Midterm Tips

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Hey everyone,

I just took my first midterm exam of college last week. I am just going to share some tips that I wish I would know known before taking this test…

  1. Do not get to overwhelmed by all the information, YES IT IS A LOT, but just try to get a head start and break it up and study a little bit every night the week before and it will not feel like you are reading forever.
  2. Next, email your Professor/TA. They want to help. They want you to do well in their class. Shoot them an email asking them for some tips on how to study for the exam and most times they will be very happy to help you.
  3. If there is a test review, GO TO IT. Test reviews will give you an insight into what the professor is looking for on a test.
  4. I always like to make a study plan, where am I going to study, how long am I going to study for how many study breaks do I get. I set a timer for 25 minutes and after that, I get a 5-minute break from what I am studying.
  5. Lastly, do not lose the priority of your mental health. Make yourself the priority and be kind to your mind. I like to have some positive affirmations when I start to slip into a negative headspace…
            1.  I AM CAPABLE OF BEING A GREAT STUDENT
            2. I AM EXCITED TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW TODAY
            3. I AM DOING MY BEST
            4. Etc.

I hope this helps when you are going through your midterms. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

love,

Merrin

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Let’s Talk About MENTAL HEALTH During Your First Month of College

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Hey guys,


I am someone who is very passionate about mental health and coming from someone who has struggled with mental health in the past, I knew that I would need to have it be a priority during this transition to college.

I know that change is a super scary thing and trust me I was scared that I was not going to make friends or I was going to fail all my classes, and this was just my anxiety talking, I often find it so helpful to practice breathing exercises.

I use the Breath app on my Apple Watch, but there are so many other apps that you can use and I will put some down below.

Another thing that I have found helpful is journaling! Every day I try to carve out 5-15 minutes to journal about different topics, like school, social, mental, and physical health. 

I find it so helpful to put these things in writing so my mind is not wandering all over the place.

Ultimately, before you can focus on classes and all the stress that comes with starting college you need to take care of your mental health. If you are struggling or even if you are not, please, please remember, “You are enough, you are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are.”

love,
Merrin <3

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Primary Recruitment at Iowa!!

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Hey y’all,

About a week ago I got a bid after going through primary recruitment at U of I and I wanted to share my experience round by round…

Round 1

In round one, the PNMs (potential new members) watched videos of each chapter and ranked their preferences. I did not really get heavy vibes from each house so I just went based on my gut, which is what they tell you to do during the whole process. So I ranked my top ten.

Round 2

In round two, we actually got to talk to girls from the houses. When I got my schedule that morning I was a little sad because I did not get a few of the houses that I wanted back. But it all works out for a reason. I talked to the girls and found a house that I had a really good connection in and I was so excited to talk to them during round 3.

Round 3

So I woke up that morning feeling like there is no way I don’t get that house back but then I look down and I don’t see it. I was pretty sad because I felt like they liked me but then I talked to a girl from the chapter that I ended up gaining and she said: “it’s not that they didn’t like you but they could see you fitting into another chapter better.” And that really stuck with me. I had a great conversation in round three but I had to rank my top 2.

Round 4 

A week later I got my last 2 houses back and I was so excited to take to both of them. I had great conversations with both of them. They both made me feel so welcomed and not judged, so I was very happy. I did my final ranking then I waited for BID DAY!!

BID DAY!!

I went to Bid Day not knowing which house I would end up in, but I was so excited to find out. We all sat in the park while our recruitment counselors revealed what chapters they were in. Then we got out envelopes, and I happened to see through my envelope. I saw a crown which meant I was going to be a Zeta. I am so incredibly happy I found my home and I hope if you choose to go through recruitment you find your home <3

Merrin

 

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First Week of College Classes – DOs and DON’Ts

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After feeling like I was at a summer camp for 4 days, I realized that I am not at school to just play bingo, watch magicians and do all the fun On Iowa activities. I am at school to go to class.

I started my week and found all my classes pretty well but this was not without struggle.

So here are Merrins DOs and DON’Ts for your first week of class…

DO introduce yourself to your professor. Your professor probably has hundreds of students so introducing yourself will be very important so they can put a name to a face and get to know you as you and not just another student in one of their classes.

DON’T study in your room. I know it might be tempting to sit in your bed or at your desk while watching a lecture but trust me going even down the hall to a study room can make all the difference. I have loved having a place to go back to that is homework-free, where I can watch movies with my roommate and not think about school.

DO make a schedule. I am a person who loves being on a schedule and having a drawn-out timeline of everything I will be doing that day helps me so much. I will carve out time just for studying and then I will plan when my meals will be. Having a schedule will keep you so organized and also help you with time management.

DON’T come to class unprepared. Make sure you check ICON to see if your professor has posted anything about what you need to do before class. They also usually post the syllabus on ICON so, ready through that and see their expectation and how their class will work (ex. lecture recorded do not need to go to the zoom meeting). Trust me it helps so much knowing what you are walking into, they will probably go over it in class but PLEASE READ THE SYLLABUS!

DO get involved. If you take anything from this article please let it be this one. I have only been a college student for a week but I have already started to get involved in things. I have met so many people already through extracurricular activities. So please find what you are interested in and join something. If you can not find something you want to join, you only need 2 people to make a club. So make your own.

Thanks for reading my DOs and DON’Ts, I hope you learned something that will help with your college experience.

GO HAWKS!

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