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Iowa Winter Essentials

Posted on February 2, 2026

Welcome back to campus!

We are now back into our Spring Semester here at Iowa.  While it might not be the season of spring yet, here are some things future students should bring for the winters here on campus:

  1. Rechargeable hand warmers
  2. Snow boots (If wanted)
  3. Thermals (Out of Staters who don’t get the single-digit weather)
  4. Fuzzy socks
  5. Heavy coat

I lived in KC, Missouri, most of my life, and then moved to South Carolina, so I know the feeling of both types of weather.

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Things I wish I knew before my First Semester at Iowa

Posted on January 5, 2026

Happy New Year! The Midwest winter is officially setting in, and a new semester is starting.

A few things for future students that I learned in my first semester:

  1. If you are in a major that has Fundamentals of Human Physiology, wait until your sophomore to junior year to take it; that class is really hard.
  2. If you have 7 am-9:30 am classes, don’t get a job at the downtown Iowa City bars until your second semester or sophomore year, you won’t get down with work until close to 3 in the morning most mornings.
  3. Stay as healthy as you can because getting sick sucks, especially during mid-term season.
  4. Do as many activities on campus as you can because you can meet new people, and most of the time, those things are free.
  5. Join a club that deals with your major if you can, because they help you network, and some clubs help with both networking and the community.
  6. Take your weekends as your rest days if you’re not working, because burnout and the overwhelm of college in the first year is a lot.

Hope this helps!

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Thanksgiving- Home for the Holidays

Posted on December 3, 2025

With the Holidays around the corner, I have been spending time with my family and pets. I have missed my family and realized how happy I am for winter break to come because I get to see family and start a new semester of new classes after.

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Mid Term Scary’s

Posted on December 3, 2025

Midterms have happened, and finals are coming up, so for new students, I would recommend learning how to manage the stress and anxiety of the upcoming tests. I got really sick in November because of work and the stress of my classes, and I remember when it happened to me during high school, I would rest when I could and take breaks for the time I had off. So my advice is to take care of yourself and sleep when and where you can.

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SJMC (Sports Media and Culture) Fun Opportunities

Posted on October 29, 2025November 3, 2025

October has been the best month for SJMC opportunities, such as going to CPOY in Columbia, MO, an AWSM meeting with Mary Kate Williams, and a Sports Related Careers Webinar. All of these events have been through SMC, and next month, there are more to come. I have loved what I’ve been hearing and the people I’ve been working with. I have learned that internships and who you know or work with are the two biggest things when getting into sports. Next month, I have opportunities to talk to people from ESPN and other media outlets.

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Mid-term study life

Posted on October 29, 2025

As the summer fades and fall sets in, Iowa becomes a beautiful, colorful campus, but midterms and finals start coming up, and study habits start to be needed. I have learned that I work best if I work out while reviewing what I might need to know, and also teach the people that I’m friends with what I know, so that I can be assured I know what I’m doing. Another way to study is to go to your dorms, quiet study spaces, or go to the library, or whatever suits you to study, because studying is the backbone of passing your classes and doing the readings.

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Friday Fun Day

Posted on September 29, 2025

Most Fridays, if the weather is nice after discussion, I will spend time outside, either sitting and studying on the Pentacrest or I will sit under a tree right at the border of Iowa and downtown Iowa City. During the rest of the week, I typically will take a break after classes and study after supper with my floor mates.

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Game Day against UMass

Posted on September 29, 2025

Imagine it’s a Saturday in Iowa City, it’s 95 degrees out, the sun is shining, it’s game day, and you’re tailgating with your friends from your floor. The game starts in 7.5 hours, and you’re having fun, but because it’s so hot, you get heat exhaustion. But, you power through all of it and go to the game, and as the first quarter is going on, the sun starts to set, so when the first quarter is done and Iowa does the wave, the sun starts to set while everyone is waving to the kids in the children’s hospital. By the end of the game, the Hawkeyes win 47-7, and our head coach Kirk Ferentz won his 206th game, which is the highest amount of wins in the Big 10!

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