.
• Getting sweet treats
  • After a long day, I love to use my dining dollars to grab a smoothie at the gym.
  • I also love to walk to the campus Starbucks and grab a drink.
• Having time to relax  
  • I love to curl up with a good book (right now I’m reading The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher).
  • I also love to do Yoga/ meditation in my dorm room.

These are just a few of the things I do to make sure that I am taking time for myself and my mental health when I am busy.  I hope you try to incorporate one or more of these things into your day if you are feeling overwhelmed by homework or classes.

Until next time,
Savannah

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Black Dog and True Colors

Posted on September 26, 2025September 29, 2025

Greetings Readers- Today I would love to share with you one of the coolest things I’ve done since I have been here! I went to Paint and Paws! This was an event hosted by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).  

CAB hosts multiple events throughout the year, and each month, they release a calendar of activities that any Iowa student can attend. This month, I went to 6 out of the 9 events they hosted.  They are the perfect activity if you want to hang out with your friends, and it’s a great way to meet new people. 

My roommate and I arrived pretty early since sometimes the events have limited supplies. They offered several different canvas sizes and multiple colors of paint! I am not really an artist myself, but I still had a good time painting. I painted a sunrise, and my roommate painted a snail. 

Everyone was having an amazing time painting, but the best part of the event was when Finn showed up. In case you were not aware, Finn is the University of Iowa’s therapy dog.   I love dogs and have been missing my own dog from home, so it was enjoyable to see Finn at this event.  His handler, Anna, was extremely kind and allowed Finn to pose for a few photos! 

I had such a great time at Paint and Paws.  If you are interested in going to any of CAB’s events, make sure to visit their page to see what is coming up in October! Hope to see you there!

Until next time,
Savannah

 

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Back in Black and Gold: My On Iowa! week in Review

Posted on September 8, 2025September 8, 2025

Greetings Readers- Today, I would like to tell you about On Iowa! week!

On Iowa! week was the first week after moving in when freshmen had the opportunity to attend fun events and activities. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and get used to the campus.  There were 600 possible events that students had the chance to attend, and I am going to tell you about my favorites.

• Bracelet Making: The first activity I attended was friendship bracelet making, located in the Iowa Memorial Union building. I thought it was super cute to make different styles of bracelets. I made one that was Hawkeye themed (black and gold) and a hot pink one. The best part of the bracelet-making was that they played all Taylor Swift songs!
• Meeting Finn: The next activity I attended was meeting the University’s counseling center therapy dog. Finn is a whoodle (mix of a Wheaten Terrier and a Poodle). He is the sweetest dog ever! His handler, Anna, who was super nice, explained that we can schedule appointments with Finn to spend time with him. While she explained Finn’s role, he came and snuggled up on my shoe. I have been missing my dog from home, so it was very nice to be able to spend time with a furry friend. (Also, look how cute he is in this photo.)  You can use this resource if you want to visit Finn too!
• Silent Disco: After that, I went to the silent disco. It was super fun to have 3 different choices of songs to choose from, as there were 3 different DJs all at once. They played mainly pop songs with a mix of country that were perfect for dancing with your friends! However, to get in, the line was very long. My friend and I got there 45 minutes early, so we made sure we got in! So, if you’re going next year, make sure to show up early!
• Kickoff at Kinnick: The most fun event was Kickoff at Kinnick on Friday night! It was an amazing opportunity to go on the football field with all of my friends. We got to hear the phenomenal University of Iowa marching band. Then we got to hear from our class student speaker and, of course, President Wilson. Next, came many wonderful Hawkeye traditions that students will do for years to come.
  • The Wave: This is my absolute favorite tradition, as I think it is so heartwarming and meaningful. At the end of the 1st quarter, all the players, coaches, students, fans, and visitors alike turn to wave at the children through the windows of the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, and they wave back. This tradition always tears me up because of how sweet and meaningful it is.
  • I-O-W-A chant: The next tradition we did was the I-O-W-A chant. During Football games, the Football stadium is divided into 4 sections that match with 4 students on the field with flags that have the letters to spell out Iowa. Whichever section you are in is what letter you say whenever they wave the flag. That way we can spell IOWA!
  • Memorizing the Iowa Fight Song: The final tradition we learned was the Iowa Fight Song. The band played it while we followed the words on the screen. I still need to work on my memorization, and in case you do to these are the words to sing the Iowa Fight Song.

Finally, we finished the Kickoff at Kinnick with some amazing fireworks. What more can you ask for than a night on the football field with all your friends!

I had such a great time during On Iowa! week. All the events were fun, and if I didn’t mention something that you would be interested in, trust me, there is something for everyone to get involved with. The best part of welcome week was getting to meet so many new people and being able to make connections with new friends! Welcome week was just the beginning for everyone at Iowa. Great things are going to come for the whole year! Go Hawks!

Until next time,
Savannah

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