Rainy Day Essentials

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April (or late March) showers bring May flowers, which is the motto that has gotten me through this recent rainy (and snowy!) weather we have been having. Hopefully, you aren’t showing up to class soaking wet because you aren’t dressing for the weather… but if you are, check out some of these rainy-day essentials I use to stay dry:

  1. Umbrella
    A lot of college kids hate umbrellas, but I am here to tell you that no one is judging you for carrying one. If anything, people should be jealous that you are staying dry and they are not. I always keep a small umbrella during this time of year in the spare water bottle holder of my backpack or an unused pocket. I personally have never regretted this because not only do I stay dry, but my backpack does too, and the last thing I want is some torrential downpour to soak me, my backpack, and work its way to soaking contents in my backpack like my laptop.
  2. Raincoat
    I will say, bringing out the whole umbrella for some light sprinkling gets annoying. So, if the rain is light enough for me to not have to worry about my backpack getting soaked, I just throw on a raincoat. I have a super lightweight one from North Face that has never failed me. I even throw it on sometimes when I am using my umbrella if the rain starts to become more horizontal.
  3. Leather shoes (or rain boots)
    Hot take: I have never had rain boots, and I don’t think I ever will.
    I think wearing rain boots whenever there is a chance of rain would get annoying here because it can “possibly” rain a lot and I don’t want to get stuck wearing boots every day for just a possibility. I have found wearing leather shoes like Air Forces does a good enough job around the Iowa City area to keep my feet dry. Now, don’t go jumping in puddles on your way to class because they aren’t waterproof, but the leather makes them water-resistant compared to cloth tennis shoes.
  4. CAMBUS
    The cambus is the University of Iowa’s bus system. On a given day, I have classes across campus from where I live and I often walk to them. On a rainy day, you will catch me on a bus going to these classes. Why trudge through the rain if you can get a quick, sheltered, and free ride?
  5. Lots of homework
    If the weather is nice, in between classes I might walk to get coffee, visit with friends, or just spend time on the Pentacrest. When it is rainy though, all of those plans go out the window. A rainy day is the perfect time to stay inside as much as possible and just be productive. I stay in my class buildings to study instead of making an unnecessary trip out and about in the rain. I always end up getting enough work done to have some extra free time on a day when the weather is nice and I would normally be doing school work.

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For Pre-Med Students at the University of Iowa

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Are you pre-med or thinking about being pre-med at the University of Iowa? Look no further! The University of Iowa is a great place for pre-medical students to foster their own growth. When looking at colleges to attend as a pre-medical student I was hoping to find a university that had a community of pre-medical students rather than the cut-throat competitive nature. For me, the University of Iowa answered this calling and now I am a fourth-year (senior) pre-med student who just got accepted into medical school!

Keep reading for some of my favorite pre-medicine resources, student organizations, and experience-building tips and opportunities that I have used! This is a really long post, because as a pre-medical student, there are a lot of resources out there for you. I wish I got this information all from one place (it would have made college so much easier, and the pre-med curriculum is tough enough as it is), so take this as your one-stop shop for resources I so highly recommend to any pre-med I run into:

  1. Pre-med advisorEvery student at the University of Iowa gets an advisor for their major, but all pre-med students are also assigned a pre-med advisor. This is someone who specializes in the pre-med journey rather than one specific area of study. As a first-generation and out-of-state student, my pre-med advisor has been my go-to person for all of my academic questions since day one, actually before that! Before I even had my first day of college, she met with me to get to know me and help me pick out my classes. Since then, she has been the most influential person I have met in college, no joke. She not only helps me stay on track with required coursework and planning for pre-med things like preparing for the MCAT, networking, and shadowing, but she also has supported me when the pre-med journey got hard and guided me to opportunities I would have never known existed. Some of these opportunities have been super influential in my journey to medical school, and I will share them below. But, the moral of the story, get to know and bond with your pre-med advisor. The more you do, the more they can help you curate your pre-medical path to your needs and desires.
  2. MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Health Students)MAPS is a student organization curated to bring pre-medicine, pre-dental, pre-physician assistant, (pre-) nursing, (pre-) pharmacy, public health, and more health-focused students together. Contrary to popular belief because of their name, you do not have to have a minority identity to be a part of this group. This student organization is meant to be a safe space for all health-focused students to come together, learn from each other, and pursue learning experiences in multiple health fields. During my time at the University of Iowa, MAPS had more diverse activities and resources than some of the other pre-medical organizations, so I spent most of my time attending their meetings compared to other organizations like Medicus (talked about below).
    In MAPS, I had the following opportunities:

    1. Support group meetings: a place where pre-health students can share their fears, troubles with the current semester, resources and study strategies that worked or failed for them, and more!
    2. Hands-on training: MAPS often partners with residents and physicians at UIHC to allow members to get an inside look at what it is like to be a physician. I learned how to conduct an official eye exam with all the fancy equipment, stimulate removing a cataract from an eye, stimulate laparoscopic surgery, conduct a real ultrasound, learn to suture, and more! This was probably one of the most valuable things to my pre-med journey because it was more than a guest speaker. Guest speakers are common for pre-med students to hear from, but you can only learn so much from listening. From doing a hands-on activity just like these as a pre-med student, I was filled with excitement for the future and my interests were broadened.
    3. Guest Speakers: the hands-on trainings don’t replace the guest speakers by any means, these people are still so valuable! MAPS sponsors all pre-health students, so there is a wide variety of guest speakers that have come to speak with the members of MAPS. From physicians, nurses, dentists, students, public health employees and advocates, and more, MAPS gave me the ability as a pre-medical student to hear more about the job and tasks of others in the health field. Sure, I enjoyed the physician guest speakers, but hearing from more career paths promotes the understanding of the interconnectedness of the health field, something crucial for a future physician to understand.
    4. Socials: MAPS holds socials for members to take a break from school and all the pre-health curriculum. Learning to take a break is a necessity for the pre-health field, and what a fun way to get to know some of your peers outside of class!
    5. Workshops: MAPS partners with the Pomerantz Career Center to bring members workshops tailored to professionalism, building a good resume, writing your personal statement, and more! These were some of my favorite meetings as a pre-med because I was doing something that I had to do anyway, but I was doing it with people I got to know well and was able to have some fun with it.
    6. Tours: MAPS partners with students in the health graduate school programs to provide overviews and tours of their related areas of study. Students at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine provide tours of the medical school and the hospital!
    7. Job shadowing: MAPS helps connect members to physicians’ job shadowing experiences. Through MAPS I was able to shadow an ER physician and clinical gastroenterologist.
    8. Conference and program promotion: MAPS provides members with lots of information about educational opportunities outside of the student organization itself. Attending some of these was very beneficial to me and I will talk more about them below!
  3. MedicusMedicus is the largest pre-health organization on campus and is specifically for pre-med students. Like MAPS, this organization is great to get to know your peers in the same discipline. During my time in medicine, the pandemic was going on (and MAPS had more opportunities), so my experience was limited to hearing guest speakers and doing a virtual suture clinic. I’m sure post-pandemic the organization has expanded to more diverse events though so it is definitely worth checking out!
  4. UI Pre-Health ConferenceThis annual conference is great for bringing together all of the different health tracks. Learning the interdisciplinary ways of medicine is invaluable to a pre-med, so I would highly recommend networking here with non-pre-medicine peers and professionals in other fields like nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and more. This year, registration closes on March 31st, and the conference is held on April 7th from 9am-4:30pm.
    At the conference, you will be able to gain insight into post-graduate plans and education, attend workshops, hear from a variety of guest speakers, learn about on-campus programs and organizations, and more. I attended this conference every year I was available and always gained some new insight and networks. I can not emphasize enough how important it is to network at events like these! I know it can be awkward, but amazing things can come from it. One year, the keynote speaker’s story and job resonated with me and I wanted to ask a few more questions about how she got to where she is today. I emailed her after the conference, we set up a time to meet over coffee, and I got all my questions answered. She even asked if I wanted to job shadow her! How crazy is that? Normally the pre-med student has to ask for an opportunity like that. Anyway, I job-shadowed her work multiple times over a period of a few months and got to know this physician well enough for her to write me a letter of recommendation for medical school. The moral of the story, network and make something of your networks!
  5. SHPEP (Summer Health Professions Education Program)SHPEP is a program for freshman and sophomores to explore the health field while boosting their knowledge in the core sciences during the summer. This program is one that I could scream from the rooftops how good it is for all pre-med and pre-health students. SHPEP brings together the different disciplines of medicine through guest speakers, connecting class concepts, hands-on activities, and more. Each campus this program is offered at is slightly different, so each location has a unique perk. For example, I completed the program (virtually because of COVID-19) at the University of Louisville, and here, completion of the course gives you semester hour credits on your degree application. Other locations have other incentives like proximity to a beach or an automatic medical school interview.
    In my time in the program, I had an assigned partner to study with and complete activities with. The cool thing was she was a pre-dental student so we went to teach each other about our own perspective tracks and it really built in the concept of interdisciplinary health.
  6. Mobile ClinicMobile Clinic is a unique program at the University of Iowa. Largely run by medical and undergraduate students, Mobile Clinic brings interdisciplinary healthcare to disadvantaged communities within the Iowa City area. There are multiple locations and jobs pre-medical students can volunteer in, each job with its own unique training. Some of the training you can do on your own time online, and others you need to be in person with a designated trainer.
    I trained myself in the EMR and scribe position, and through MAPS had a training set up to be certified for labs and vitals. The lab, vitals, and scribe positions are my favorites, each with its own unique benefit. For lab and vitals, you get 1:1 patient experience and for the scribe position, you get to talk with medical students and physicians in your downtime!
  7. VolunteerAs a pre-med you should have a well-rounded resume, however, you should not be seeking out experiences just to get resume fillers. I enjoy volunteering just about anywhere, and I am a firm believer that everyone can find a love for volunteering if they find the right organization for them. Directly related to medicine, I have volunteered with Mobile Clinic as mentioned above, but I am also a hospital volunteer. At the hospital, I am an operating room volunteer where I stock surgical supplies, sterilize rooms after surgery, and prepare for the next. I enjoy being on this unit so much that I also took a leadership role here as the unit mentor. Every unit has a mentor position, so if you are looking for volunteer and leadership experience, becoming a hospital volunteer may be great for you!
    Also in the realm of service and leadership is another student organization I am a part of. Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity is a student organization built on the principles of leadership, friendship, and community service. I have a lot more non-medical service hours and leadership hours from this organization than anything else on my resume, and that is okay! I found this organization and how passionate I am about it, the service we do with the children’s museum, Boy Scouts, food pantry, etc., and the connections I have made, allow me to stand out from other pre-med students who just have medical experiences. So, the overall lesson is to find a volunteer experience you are passionate about, and it doesn’t have to be in the medical field.
  8. Job ShadowAs mentioned previously, I job shadowed a physician I met through networking, and from her, I got most of my shadowing hours. However, I got some shadowing in some other ways, too! From my volunteering at the hospital, I developed connections with surgeons and anesthesiologists and was able to shadow them, and from my membership in MAPS, I was able to shadow an ER physician and clinical gastroenterologist.
    One thing I never did was cold-call a physician. Sure, you can look up a physician’s email and send them a bit about yourself in hopes they will respond and allow you to come in, but in reality, job shadowing rarely goes directly through the physician. There is often paperwork through a different office that must be filled out. Because of this, I have yet to hear someone who cold-called a physician actually have that action result in a job shadowing experience. However, do not let this deter you if you do not know any physicians, medical schools want to see that you have job shadowed! You can’t go to school for so long just to find out you don’t like the job you have been training for. Again, networking is going to be your biggest winner here. Without networking, I would have not had any shadowing experience. So, go to conferences, participate in student organizations, and always always always have an elevator pitch about yourself ready to go (you never know who you will meet and where)!
  9. ResearchI have been in the same research lab for 3 years, and it has been one of the best experiences for my pre-medical journey. Research can be on anything you are passionate about, in the science field or not. For me, my research is in the field of microbiology. As a pre-med student, I love studying the “little” things like pathogens that make up the bigger picture in medicine and treatment. In my research lab, I get to do just this, so it continues to fuel my passion for medicine.
    Although I started my research position unaffiliated with OUR (Office of Undergrad Research), I ended up applying and earning a research fellowship through this office for the research I was already planning on continuing. Within this fellowship, I got the opportunity to present my work at poster sessions, earn grants for my lab, and I got paid, again all while continuing to build my passion for the connection of pathology and medicine.
    I take the time during summer break to go home, and so I also take a break from my research lab. However, I use this time to still stay busy, yet I switch it up a bit. I have participated in the UI Premed Student Summer Research Internship and the 1st Generation Student Brain Research Workshop. Both programs I highly recommend in the realm of research!
  10. StudyAs a pre-med, you should know you will be studying a lot!! During my first 3 years of college, I didn’t realize how much I was studying until I hit my final year and had less rigorous classes. Here are a handful of resources I found useful at the University of Iowa in regards to classes:
    1. Supplemental Instruction– great for large introductory classes!
    2. TAs- TAs are an underrated resource. If you have a TA for your class, they should be talking to the professor about material that students should know, aka insider information to what may be on an exam.
    3. Professor Office Hours- all professors at the University of Iowa are required to have office hours. Here you can simply build a connection with your professor or talk about course material and concerns. Again, information straight from the source for exams!
    4. The Writing Center– great for spell-checking your lab reports
    5. University of Iowa Libraries– We have 8 libraries on campus, many of them specializing in an academic subject. When completing major class projects, the librarians are a great resource to help find potential sources and references.
    6. Anything major specific!- Different programs have lots of niche learning opportunities. Definitely ask around in your program to see what is accommodated to your major.
    7. Discussion- In many classes, attendance in discussion is mandatory for grading. However, in many of the chemistry pre-med courses, discussion is optional. You should most definitely still go! I am a firm believer that showing up to class is one of the best things you can do as a pre-med to stay on track, and this includes going to discussions. Going to discussion can kind of count as you’re studying for that class for that day, so you might as well stay on top of your material!

Hopefully, you find these resources helpful in your pre-med journey at the University of Iowa. Being a pre-medical student is a long journey, but it is so fulfilling. You should be proud of your progress every step of the way!

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Spring Cleaning and Move Out Prep!

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Hi all! Spring break has just come to a close, and I don’t know about you, but I am already getting the summer jitters! I hope to be as prepared as possible for moving out so I can enjoy my last few moments in Iowa City with friends, spend time showing my family IC, and take in all the graduation moments I want to remember. I have been a Residential Assistant in the dorms for a few years now, so I feel pretty good about some of the tips and tricks I have picked up for the move-out season. Keep reading to hear some!

  1. Clean as MUCH as possible as SOON as possible
    I hope you are keeping a clean dorm or apartment anyway, but especially near the season of moving out, it is important to keep it tidy. You want to avoid getting charged a cleaning fee for things that could easily be avoided like picking up the dust bunnies in the corners or stains that you could have worked out of the carpet/furniture with a little bit of elbow grease. When I first got back from spring break, I deep cleaned my room by pulling all my furniture from the walls to mop and sweep the entirety of my floor, including the nooks and crannies I don’t normally reach.
  2. Pack your winter and unused stuff up now
    In my post-spring break deep clean, I also pulled out some storage bins to start storing some things I don’t anticipate using anymore. When preparing for move out, this helps to already have things packed because move out gets busy! You don’t want to be packing instead of enjoying your last moments with your friends.Also, if I end up going home before moving out, I can easily throw these bins in my car and take them home early so I have more car space during the actual move-out time. I am anticipating doing this over Easter weekend, and bringing back the bins to reuse them for my move-out needs again!
  3. Don’t use a bin for your clothes on hangers
    As you are getting boxes, bags, and bins for move-out, get one for everything you store in drawers, but for clothes on hangers use a trash bag. By using a trash bag, and grouping about 10 hangers and corresponding clothes, you save bin space and can keep your clothes wrinkle-free. Simply take the trash bag from the bottom of your clothes and work your way up to the hanger portion. Put the handles of the trash bag over your hangers in a criss-cross fashion and BOOM your clothes are protected from any dust or spills during move out, you don’t have to waste space using a bin for hangars and clothes, you don’t have to worry about folding your clothes and wrinkling them, and you have the choice to continue to hang your clothes during the move out process or lay them flat.
  4. Stock up on plastic wrap (specifically the dollar store kind)
    Getting boxes with lids for everything you are moving out can be a reach. Use bins you already have without lids, like those little fabric cubes or 3-tier carts, and just pack them full! Plastic wrapping these so your items don’t fall out is a great solution to save time and material of repacking these items into different boxes for transport. It also makes unpacking a whole lot easier, you just have to cut the wrap off! I love using plastic wrap from the dollar store because I have a lot of these open-top bins in my room. Using the plastic wrap meant to mail packages is the best because it comes on a roll with a handle and makes for a much more efficient packing time.
  5. Get rid of your food (and flex meals!)
    Eat as much of your own food as you can, aka start working on that pantry stock ASAP. Transporting food during move-out tends to be a waste of precious car-packing space, so think about only packing the essentials. If you have unopened and unexpired food (even perishables!) there are many food pantries around that would love to receive them as donations. It is really easy for anyone living in the dorms to donate to the UIowa Food Pantry because there are donation drives towards the end of the year hosted in the residence halls (normally outside of marketplaces or at the front desk). Other than that, the drop-off location for donations to the UIowa food pantry is at their location in the IMU on campus, so even apartment people can donate!I like to start cleaning out my pantry after spring break. Without fail, I always have a handful of soups from the winter. I also like starting to work on my flex meals after spring break. I never use all my flex meals by myself, so I always go to Clinton St. Market in Burge and get some non-perishable entrees, sides, and drinks to donate to the food pantry with my extra flex meals. Again, towards the end of the year, it is super easy to do this because a donation box is right outside of the market. However, don’t wait too long to do this, because if you have a lot of extra flex meals like me, you can only spend 5 a day, so plan accordingly so they don’t go to waste. Flex meals do not roll over into the following semester.

Hopefully, you found these post-spring-break tips helpful! We are in the last stretch of the academic year, Hawkeyes!

 

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What it is like being sick in college: What do you do?

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Being sick in college doesn’t sound like a big deal superficially, but ultimately this could be your first health concern on your own. Keep reading to hear how to handle sickness in college and what you can do to be prepared!

  1. Stock Up on Sickness Supplies
    You do not want to be lying miserably in bed weak and sick with the need to walk downtown to get medicine and tissues. Here is a list of things you should always have on hand in your room to prepare for sickness.

    • 2 Boxes of Tissues: One box untouched as backup, one being used
    • Cough drops
    • Medicine for your cold (DayQuil/NyQuil, Cold-eeze, Musinex, etc)
    • Painkillers (Tylenol, Aleve, etc)
    • Soup and Crackers!!! Lots of it (I go through about 5 cans or packets of soup when I’m sick)
    • Decaffeinated Tea (I like lemon tea when I’m sick)
    • Vitamins (vitamin C packets like Emergen-C, zinc, and multivitamins)
    • A thermometer
    • Cleaning supplies (disinfectant wipes/spray, paper towels, soap, hand sanitizer)
  2. Read the syllabus THEN email your professors

    If you just email your professors that you are sick and ask what you need to do, you may get a snarky reply to look at the illness protocol in the syllabus. Every professor handles illness differently, so be on the lookout if you need to fill out any university forms to get your absence excused, attend office hours to catch up on missed in-class assignments, or just look over the class slides on your own time. Whatever you need to do for your class, muster up the energy to send an email saying you will be absent BEFORE class time. Many professors cut off in-class assignments once class starts, regardless of the excuse unless they know of your absence ahead of time.

  3. Schedule an Appointment with Student Health ASAP

    Student health appointments are paid for by fees included in your tuition, so you might as well schedule one when you start to feel under the weather. Appointments fill up fast and are scheduled pretty far out, so get one as soon as you start to feel ill. You never know how bad your illness is going to get on day one, so it’s best to be prepared and cancel it later if you are feeling better.

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Preparing for Spring Break!

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Hey Hawkeyes, we are almost halfway through the spring semester. How crazy! This means spring break is right around the corner. Whether you are traveling or not, continue reading to make sure you know how to prepare yourself for this time!

For Classes:

  • Before spring break, mid-terms and papers are common. Keep your hard work from the beginning of the semester up and prepare for these early (like now!) so you are not stressed.
  • Make sure you don’t have any assignments right when you return from break. You shouldn’t have anything due while the University is not in session, but sometimes professors assign due dates the first thing on the Monday classes are back in session. Don’t let this catch you by surprise!

For Going Home Or Staying On Campus:

  • It is important to note that all residence halls close at 5pm on the Friday spring break starts (3/8/24) and will not re-open until the last Sunday of spring break (3/17/24) at 8am. If you are planning to be in the residence hall in between this time at any point (it is free!), you must submit your spring break plans in the housing portal by 3/6/24. This will ensure your IowaOne card has access to your building.
  • Plan your meals! Going home or staying on campus during spring break can be a wild time when it comes to adjusting to getting meals at your normal times. If you are on campus during spring break, note the following:
    • Dining halls will close on Friday, March 8, at 2:00pm
    • Limited retail dining locations will be open during the break:
      • Power Café: March 9 – March 17, 10am – 8pm
      • Union Station: March 11 – March 15, 8am – 4pm
      • Filling Station: March 11 – March 15, 7am – 3pm
      • EMRB: March 11 – March 15, 7:30am – 3pm

For Traveling Somewhere Fun:

  • Make sure you have all your necessary documents on hand (passport, birth certificate, driver’s license, etc.). Different break plans such as flying versus a cruise require different identification, know what you need!
  • Pack early! The last thing you want to do is be packing for spring break after your last midterm just to find out you left your swimsuit at home. Make sure you have all your essentials now, and keep the ones you aren’t using daily in the suitcase or bag you are planning to bring on your trip. This way, you will know early if you need to go shopping, make an online order, or make a trip home to get what you need.

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Coming Back From Winter Break: Get Back Into The Swing Of Things

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As you can imagine, a break is a much-needed time investment for college students, and coming back from a long break such as winter break is hard. Here is what I am doing to get back into the swing of things:

  1. Fix that sleep schedule
    I don’t think I have even slept in as much as I have this past winter break. These past few weeks were the first I was free from class, my college and hometown job, studying for exams, applying to graduate schools, etc. I have always had something to get up for and work on, but recently I have been just going with the flow of getting up whenever to spend time with friends and family. However, coming back to school I have an 8 am class… on Monday. Normally this isn’t a problem for me since I am an early bird at heart, but since I have not been recently, the week before school as I go back to Iowa City, I am planning on getting up as early as I would for class and give myself a series of tasks to do so I don’t feel the urge to go back to sleep. From reading, working out, cleaning my room, doing laundry, and more, I will be using these things to fill in for the time of my early classes to get my day started in preparation for going back to school.
  2. Practice doing something that could be boring
    Let’s face it, classes, even the ones for your major, are not ALWAYS interesting. I have a stack of books on my to-be-read list and I will be working my way through them before class starts to just keep in the habit of reading.
  3. Start the year off with a clean room
    Chances are you are not showing back up to Iowa City on the first day of the spring semester. Take the extra day or two that you are back early to refresh your living space. Not only is this use of time productive, but you have to clean at some point so you might as well not push it off until you are supposed to be studying for an exam.
  4. Use and write in a planner
    I love giving myself time to go to the gym, schedule dinner with friends, and have purposeful study time. While I am getting used to a new class schedule, having even little things like this put in a planner will help me organize my time until a routine becomes normal again.
  5. Meal prep
    Going to the grocery store or cooking is the last thing you probably want to do when you are hoping to catch up with your friends. Getting this done and out of the way by meal prepping will maximize your free time later in the week so you will have plenty of time to hang out with friends while adjusting to a new schedule.

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College Student New Year’s Resolutions

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New Year’s resolutions are always fun to plan so you can be the best version of yourself. I also like sharing my New Year’s resolutions with my friends so they can hold me accountable! Here are some college student-related New Year’s resolutions I thought of and some of my own:

Go to the gym

You’re paying for it in your student fees and you know it’s good for you. Even if it is just walking on the treadmill a bit between classes, practice keeping your body moving this year!

Use a planner

I actually use this notepad to keep track of my weekly tasks. It has changed my organization level so much! I just keep it on my desk and I can see all the assignments, student organization meetings, and work shifts I have for the week.

Go to class

I know in college it is much easier to skip class than in high school, but don’t take advantage of that unless you want to be more stressed during finals week teaching your own self the material you missed. Don’t be lazy, get out of bed!

Eat healthier

It is easy to just grab fast food on the go between classes or push off eating lunch until you get home. Your body needs good fuel, so think about all the greens you could have for lunch or pack a smoothie instead. I have been loving overnight oats, which still lets me be on the go if needed. I bought these containers and love them!

Study more

I know, not the most fun resolution but you do need to study at some point. Studying more weekly, maybe really hard an hour or two a day, will be more efficient than cramming for an exam. Do yourself a favor and start incorporating studying into your schedule to hold yourself accountable

Make more time for friends

College is not a time you want to shut yourself in, put yourself out there and don’t let your friends do all the planning for you. This can be as easy as doing something together that you already have to do like studying together or grabbing food.

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Day in the Life of an RA (Residential Assistant)

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Hey Hawkeyes and Future Hawkeyes! The odds are in your time here you will live in the resident halls, and thus you will have a Residential Assistant (RA). I have been an RA for about 2.5 years, so what is it that I do and what is it like to be one?

Let’s start with how the job perked my interest and how I became an RA, to begin with:

As a freshman, I lived in Daum Honors Residence Hall, and I thought my RA was the most helpful person on campus. As a first-generation student, I used my RA to find resource centers all over campus, help with roommate conflicts, and help with plans for future housing and switching rooms. On top of that, I hated my off-campus job, so when RA applications rolled around, I was eager to apply. I wanted a new job, and I wanted to help people on campus in my own little community just like my current RA.

I followed the housing website’s instructions, stating to apply to be an RA you have to go to an information session first, and I did. Although the cycle has closed for the 2024-25 academic year, keep an eye on this page in the fall of 2024 to be updated with new dates for the following 2025-26 academic year application cycle.

Going through the entire process, I had my interview and even took the RA class (don’t worry if this sounds daunting, this doesn’t exist anymore). However, instead of being accepted for the position, I was placed on a waitlist. Because of this, I decided to live on campus again on the off-chance I would be called to pick up a position during the academic year. Luckily for me, as I was living in Stanley Residence Hall, I got a phone call during winter break asking if I would like to be an RA in Burge Residence Hall just across the street. Of course, I said yes, and completed a semester of work there before I was moved to Catlett Residence Hall where I am today and have been for almost two years.

So for two and a half years, what do I do for work?

Most people know their RA as someone to go to whenever they have a problem, which is exactly what we are here for! We go through lots of training to help us act as a giant resource guide. If we can’t directly help you with your problem at hand, we are great at getting you connected to someone who can. Whether you need academic pointers, roommate advice, an emotional boost, a way to connect with peers, or something else, we have your back!

In addition to being a resource, I promise we are not locked in our rooms. Every night, there is an RA (or two) “on call” meaning they answer phone calls and respond to situations throughout the building after hours. Plus, an RA on call a couple times a night will complete “rounds,” or walk through the building to ensure the building is secure, there aren’t any residents in distress, or any building property missing or broken. Depending how many RAs are assigned to the building determines how often an RA will be on call. For example, I am a part of a larger building staff, so I am in the “on call” rotation less often than the smaller staffed buildings.

Normally we don’t see our own residents (the students who live in the same hallway as us) on rounds too often. I mostly see my residents when I am not on call, but rather completing something called Hawk Talks, a form of programming designed for residents to check in with their RA and have constructive conversations, or hold floor socials.

You may wonder how these three things add up to working 20 hours per week, especially if you are not on call. The answer is RAs do a lot of work behind the scenes and we take time to have Hawk Talks with every resident (that’s anywhere from 20-70 individual meetings per Hawk Talk topic)! Obviously, there are intermissions between the Hawk Talk topics though so here is a normal breakdown of my day:

  • Go to class, lab, and student organization meetings
    • Honestly, this job is a great definition of being able to be a student first. I have not had trouble needing to miss class or student organization meetings for work. Just like any other job, you can ask for days off (to be scheduled on a different day) or switch shifts as you need to with your co-workers.
    • To help my own residents know if I am in my room or not, I have a sign on my door saying if I am in my room and available, or if I am out and about and they will need to message me. I make sure to change this sign as I enter and exit my room just so they know if they need me, how they can get ahold of me because although as an RA you are not always on call, you are expected to respond to and help your residents as they reach out.
  • Come back to the building at the end of my day, complete Hawk Talks and meetings as needed, and maybe hang up some signage
    • Weekly there are staff meetings to attend, every two weeks a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor, and once or twice a semester I need to meet with residents one-on-one for a Hawk Talk. With this being said, I have PLENTY of days off where there are no meetings and my residents just reach out if they need me (which isn’t even too often since I have a lot of returning students (non-freshman) this semester).
    • Other than frequent meetings, you will find RAs frequently changing out the bulletin board signage. This is one deadline we must follow routinely to provide residents with up-to-date information and resources around campus.
  • Study, hang out with friends, or hold the phone as I am on call
    • Again, being an RA doesn’t take away from you being a student or a person first. Many nights I have friends over to hang out or study when I am not on call or done with any meetings I may have had.
    • If I am on call, picking up the RA phone is one of the last things I have on my to-do list for the day. We hold the phone overnight and have to do rounds of the building, but really if nothing is amiss, I study or relax all night between rounds just like any other college student.

Ultimately, being an RA I have found to be the perfect job to wind in my schedule and fit my personality. If you have any questions about becoming an RA, chances are if you are living in the dorms currently, you have one of the best resources to ask right in front of you, your own RA! If you have any questions and are out of the dorm life, you can always contact housing or read more of the job description linked to the website listed at the beginning of this post.

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Day in the Life of an Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Did you know that 1/3rd of Hawkeyes participate in research? You don’t have to be a scientist in a lab to be involved, but instead, research at the University of Iowa is diverse. Beyond the lab, research could include teaching culture, religion, politics, or law. Research can be observing the environment, analyzing natural disasters, or photographing people. Research can help children adjust to behavior issues. Research can be programming devices to aid the life of another person.

My involvement in research has ranged from completing the First-Gen Brain Research Workshop, working on the UI Pre-med Student Summer Research Internship, and getting started in the microbiology lab I work in now and picking up a fellowship. Keep reading to hear about my experience in all of these programs, about an average day in the lab, and how I got involved with the Office of Undergraduate Research!

The First-Gen Brain Research Workshop

On behalf of the Wessel Cognitive Neurology Lab, a select group of first-generation college students receive hands-on opportunities for insight into human brain research methods and the tasks of a research assistant in a human brain research Overse of 4 days, I got the opportunity to conduct and learn to read results from an electroencephalogram (EEG), functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI), and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

This experience was one I never had before. In these packed 4 days, I heard from undergraduate research assistants about their tasks, got a neuro-anatomy lesson, an understanding of how hospital-related research is conducted, taught how different examination methods are used to understand the human brain, and built a mentor/mentee relationship with the PI and head of this program. This program for me was great to dabble a bit in neurology, something I have never done before. However, even those who know quite a bit about neurology still benefit from this program’s ability to build connections with peers and develop an understanding of research overall.

UI Premed Student Summer Research Internship

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine (CCOM) sponsors premed undergraduate students to perform research and write a publication. Over 8 weeks, students will get paired with a faculty member to either analyze an existing dataset, be involved in obtaining and interpreting a health informatics data set, or write an up-to-date review article on a given topic of interest. During this time, students will contribute 40 hours a week to the project, earn a stipend, and have their publication costs covered.

During my experience as a UI Premed Student Summer Research Intern, I was matched with a remote project more, meaning I could go home for the summer or complete the internship relatively anywhere as long as I got my weekly hours in. I even remember putting some time in during my family vacation to the Smokey Mountains, so this internship can be very flexible. I worked on writing a review article on the immunology of oligodendrocytes, meaning I compiled the research findings of other publications on this topic into one simpler, easy-to-read article.

Undergraduate Research in a Microbiology Lab (Day in the Life!)

Since I was a sophomore, I have volunteered my time or earned course credit in the Jones Microbiology Lab putting in roughly ten hours a week. Our research focuses on the pathogenicity and adherence factors of Salmonella in the gut microbiome of chickens, and how relatedly this bacteria can be outcompeted in space by a less pathogenic E. coli strain. This work is important for chicken consumption further down the food chain by humans, as salmonellosis would be a less probable diagnosis.

In my daily life as a research assistant, I go to the lab about three times a week (more if I am passing strains) and I show up early! One thing my PI (principal investigator) taught me early in my time here is that experiments and lab chores take time, so if you want to see your results or get your sterilized materials back on the same day (or at least at a decent hour) you have to start in the morning.

When I show up to the lab, normally at 8 am, the first thing I do is any lab chores needed for the day. Often it is sterilizing equipment used the day before and restocking supplies such as pipet tips and broth culture tubes. The equipment used for this sterilization is always first come first served, so it pays off when I do this early in the morning since this process can take an hour or more.

Next up in my daily tasks is starting on an ongoing experiment. Often I am passaging strains (giving bacteria more fruitful media to grow in and storing past stains), or screening for mutations by completing adherence assays and plating the same culture on different media.

Normally in the middle of these tasks, my PI comes in for the day and gives me updates from our project collaborators or instructions on a new experiment. Recently I have been tasked with creating a lot of figures such as bar graphs for a paper we are hoping to publish or cartoon representations of some of our findings. I even got to use some of these graphs for my own poster!

The Office of Undergraduate Research (Fellowship) -and- Honors in the Major

During my senior year, I became an ICRU Fellow, now called an Office of Undergraduate Research Fellow. In this fellowship, I get to keep working in my microbiology lab, get course credit, and a stipend, and present at two poster sessions throughout the year. These poster presentations have been great practice for me as I also want to pursue Honors in the major of Microbiology. For this, I am writing a thesis on my work from the past few years and must defend it in a symposium with other microbiology majors. Fun fact, if you complete honors in the major, you automatically complete all your experiential learning credit for the university’s honors program if you are involved in that :) and this is exactly what I’m going for!

Ultimately, the University of Iowa has research opportunities and I have dove deeply into the sciences. I have had the wonderful opportunity to learn equipment I will use in my future career, techniques in the lab that I will use to understand other’s scientific papers, how to write my own paper to be published, and present my work in various forms. I hope if you wish to get involved in research here you find something just in your niche and challenge yourself along the wonderful opportunity of being able to research at the University of Iowa.

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Applying To or Accepting the University of Iowa: What Can You Look Forward To?

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So you just submitted an application to the University of Iowa or are planning on it? First, congratulations! Applying to college or transferring is a big deal, so give yourself some credit especially if you just got accepted! Second, what’s next? Here is a list of things you can look forward to as an incoming freshman or transfer student:

  1. Orientation

    Orientation starts with you meeting your academic advisor and picking out your first semester’s schedule of classes. This is a big deal for you! I still remember meeting my advisor for the first time, and I knew developing a connection with them would be one of the best things in my college career (and it has been)! At first, I wasn’t sure if the classes we picked were going to make me happy because we enrolled in classes I wasn’t expecting, but it worked out great in the end because I got to know my likes, dislikes, and try new things (like learning about public health) I wouldn’t have otherwise even paid attention to if I wasn’t given a little nudge in the right direction.

    The next step of orientation is optional. You can choose to participate in the Becoming a Hawkeye program. Here you can come to campus (before On Iowa and your move-in day) to hear from campus offices, learn of campus resources, and meet current and new students!

  2. On Iowa!

    On Iowa! is a series of welcome events so you can familiarize yourself with not only the campus, but also your classmates, resources, and the area. Throughout the week you can expect to attend small group welcome sessions to meet and build connections with other new students, take your class photo standing in the block I formation on the Pentacrest (pictured below), and attend the president’s block party and get some free food. One of my favorite On Iowa! events is Kickoff at Kinnick. All the students of your class walk to Kinnick, enjoy free food and snacks, learn the Iowa Fight Song, see so many performances, and more. Don’t forget to track down Herky for a picture!

  3. Success at Iowa

    This is a course that is required for new students to take in their first semester at Iowa, but you work on it online on your own time. This course prepares you and guides you through transitioning to college and the college experience.

    This is a great way to ease the college transition and get set up to be a better student overall. Sometimes, taking other transition programs or classes can be daunting, so keep in mind you must take this course. If you feel like you may need extra help, the programs listed in the next point may be a great resource for you.

  4. First-Year/Transfer Student Courses

    First-year courses are of course a one-time opportunity. When you meet with your advisor for the first time you should definitely bring up the following options to talk through what may be right for you.

    One of these course options I completed was a First Year Seminar. Courses in this category are 1 semester hour classes that are meant to be easy. Mine was called Intercultural Communication and Engagement, where there was really only one graded assignment which was recreating a game we played in class with others, reflecting on how it went, and pondering how we could apply principles we discussed in class. Ultimately these first-year seminars are a great place to work closely with other new students, get to know professors, and explore your course interests in an easy manner.

    The College Transition program is another course option just for first-year students. With this program, you will take classes as you normally would and pair select courses with seminars and workshops that facilitate small-group interaction and practicing good college-student habits. The courses highlighted in this program to pair with these workshops and seminars are normally gen-ed courses or courses freshmen commonly take as an introduction to popular majors or tracks, so you won’t be taking a random class without reason. Ultimately, this first-year program is great to be a part of if you are a first-generation college student or feel anxious about becoming a college student.

    A little less structured than the college transition program is Courses in Common. Enrolling in this program allows for you to see familiar faces in at least 2 of your classes. There is no workshop or seminar associated with this program (it may be associated with the class you enroll in though) so you would have to be a little outgoing to say hello in your classes. This program is meant for students to do just this and form study groups between the two classes, so if you are outgoing and don’t feel the need for a workshop about transitioning to college, this program is perfect for you!

    Explore Iowa is another course you can take to learn more about effective learning. What you will cover in this course you can apply in your classes and day-to-day life to help you achieve all of your goals.

    And finally, Honors Prime Time is for University Honors freshman students. Here, you will be able to move in early and take a 3-4 day course for one semester hour of course credit. These courses are supposed to be a fun introduction to the university, your peers, and the honors program. I participated in a course that wasn’t related to my major and covered poetry, and I loved hearing how creative my peers were and how they shared broad perspectives. Courses change every year and range from being very related to academic pursuits to simply exploring the Iowa City area. No matter which you enroll in, the duration is short enough to give any one of the options a try!

  5. Move-In Day

    This is one of the most memorable days of your college career. This may be your first time living away from home or in a setting where all your neighbors are students like you. Regardless, move-in day is exciting to make a new space your own. You may even have a roommate to meet (in person) when you get there, just don’t get too excited that you forget to take a picture with your move-in crew!

    My biggest piece of advice for this day is to prop your door open while you are moving in, unpacking, and organizing your room. Not only will this bring circulation, but people will stop by to say hi to you. Over the next few days, you will be constantly introducing yourself, listing your major, and where you are from. In the midst of this, try to say hi to your RA. They will be able to help you will all questions about housing in the future, so it would be great to develop a connection with them early!

  6. Your First Day of School

    How exciting! Your first day of college! Unlike high school, you can look forward to spending your free time between classes how you wish, the possibilities are endless. The campus is right across the street from downtown, making food and coffee easy to grab with friends. Even more convenient are the multitude of locations on campus just in case you are in a super tight rush.

    I loved scoping out new spots to study when I was new to campus. If you are worried about looking silly or getting lost, you are not alone. Your first day of school is the perfect time to explore, as many other people are too, just give yourself plenty of time to get to class just in case you do get lost!

    Also, take a picture for your mom, she will love it. On my first day of school, there was a student organization advertising on the main walkway of campus saying that they would take a cute first day of school photo for your family. They even had props, how cute!

  7. The Student Organization Fair

    This is probably the biggest can’t-miss event of your freshman year. Grab your roommate, floormates, or a random person you see walking down the hall to go to the student organization fair. Held once a semester, the student organization fair allows every student organization on campus to table in one space. Whether you are wanting to join a sorority or fraternity, a service group, a social club, an intramural sport, or something else, there is something for everyone to be a part of. The University of Iowa has over 600 student organizations you can get involved in, or you can create your own! This is the best place to get information about any club, sign up for their contact lists, or hear about the experience of being a member. Below is a picture of one of my student organizations tabling at the student organization fair.

     

This list is just the beginning of a few things on your journey as a Hawkeye. I hope you are just as excited as I was when I was a freshman and make the most of any opportunity that comes your way!

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