Andi

I’m human. I make mistakes. So does everyone! I’m writing this blog because I have had probably one of the crappiest weeks I’ve had in a very long time.

The week started off with not getting one of the positions I had really been hoping for within my sorority. Then I made a mistake regarding some photos. Then a little later on in the week I got rejected from another position I was really hoping for. Then of course there were also various other personal issues I had going on. So basically it’s just been one thing on top of another.

What upset me the most was how some people reacted to the mistake I made. I received lots of aggressive text messages about it, and I just thought it was overall mean. I’m writing this because I think there is an overall lesson for people to learn.

When someone makes a mistake, it’s ok to be upset with them, but what I think is not ok, is attacking them for it. These texts I received really affected me this week, and frankly they weren’t appreciated. I had acknowledged and apologized that I had made a mistake, but I was still being punished for it. And after not getting either position I had wanted, it was just the cherry on top of my week.

So what I saying to anyone reading this, please just be respectful of your peers. You never know what someone has been through that week. So it’s ok to be rightfully upset, but don’t continually attack them or gang up on them. So what I ask of you is to just be conscious of your words. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can still hurt. 

Go Hawks. 

Probably one of the biggest challenges college students face living off-campus, is cooking all your own meals. Growing up, I was lucky enough to live in a household where my parents, grandparents, and other family members made sure to teach me how to cook. I never had to depend on Home Economics class in Middle School, or Foods & Nutrition class in High School to learn the basics of cooking. But one of the things I discovered coming to college, is that many of my peers did not have that same experience. Living in the dorms my freshman year, there was a shocking amount of kids that had no idea how to even do laundry! Needless to say it shocked me, but I was more than willing to show them how because to me it seemed like a very rudimentary task.

But back to what I was originally talking about. Cooking! This is another area that shocked me. People just simply do not know how to cook other than to boil water, or make a sandwich! From my perspective, cooking is just second nature. Following a recipe is just the same as someone giving you directions in a group. Simple recipes are super easy to follow. Granted if you want to get all fancy, you may not understand some of the cooking terms. But if you’re a college student, I can almost promise that you will not have the budget for such recipes. So no worries, you don’t need to be well versed in cooking terminology and techniques. YouTube even offers some super easy tutorial videos on the basics of cooking if you really need help.

Frankly, living off-campus you aren’t eating at the dining halls anymore. You need to be able to cook for yourself, so you still get all the nutrients and energy you need for your school work and other activities. Sandwiches and frozen meals can only get you so far.

Once you have got the basics of cooking down, what do you make? Even being someone who knows how to cook pretty well (at least I like to think so) I struggle with what I should cook that night. It’s super easy to just make the same handful of recipes all the time. I was talking to my sister, who graduated from college about a year ago, and she introduced me to a lovely website.

My Fridge Food

http://myfridgefood.com/

I know this seems like some cheesy advertisement, like I’m getting paid to talk about this website or something, but I promise you that’s not the case. I just find it really helpful when I have no clue what I want to eat.

So what exactly does this website do? Basically when you go on the site, you scroll down and there are a bunch of ingredients for you to check off. The ones you check off, are the ones you have in your fridge! From there you click the “Find Recipes” button. Then it gives you all the potential recipes you can make with the ingredients you already have! But one thing to be noted about this site is that by no means are these professional submissions. The majority of these recipes are submitted by people just like you! So typically the recipes are pretty simple. I personally wouldn’t really depend on the calorie count or number of servings they tell you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still try out the recipe and modify it to make it your own!

Cooking takes time, and you probably won’t be amazing at it right away. Chopping an onion may be a little harder on your first couple of tries… but cooking is a good life skill to have. Whether it be living on your own on a college campus, or when you get into to the real world and own your own home. You can’t depend on your parents (or frozen meals) forever. Cooking for yourself is an important skill to have. So I say just do it. Take the time before you come to college, or even now to learn how to do it. Whether that be watching videos online, or just asking your roommate for help. Do it. Don’t be a ashamed of it. Everyone has to learn at some point.

Now I just want to share some general tips for present, and future college students:

1. Take the time to learn the basics of cooking. I would say before you go to college, but better late than never!
2. Same goes for laundry. I mean really, it’s good to know how to clean your own clothes.
3. Don’t always go for junk food. As tempting as it is, you can’t live off that stuff…
4. Pasta. It will be your best friend. All shapes and sizes, at a super cheap price. You can practically add it to any meal.
5. Don’t be afraid of leftovers, especially if you splurge and eat out.
6. Frozen/Microwave meals. Good for when you’re in a hurry, but not for every meal.
7. Don’t be afraid to google something. Anything.

as always, GO HAWKS. 

Ever wondered what it’s like to be in the Hawkeye Marching Band? Well now you can experience just that! I was given the amazing opportunity to wear a GoPro camera on my shako (that’s band ‘slang’ for hat)! Watch the video and see what we do to prepare for kickoff in Kinnick!

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So as you might have guessed, this was the day the HMB performed THRILLER! Unfortunately the camera died before I could record halftime (I’ll share more about that later), but I still managed to film our early morning! So I’ll give the run-down of our day!

I personally wake up at 5:00am to start getting ready. That is basically just my everyday getting ready routine, just a lot earlier (and slower paced…). We leave around 6:00am to get to Kinnick. Then we are off and down into the stadium! Since it’s so early, it can be pretty dark, which is not helpful in the whole waking-up process.

We always start off by warming-up in sections. We play through the music and correct any last minute errors. Then to really kick things off we march our pregame show! High stepping early in the morning is always quite the task. Then next up is halftime of course! In the video you can see us rehearsing the the Thriller dance! Once morning rehearsal is over we all gather around the ladder where our drum major, Quentin Marquez, gives us a game day speech! That includes the obvious, getting us pumped, but also some other random HMB traditions which include, a chant, and a game day prediction from Quentin, where he tries to predict who will win, and what the final score will be!

After the speech is what I like to call “The Running of the Food.” This is where the band sprints out of Kinnick and up those dreadful stairs to get back to the rec to eat breakfast! Typically we have bagels, but at this game it was mini sandwiches! I’d say the biggest reason band members run back is to get the best choice of fruit! Because frankly if you’re at the end you really don’t get the good stuff. Then once we have breakfast we usually have about 30minutes to an hour of downtime aka nap time! It really just depends on the game, and the show we’re doing!

From there we perform in our rec show before we march over to Kinnick stadium. In the show we perform our “series”, play our pregame music, halftime music, and some other choice selections.The Iowa Spirit Squads also join us in this performance!

After the rec show we line up to head on over to Kinnick! Marching there we do “The Series.” The Series is a long drum cadence where band members have memorized specific choreography and horn movements. It’s one of my personal favorites. Once we enter Kinnick we head straight down into the tunnel, and continue some HMB traditions! We always sing the Alma Mater, and Quentin conducts it from the stairwell at the end of the tunnel. From there we get into our separate lines to march out onto the field itself. While waiting in those lines the trombone section plays a special song that the entire band sings and dances to! It’s a great way to get excited for the game. From there we start heading out! For good luck you have to make sure to slap the entrance onto the field! (this may be a little more challenging if you’re on the shorter side like me…)

Then here comes the obvious! The pregame show! I love being one of the first people to run on the field. I run straight towards my friend Brennen and we always like to make faces at each other! Then we proceed to play the show and eventually condense into a block where we bring on Herky and the football team! The truck video is one of the most exciting parts. It’s hard to see in the video, but there is nothing like seeing the crowd explode, than from on the field itself.

Now here comes the most frustrating part of my GoPro experience. The camera died RIGHT as I was preparing for halftime. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry while marching. As I was leaving the stands I turned the camera on, and once I was on the sideline my friend pointed out there was no red recording light! So I tried to just turn it back on, but it wasn’t working. Then I started to panic. I ripped off my shako to try and solve the problem, all while slowly running out of time because we were about to march on. Eventually angry and defeated, I put my shako back on and had to accept the fact that I was not destined to film halftime. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed. In that moment of time I had some choice words for that camera, but I don’t need to share those here…

Overall I’m really happy with how the video turned out. I think it’s  really unique to see what the band goes through before the game. I can’t thank the Office of Admissions enough for allowing me to use the GoPro camera to record my experience. It’s something I’ll be able to look back on years from now, and re-live my “glory days” if you will. This is potentially my last year in the Hawkeye Marching Band, so I’m glad I was able to share what it’s like to be in the band!

Go Hawks!!!

Sick days. We all love them, but we all hate them too. I am currently bringing this blog post to you from the warmth of my bed, and not sitting in class where I belong. That’s because, well, I’m sick. I’ll save you the icky details, but let’s just say I was in no shape to go to class.

This morning I got up like any regular day, and then it just hit me like a semi-truck. I didn’t want to move. I got up and tried to get ready for my day as normal, but I just kept feeling worse and worse. So I had to make the decision to attempt to get to class (where I’d probably fall asleep from being so sick and miserable in general) or stay home and take as many over-the-counter flu remedies I can and try and kick this illness in the butt!

I have been the busiest I think I’ve ever been these past 2 weeks, and going right along with that I’ve been stressed out of my mind. So it was probably about time for the sickness to catch up with me. Frankly, being sick sucks. It’s not like it was back in high school, where you practically wanted to fake being sick just to stay home from school. I have things I need to do! Missing class is killing me, but I knew if I went I wouldn’t be able to focus or pay attention because I feel so crappy. Another downside is I don’t have my parents to help take care of me and tell me what to do or eat to help make me feel better. I want some hot cocoa or tea, I need to maneuver myself downstairs to get it, which makes being sick even more miserable. I can’t just simply lay around in bed all day. I have things that need to get done! I need to go to my class this afternoon regardless of how I feel because I’m falling behind on my project, and missing a day would make it impossible for me to finish.

My advice to other students? As stressed or as busy as you get, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I failed to do that, and now look at me. I’m laying in bed, miserable and complaining. I’m no doctor, nor am I studying to be one, but some tips that I think would be helpful to stay healthy?

Well here they are:

• Drink lots of water – you can almost never have enough water!
• Get a good nights sleep – this is something I often fail to do.
• Eat good meals – I know I personally fall victim to the junk food trap frequently.
• Take time for yourself – no matter how busy you get, you always need to take a breather.
• Dress appropriately for the weather – this may seem like a give-in, but you would be shocked how many kids I see walking around campus in just shorts and a hoodie when it’s barely 40 degrees out.
• Enjoy the daylight – I know when I feel like I’m holed up in a cave, it only makes me feel worse. Bring in the light!

A lot of those are pretty basic, that most people probably already know, but I think often times people just forget! You get busy and your priorities shift. A littler reminder never hurts! I know I need it myself! Hopefully I get better soon and can apply these tips to my life a little more efficiently!

Watch out! Midterms have found their way to the University of Iowa! It’s always a stressful time of year for most students. It’s also the tipping point of the semester… so that’s always intimidating.

This is the time of year where you go from the mindset of “oh, things are just getting started, I’ll be fine!” to “crap, crap, crap! I don’t have enough time!!!” Basically saying, the stress and poor time management sets in. Midterms are a time where you have so much to do, but it feels like you have so little time to do it. Being someone who constantly struggles with successful time management, I can relate to this 100%.

One thing you should always remind yourself of, is that you’re here for an education. No matter how much you love Greek Life, or a club, or a team, school comes first. Period. It may be hard to listen to yourself, because let’s be honest, classes are not the most enjoyable thing of your college experience.

But because it is midterm season, I thought I’d share some time management, and study tips!

1. Find a good place to study!
Everyone has their own preference. Some people need dead silence, so I suggest hitting up the top floor of the Main Library. If you prefer a little white noise, the IMU River Room may be for you. If it’s a beautiful day? Study outside! (CAUTION: if the weather is nice you can easily get sidetracked by a nice afternoon nap on the Pentacrest, instead of studying.) Or just study in your room! I know I personally like to sprawl everything out across my bed in my house! Or if I’m really motivated I hit up my favorite study spot on campus (besides being outside), that being the Art Library in Art Building West!

2. Study alone, or with a group!
Some people work best when they are flying solo, and if that works for you, by all means do it! Personally I find myself to be more motivated when I see other people studying hard, it prevents me from slacking off, even when we aren’t studying the same thing. In a sense it’s like positive peer pressure. I see my friends working hard, I want to too! I don’t want to sit there and look like a lazy bum! It’s all about your preferences, so find what works best for you!

3. DON’T depend on your computer.
One of the most tempting things to do on your computer is to go on the infamous social media sites. Sure, it’s great to take a break on them every so often! But make sure those breaks don’t become too long or two frequent. I like to take notes in an actual notebook because I find it easier to flip through and read my notes, than if all my notes were taken on my computer. It also prevents me from being on my computer and hopping around on social media sites. It’s helps me stay focused.

4. Be comfy.
Studying is not the time to be dressed to the nines. I find I work best when I’m my most comfortable. So that means baggy sweats, and my hair up and out of my face. Sure, everyone likes to look nice, but if you’re sitting in the library with piles of papers and books surrounding you, trust me, people will understand why you aren’t all dressed up.

5. Prioritize.
I’m not saying don’t study for certain classes, but have an idea in your head, which ones probably need more of your attention. For me personally, I struggle heavily in my German classes, so obviously that class is probably going to get a very large portion of my time. Whereas I excel in my Art History courses, so I won’t be quite as focused on those. Seems like a basic thought, but prioritizing really helps you to manage your time and not stretch yourself too thin.

A lot of those tips may seem pretty basic, and well, honestly they are. But you’d be surprised how many people know about these, but constantly overlook them. It’s important to keep yourself in check during midterms, so things won’t get chaotic. If you follow through with each of these things, I can almost promise you that your midterm season will flow a lot smoother compared to if you ignore them.

Good luck my fellow Hawkeyes!

Change is hard. It’s something many people tend to put off. Myself included. I know what I’m comfortable with, and what I like. So frankly, I’d like to stick to that!

Right now I don’t have any major changes, but I do have a lot of small adjustments that need to be made. I struggle with having personal and family problems get in the way of my school work. I get in a fight with a family member, I feel too down to even think about homework. I get distracted by roommates issues, my project gets put off another. The biggest change I need to make right now is separating school and personal life. Sure, I’m in college, and much of my social life is dictated by college aspects, but that doesn’t mean I should let it overtake the most important aspect. The schoolwork itself.

I’m naturally a very busy person. I go to school, I’m in a sorority, a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band, and I have an on-campus job. So needless to say, I need to have some serious time management. So when I have a personal problem, it can really get the best of me. I’m still struggling to not let these things effect me so harshly, but it’s definitely hard.

It’s all about making the necessary adjustments. Something I’ve been working on since my first year at Iowa, and still am.

It’s that time of year again! Fall Formal Recruitment 2013 in here! (#UIFFR13 on twitter!) It’s definitely a super hectic 2 weeks for active sorority members and new members alike! Meeting hundreds of women in less than 2 weeks time may seem intimidating, but it’s exciting and well worth it!

I often write about greek life, and other greek related events, but for the sake of my blog I like to keep what chapter I’m a member of private. I love my house, but I pride myself on trying to be non-biased when it comes to the greek community as a whole.

Many active sorority women tend to dread recruitment. Not because they dislike meeting new people, but because it’s an extremely exhausting process. You get up early in the morning, and are crazy busy until almost midnight every night. I know I personally have not slept more than 5 hours straight in over 4 days, but that’s because I’m also a member of the marching band and I have other commitments with that which only makes recruitment crazier.

I personally love recruitment. It’s so exciting seeing all the ladies who could soon become my sisters, and I may not know them now but in a very short time we will all grow to know one another!

I often get asked “Why did you join a sorority?” Some people are just naturally curious, and others don’t really respect the greek community. But regardless of what people think, I love my sorority and do not regret joining. There are infinite reasons a young woman would join a sorority, and they are different for every girl. So because of that fact, I’m not even going to try to list of the reasons I join.

I’m actually in the middle of recruitment while writing this blog, so I need to get back down to business! I’ll write another post when recruitment is over!

Ahhhhh… the first couple weeks of classes… always the worst. Well, at least for me. Typically the first few weeks of classes are just stress, on stress, on stress. Some people think it should be the easiest because you aren’t into many major projects yet, but I beg to disagree.

This is the time where so many new things are being thrown at you all at once, and it feels close to impossible to stay organized. For a crazily organized person, such as myself, I go crazy these first few weeks of first semester. Then, for me personally, it’s not just classes that stress me out. As a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band I have practice nearly everyday, then right after practice I go to work, so I can afford the crazy rent in Iowa City since I live off-campus. Then, just adding to the chaos, I’m also a member of a sorority. So that means recruitment. Which also means, more craziness. Any time I previously had off during the weekend, is now engulfed by recruiting new girls and putting my absolute best foot forward.

So overall I just feel like I haven’t had a second to breathe! And as soon as I do get home,and look forward to some downtime, I have to jump straight into homework. I am in a long-time battle with procrastination, and one of my goals this year is to stay on top of my homework. It’s stressful and time consuming to try and keep ahead/on-schedule with all my school work, but hopefully by staying on top of it these first few weeks I’ll be able to form a good habit. (I hear it takes 28 days to form a solid new habit).

Hopefully once recruitment ends, and band and work schedules settle in, I’ll be able to just take a big deep breathe and relax. I’m looking forward to my third year at Iowa, but I know it’s going to be a tough one.

A few posts ago I mentioned I got a new job last spring semester as an attendant to the rock wall at the CRWC (Campus Recreation and Wellness Center). I lived in Iowa City this past summer to continue to work at the rock wall, and I am more than happy to report that by the end of the summer I was promoted to Climbing Wall Supervisor! My duties during my shift haven’t really changed, but I’m really excited about it. I absolutely love working there, and couldn’t ask for a better on-campus job. Well maybe earn more than minimum wage 😉 But regardless of that fact, I plan to work at the wall until I graduate and leave Iowa!

I also wanted to use this blog post as a shameless promotion for the wall that I love so much. Many people walk into the CRWC and see this gigantic climbing, watch people climb, but never pursue anything further. Sure, a 52.5ft wall might seem intimidating, but I feel like anything is always worth at least trying! You won’t know how you like it until you give it a shot! Working at the wall, I’ve seen people overcome their fear of heights countless times! That’s not always the case, but I’m always super impressed with the people who still give it a fair chance.

The climbing wall is not only a part of Recreational Services, but also Touch the Earth Outdoor Education and Recreation, which also has an Outdoor Rental Center (but I’ll write a different post about that).

Many people look at climbing, and probably don’t think much of it. I mean, you’re just climbing a wall…what’s the big deal right? Wrong. Climbing takes so much more. I’m not doctor or anatomy specialist, but rock climbing is pretty much a full body work out if you really push yourself to do well in it. You can even do it indoors or out. It also takes a lot of mental focus and your task at hand. Literally.

Climbing at the UI wall can also be quite the social seen. A lot of my really good friends now at Iowa are either my fellow staff members or people that come to the wall frequently. We call them our “regulars.” I never thought I would meet so many amazing people at the wall. Everyone is so friendly, even if you’re a brand new climber! It’s an extremely non-judgemental place and so welcoming to everyone.

But I’ll quit my rambling and give you so more general information about our wall!

Wall Hours:

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Bouldering Only)

This time is typically for our “regulars” because we only have 1 staff member working.
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Mon-Fri, Tues to 9:00pm)

These are our usual hours! Feel free to stop by! 🙂

Lessons!

Monday-Friday 6:30 & 8:30pm

$20

Lessons teach you all the basics of rock climbing. How to tie the proper knots, to belaying, to tips for climbing in general! It’s a $20 fee for the class, and after you take the lesson you come back 24 hours or later to take a certification test, and if you past you earn your belay card! Your belay card and waivers last for a year from August to August.

Try Climbs

Try Climbs are $5 and are exactly what they say. Try climb. It’s where a staff member belays you up our 52.5ft top roping wall and you give climbing a shot! These climbs can last anywhere from 5-20min depending on your skill level, or just general knack for climbing.

Bouldering

Bouldering is free for everyone! Although children under 13 need an adult with them. The same goes for the top roping wall. We have 2 different walls. The 52.5ft wall is what we call our top roping wall, which requires you to use ropes and harnesses in order to climb it. Our bouldering wall is anywhere from 10-12ft tall and requires no ropes or harnesses. There is a crash mat to break your fall since you won’t be supported by a rope. Bouldering is great for beginners and advanced climbers alike.

There are a lot more aspects to our climbing wall, but I won’t sit here and try and ramble about each and every part. The things I mentioned are typically where I get the most questions. For more detailed info check out this website! There is a lot more information about the climbing wall, the Outdoor Rental Center, and more!

http://recserv.uiowa.edu/Apps/Programs/TouchTheEarth.aspx

My usual view when working a shift.

The wall is a fantastic part of the CRWC that a lot of students don’t take advantage of. I would encourage anyone to come stop by, ask questions, and just overall give it a shot! All the staff members are always willing to help you out and answer questions! We all love what we do, and don’t just see what we do as a tedious job to make some extra cash. We are all passionate about climbing, and work there because it’s what we love to do. I work 4 days a week, so I hope to see lots of new faces!

Happy 4th to all my fellow Hawkeyes!

I spent my day relaxing at home. This is the first 4th of July I’ve spent away from home, and the traditions that come with it. Instead of rushing around, cleaning, cooking, and prepping for my families annual party, I spent the day lounging around my apartment. It was a weird feeling. I called my parents to say hello of course, and some other family members were there as well. It was a little bit of a downer to be there, but I had work the next day, so I wasn’t able to get home.

Unfortunately for me, Iowa City was not going to have its firework show until the 5th, so I thought I was out of luck. But thankfully some of my friends from the Hawkeye Marching Band discovered that nearby Coralville was having a show! So that night we ended up driving over there to watch the show! Even though I couldn’t partake in my normal festivities, I’m glad I still got to see some fireworks! Hopefully I’ll be able to see some of the Iowa City show when I get off work tonight!

waiting for the fireworks!