After almost a whole school year here at Iowa, I’ve had to figure some things out by myself because no one really told me. Or maybe they did tell me and I just took it with a grain of salt haha. Anyways, I’m here to tell you the things that no one told me about life on campus.

1. The campus doesn’t seem that big. Okay yes, they did tell me this one but I was like “What do you mean, this place is literally huge”. But actually, it doesn’t seem very big. I am a business major and the way the “education path” is set up at Tippie, makes it so that you’re taking a lot of the same classes as the other freshman business students. This makes it so you really get to know the faces of your peers. Also being a business major living on the east side, I barely ever go to the west side of campus, making campus feel even smaller. Most of my classes take place in a building on the Pentacrest or Anne Cleary Walkway so I can normally get anywhere I need to go in under ten minutes and I’ll always see familiar faces along the way. 
2. You’re going to want to walk to class in sneakers. You might think you can walk quickly in your Birkenstocks to class, but you can’t. It’s just a fact. Trust me it took me a while to accept this one. Getting blisters just isn’t worth it because then for the next week, you’re going to be miserable trying to walk to class.
3. Take advantage of the free group fitness classes at the rec. I’m not really sure if no one told me about this or if I just didn’t think the classes would be worth my time. Anyways, going to these classes is totally worth it. I pick a few that fit into my weekly schedule and then it becomes a habit for me to attend every week for the rest of the semester. This semester a few of my favorites have been Mat Pilates, Bodypump, and Gentle Yoga. It keeps me active and I always look forward to it.
4. Don’t overwhelm yourself by signing up for a bunch of clubs right away. When I first got to campus there was so much pressure to join all these clubs and groups. Some of them have really strict rules and guidelines that you have to meet that are sometimes overwhelming, especially for a first-semester freshman. So take it from me, when everyone is telling you to join this group or join that group, you CAN say no. Don’t feel like your failing or not getting the best college experience if you just simply don’t want to join a club. It’s totally okay.
5. The River Room Cafe is so good. Thankfully someone did tell me this at the beginning of the year, but I feel like so many people don’t know about it. The River Room is located next to the hotel in the IMU on the first floor. They serve pasta, stir fry, burritos, and lots of other good food. It’s such a hidden gem, and the best part is that they accept flex swipes.