Andi

One important lesson to learn before you even think about moving off campus, is saving your pennies. You won’t truly know the value of $5 until you want some McDonald’s, and you don’t even have that in your bank account!

The first time I experienced that was this past summer. I was living paycheck to paycheck, and lived off ramen and tortillas with peanut butter for a week. As much as you want to online shop, or go out for a bite to eat at Panchero’s, you have to resist the urge. Sure it’s a simple concept, but it’s a lot easier said than done.

Living-off campus the biggest thing I’ve struggled with (besides rent) is food. Sure you can go to the store and buy the cheapest groceries, or get some fast food, but how healthy or tasty is that? I personally love cooking, but sometimes the meals I want to make require a LOT of ingredients. So yes, buying all the cheapest things is easy, but those usually aren’t too healthy either. It’s tough also to make time in order to make those good meals. You would think buying for one would make things simpler, but you actually end up with a lot more portions of things than you would really need. Produce usually goes bad before you can even get around to eating all of it!

Then there’s all the little random things you need to pay for. For me that includes, sorority expenses, buying climbing gear, or trying to pay for a road trip to somewhere exciting! Even with loans I have taken out to pay for school and some of my living expenses, it’s important to not go too crazy spending money. Sometimes you are just really wanting a new shirt from whatever store you love, but then that’s $20 you could put towards to groceries. So then it’s up to you to decide: better meals? or that new shirt you’ll probably wear just a handful of times? So remember to save when you can, when you graduate and get a real job, then that’s the time you can spoil yourself a little more.

Go Hawks!

From the title you’d probably assume this post will be about basketball. Well, surprise! You’re wrong. This is going to be all about my own personal march madness.

First let’s start off with spring break! Something every student looks forward to. While most people had home, or someone sunny and full of sand, I did the opposite. I went to Kentucky with two of my friends for some rock climbing! Unlucky for us the night we got there (around 1am I might add) snow was coming down hard. And what made it even better? We were tent camping. Great choice right? Needless to say most nights I could not feel my feet. Luckily I brought my Iowa Snuggie which helped a little bit, but not quite enough at the same time. Unlike Iowa, the Kentucky landscape (at least in Red River Gorge National Park) is not flat. Steep hills were what we were hiking on all week, and since it snowed our first day, those trails were also crazy muddy! Trekking to and from climbing walls and the car was no easy feat. But overall our trip was a huge success. Luckily each day got warmer and warmer. It almost hit 60 degrees on our last day! We also made lots of cool unique meals, and met even cooler people. The climbing community throughout Iowa and the rest of the country is very relaxed. Everyone is so welcoming to anyone, despite the level of your climbing abilities. As long as you have a good spirit, people are more than willing to help you out and offer their support. I’d love to go back to Red River Gorge someday. Despite the weather it was absolutely beautiful.

But now on to the school madness…You’d think after getting back from break school would be slightly more relaxed. You’d have all you’re tests and papers due before break…..WRONG. I got back and it was an overload of work suddenly hitting me. Since I was in the wilderness all week, needless to say I did not have internet or computer capabilities, so I didn’t get ahead with my work like every student should (ideally) do. So now I’m focuses on trying to get all my work in order and get it all done in a timely manner! Writing this blog is my break, so time to get back to work!

Go Hawks!

In my previous blog I talked about balancing your school life, and your social life. This time it’s a little more one-sided. Balancing school work is a process within itself.

This semester I definitely have a lot more on my plate. I have a much heavier class-load, which means more homework. Next to that I still have my job at the CRWC, where I applied for a position within the Student Leadership Committee (I got an interview so fingers crossed!), I also am the PR/Marketing Chairman for my sorority, which takes up more time than you would think. I feel like it all just keeps adding up. I’m doing my best to keep everything together, but of all the things mentioned my homework is probably the thing suffering most. Finding enough time or motivation to do it all can be exhausting. I’m doing what I can, but it’s definitely a struggle. Hopefully as the semester continues I can keep it at a better balance. Fingers crossed!

Go Hawks!

Part of going to college is learning how to create the perfect balance between your academic and social life. And let me tell you, it’s not easy. When I look back on my last two and a half years at Iowa it has definitely been a roller coaster ride. A trend I see is that it typically goes by semester. One semester I’ll be super sociable and my grades won’t be as good as they could be, and then the vice versa.

This semester I’m trying to make a change. I want to finally find that “perfect” balance between the two. And as of the first couple weeks, I think I’ve been doing it pretty successfully. If I want to go out, I set a rule for myself that I can’t do that until all my homework is done first. Past semesters I would wait until Sunday night and then panic, but these past few weeks I’ve gotten everything done on Thursday night! So that leaves my weekends free to do as I please. Hopefully I can keep this up! I’ve been much happier than any previous semester, and I like to attribute that to finally having a more balanced schedule between school, friends, and other activities like my sorority or marching band.

Many people (and parents) will tell you that “you’re going to college to get an education.” Which is completely true! Don’t get me wrong, but on the other hand, how could you handle the stress of all that academic work without giving some time for yourself? Sure you go to college to get an education, but you can’t forget about the college experience itself. Think of how different high school would have been without any clubs or sports? It’s the same concept.

Whether your time is spent in a club, greek life, or just hanging out with friends, it’s important to have it. You’ll go nuts if you try to solely focus on school work. Don’t forget about your academics, but also don’t forget to give yourself some down time.

Go Hawks!

The hardest part after winter break is getting back into a groove. This semester I feel like I’m having a particularly hard time readjusting into my school routine. Adjusting back into homework, and staying on top of my schedule and appointments can be quite the task. I had a very relaxed winter break because I only worked at night, so during the day all I had was free time to spare. Sleeping in, or just hanging out with friends. I had no schedule, no routine. So jumping back into this semester has been rough. I feel like I’m going 0-100 in no time at all. I really need to get back on top of my game before it gets too deep into the semester to recover.

My suggestion to anyone reading this? Brace yourself. Transitioning into a new semester isn’t always breezy.

Good Luck, and Go Hawks!

Starting the spring semester is almost like restarting the whole school year! New classes, new work schedule, different break times during the day…it’s a time for readjusting!

One of my favorite things to do is buying some fresh notebooks and binders to prepare for me new classes. Organizing things is one of my favorite things to do. I’m naturally a very neat and organized person, so for me organizing my life is actually pretty stress relieving! I’m trying something a bit different this semester for myself. Instead of a tiny stack of pocket folders to hold all my paperwork, I’m going to try and use a binder to take my notes and hold all my papers. I always hand-write my notes, because I find that my computer can be more of a distraction than a help.

On a side note, I bought a Betta Fish for myself. I named him Merlin! I had a plant last semester, but it got too cold so it died off unfortunately… But I really enjoyed taking care of it, so I decided to take it up a notch and buy myself a real pet! My lease doesn’t allow any “real” pets (like a cat or dog), and plus I probably couldn’t afford one. So Merlin is perfect for me! He’s bright red so he’s really easy to find within his little fish bowl. His tank, food, and everything else cost barely $20.

I really hope to start off this semester on the right foot since the fall ended on a rough personal note. Academically this semester is going to be a challenging one. But hopefully I’ll have less distractions and really be able to buckle down and do well in my classes this semester!

Good Luck Hawkeyes!

Being a member of The Hawkeye Marching Band (HMB for short), I got the privilege to travel down to Tampa, Florida to perform, and watch the Hawkeyes in the Outback Bowl! Winter break isn’t even over yet, but I can tell that this trip will be the highlight! I couldn’t feel luckier that I got to go to such a beautiful (and warm!) place with some of my best friends.

The band’s itinerary was packed. Our first performance was the Outback Bowl Beach day. I have to say, trying to march in the sand was quite the experience…I can only hope next time maybe we won’t wear our shoes. We all had to dumped sand out of our shoes afterwards! But that is a small price to pay to say I’ve been able to perform with the HMB on the beach! Needless to say, it was an awesome experience.

Outback Bowl Beach Day!

Some more Tenor Saxes

The next say was our busiest, we had a total of 4 performance, plus a morning rehearsal! After we rehearsed, the first performance of the day was “Battle of the Bands” at Busch Gardens. Unfortunately we didn’t get to enjoy any of the rides, but it was cool to see the LSU band up close and personal! Up next was the New Years Eve Parade in Ybor City. I definitely think the HMB rocked this one out, including our next performance at the Band Blast immediately following the parade! I definitely think even though the LSU band is a lot bigger with a much thicker sound, we definitely have more fun, and have the crowd on our side. They are much more a precision band, whereas the HMB just has fun with it. We still look good, but we have a great time doing it! “Party rocking” while the LSU band stood frozen at attention was definitlely a highlight of the trip for me.

After the Parade and Band Blast, we headed over to the Hawkeye Huddle! Tons of Hawkeye fans gathered to cheer on our Hawks, and the band did a brief performance. It’s such an amazing feeling to have so many fellow fans rooting for you as you play the school fight songs.

Even though it was New Years Eve, we got back to our hotel so late, we really didn’t even have time to celebrate. Luckily my room had a balcony facing the beach where the New Years fireworks were being set off! So at midnight I watched the fireworks, and hit the hay almost immediately following. With an early morning the next day, plus the game, I wanted to make sure I got enough rest! Plus after such a busy day I was exhausted anyways.

So on to that, game day in Tampa, Florida! It was raining, so the Hawkeye Marching Band, became the Hawkeye Poncho Band. During our regular season we have insulated black raincoats, but since it’s warmer in Florida we did not bring those with. Instead we used some clear/white ponchos. Marching on a wet field is always an interesting experience, there is always the sinking fear that you’re going to slip and fall! But overall we gave a great performance!

Up next was halftime, I won’t go into details, but for me personally, it was single-handedly my worst individual performance of my college career. But I suppose everyone has to have one of those at some point right? But the HMB performed Thriller, which is always a crowd favorite. I definitely think we showed up the LSU band at least a little bit…

Obviously, and unfortunately, the Hawks lost to the LSU Tigers. If you ask anyone in the band, you’ll probably get a grumbly/angry response saying it was probably the worst officiated bowl game they’ve ever seen. But regardless of that fact, it’s always a great time to cheer on our Hawkeyes! Not to mention the ratio of Hawks fans to LSU fans was hilarious. Let’s just say, Iowa fans travel very well even though we are probably about twice the distance than Louisiana fans.

This bowl trip is something I’ll never forget. Whether is be the performances, or singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” by heart on the bus back to the hotel. This band, these people, will forever be in my heart. I love this band, and I love this school. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Getting Ready for Pregame!

The Hawkeye Poncho Band!

Now and forever, GO HAWKS!

Life is bound to have some speed bumps and hiccups. Especially in your college years. Whether it be turning a paper in late, trying to find a place to live next year, to break-ups, to fights with friends or family members. In my opinion, your path will never be a clear, straight line. I think you can never fully control your journey through life, but you can try and push it in the right direction.

But sometimes you might need a little help along the way. Everyone deals with tough times differently. Some focus their energy into their school work, and some can hold it all in and take it out on themselves. Luckily Iowa offers some great outlets to help you through these times if you don’t want to do it alone. Iowa has the University Counseling Service or UCS, which is free and available to current students. I know I took advantage of it when I was a freshman. They can help people with a variety of issues. From just the stress of exams, or even the heavier things like clinical depression. I personally find that, as much as I love my friends and peers, sometimes I just find it easier to talk to an outside party, someone that can give a perspective from the outside looking in.

It may seem like a scary thing going to the UCS, but in the end it’s worth it. Even to just go for a consultation appointment. They can help you narrow down what’s bothering you, and guide you in the right direction. Only you will know what’s best for you. But the UCS can at the very least, help you get started.

If going to a counselor seems a little to heavy for you, there are a lot more people that can help you out. If you live in the dorms, feel free to talk to your RA! Their job is to be there for you. If you are in a sorority or fraternity, try talking to some of your sisters or brothers, or even your House Mom or House Dad. You can even go to talk to a favorite professor if you feel comfortable enough. Sometimes the people that can help you most, aren’t necessarily the closest to you. I’m no expert by any means, but I’ve had my fair share of experiences with different counseling services, and also got the same advice I’m giving now.

College is probably going to be one of the most difficult, and stressful times in your life, both academically and personally. But it is also one of the greatest experiences you will ever have! But it’s always important to keep believing in yourself. Life will always have it’s ups and downs, but always try to be optimistic. I know I always try to see the bright side. It can be extremely challenging at times, but it’s what keeps me pushing forward. If I let the negativity consume me, I probably would not be able to maintain my grades. There will always be rough times, but just know you’re never alone, and there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel! Being open with yourself and others will help keep you on a path, that will probably be a little less bumpy…

If you want more information check out the UCS website (never hurts to take a look!),

http://counseling.studentlife.uiowa.edu/services/

As always,

Go Hawks!

One of the biggest challenges I find many students face when they move off campus, is cooking. As I said in a previous blog, I find that a shocking number of people who go to college do not know how to cook full meals for themselves. I don’t mean anything fancy, like a 3 course meal or something, but even just grilling a chicken breast can seem like a daunting task to some people.

If you’re anything like me, I grew up learning to cook with my mom and grandma, so when I moved off campus, cooking wasn’t even a concern, (maybe finding the money to buy groceries was) but the physical cooking aspect never intimidated me.

I wanted to write this blog to share some of the really simple and easy meals and foods that I use all the time.

PASTA
Always a solid staple. It’s cheap and has infinite uses. I typically make spaghetti, buttered noodles, pesto pasta, and sometimes I add in some chicken for some protein!

CHICKEN
Speaking of chicken, it’s another staple of mine. It’s a little cheaper than beef, but still awesome for protein! I usually use it in a simple teriyaki stir fry, or grill it with some onions and lemon pepper!

POTATOES
Potatoes pretty much go with anything. I like to make some friend potatoes with onions and bacon, or roast them in the oven with some garlic and rosemary!

GARLIC
I literally use garlic in almost anything. Pasta, chicken, beef…I use it all the time. I love garlic and it adds a nice taste to nearly everything. You can get a jar of minced garlic pretty cheap at Walmart too!

SANDWICH BREAD
Sandwich bread, well, it’s great for sandwiches! I like to make grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and I also like to use it to make garlic bread in the oven.

ONIONS
This is another one of those “goes with everything” items. I typically stick to green, yellow, and red onions. Green I use in stir fry or with buttered noodles. Yellow I use with gilled chicken and with beef (it’s the most universal onion in my opinion). Red I love to use on sandwiches or when I spoil myself and make guacamole!

BEEF
I personally don’t eat a ton of beef because it’s slightly more expensive, and I just typically prefer chicken. But it’s still great to have. Ground beef has all kinds of uses. I like to use it more tacos, enchiladas, and stroganoff.

I guess that’s all I really have for now. To find easy recipes you can always call home or simply look it up on the internet! There were just some simple items that I find really helpful to have around in my kitchen! I hope anyone who plans to move off campus finds this list helpful!

Go Hawks!

Time. Never enough time. It’s the one thing in the world that no matter what you do, you can never just get more when you need it. You have to manage it wisely.

As finals week approaches it’s quite the time crunch. I feel like I have so much to do, and no time to do any of it! And when I do have a little extra time, I don’t want to spend it doing laundry or dishes, but those are things that you can’t really get behind on. Like right now for example, I have a little extra time before bed, and I really should be doing laundry, but I also haven’t posted a blog in a little while. So I figured the laundry can wait. It’s all clean, it just needs to be put away. So i figured I’d use this time to update my blog instead.

I love writing for my blog, it’s a great outlet for me to get my inner thoughts out, and just share my thoughts and experiences. I may not be completely aware of how many people actually read my blog (besides my mom, shout out to her for reading my every post!) but I like being able to just write. I keep a journal, but I definitely have a more fast paced mind, so sometimes handwriting everything just takes too long for me. So being able to type it all up is super convenient.

Finals is always a crazy time, no matter your habits, and no matter your major, finals will always come to eat up all your time. It’s crunch time for me, and all I want right now is sleep. So with that, I’m off to bed!

Go Hawks!