Experience Iowa Blogs
Worried about staying healthy in college? Or just curious what the University of Iowa dining hall has to offer? Here’s everything I eat in a day as a freshman – check it out!
@sonotsophward first full day as a college freshman 🍴✨ dining hall + dorm snacks are officially my new normal 👀 #whatieatinaday #collegeeats #collegefreshman #dayinmylife #fyp @TRUBAR @Catalina Crunch ♬ original sound – soph
I highly recommend moving in on Monday instead of Saturday or Sunday. The weekend move-in days are very hectic. There are limited parking spaces, lines for the cart checkout, and elevators, and it genuinely takes so much longer to move in. Since I moved in on Monday, there were no lines, we got everything up to my dorm in two trips, and in less than thirty minutes. It was less stressful, and it gave me some time to unpack and settle in without feeling rushed.
Welcome week is packed with activities and opportunities, but the downside is that they fill up quickly. My roommate and I did not get to participate in a lot of events, which is disappointing, but we still had lots of fun. Events like bingo, silent disco, and laser tag had lines hours before the events started and often had a cutoff. If you’re planning to do the coffee or pizza crawl, I would recommend getting there even half an hour earlier than it starts to secure your spot in line.
It can be very tempting to stay in your room when you don’t know anyone yet, but welcome week can be the perfect time to push yourself out of your comfort zone before classes start. Even if you think an event or activity isn’t exactly up your alley, go anyway. If you end up having a horrible time (which is very unlikely), you truly can just leave. Through these events, you never know who you will meet or what friends you’ll end up making. Try saying “yes” to everything.
It’s always helpful to have a few go-to spots on campus. Whether it’s for studying, hanging out with friends, or just somewhere that you can go to decompress, it’s nice to have a few places on hand. For me, I love the vibe of a good coffee spot. They are so versatile that you can go there to do anything. Some of my favorites are Java House, Bread Garden, Pointdexter, and, of course, Starbucks. Go out and explore!
As the second week of the semester comes to a close, I would like to take some time to reflect on my first few weeks here as a new Hawkeye at the University of Iowa. As someone who struggles with change, my time here so far has been far from perfect. There’s been ups and downs, and definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, but I can say that the University of Iowa is a beautiful place to be. Finding your way around can definitely be a bit nerve-racking, especially in the first few days of classes. Pro tip: don’t be like me and not walk your classes before they actually start. After a few days, you do start to get into a routine, and the campus starts to feel a lot smaller than it seemed. I would recommend trying to take any opportunities you can. Do everything during welcome week, knock on your neighbors’ doors, go up to random people and meet them, truly get out of your comfort zone, because that’s when you meet the best people and have the most fun. Even if you feel it might be “too late” to try to meet new people and make new friends, that’s simply not true. Everyone is in the same position or has been in the same position that you are currently in. I can already feel that freshman year is going to go by in the blink of an eye, so I am doing everything I can to make the most of it. I’m only a few weeks in, but I can already tell this year is going to challenge me in the best ways. I’m excited to make new connections, go to all the Hawkeye sports games, and continue to find my place here at Iowa. I’m so grateful to be on this journey, and I can’t wait to take all of you with me through it.
