Rachel
type: channel
description: Experience Iowa Blogs
date: 2018-04-05T15:52:22Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: Re-Views: Cortado
items: Views: My Student Orgs
items: Second Semester Lineup
items: First Semester Re-Views
items: My Top 3 Study Spots on Campus
items: Treat Yo Self
items: Apartment Hunting
items: Pre-Views: Sophomore Year
items: Dos and Don’ts of Packing for College
items: College: Expectations vs. Reality

Re-Views: Cortado
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2018-04-02T16:06:43Z
subject: Campus Life
subject: General
subject: Photos
description: Hey Hawkeyes! Just thought I’d write a quick review of one of my favorite places on campus: Cortado Coffee & Cafe. They opened a little over a year ago and I can confidently say that I’m a regular customer now. This happened mostly because of my efforts to visit my roommate and hang out with … Continue reading Re-Views: Cortado
encoded: <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-508 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/1522532516898.jpeg" alt="" width="316" height="237" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/1522532516898.jpeg 800w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/1522532516898-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/1522532516898-768x576.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px" />Hey Hawkeyes! Just thought I’d write a quick review of one of my favorite places on campus: Cortado Coffee & Cafe. They opened a little over a year ago and I can confidently say that I’m a regular customer now. This happened mostly because of my efforts to visit my roommate and hang out with her just about every day that she’s working (love you, Celia). However, there are obviously other things Cortado has to offer that have made me a loyal customer. Atmosphere Cortado’s decor, layout, and overall design are very open which is certainly refreshing. It’s huge windows that face the Pentacrest bring in an abundance of natural light, and I love the white brick walls. Local art is put on display on the wall behind the main counter and I’m pretty sure they’ll put anyone’s art up there if you just ask! I love that the coffee wakes me up in the morning and that the space in which I drink it does, too Pro-tip: As a part of their initiative to limit screen use in-store, Cortado doesn’t offer wifi to their customers. The Airliner next door, however, does If you’ve got their wifi, then you’re basically set. Coffee <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-510 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/2018-04-02-094028.363.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="278" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/2018-04-02-094028.363.jpg 600w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/04/2018-04-02-094028.363-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto,…

Views: My Student Orgs
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2018-02-26T12:36:34Z
subject: Campus Life
subject: Events
subject: Photos
description: In my sophomore year, I have started getting really involved with my student organizations. Here on campus, I’m on the executive board of Her Campus Iowa as Director of Social Media and a Director of Public Relations for my sorority, Delta Gamma. With over 500 student organizations to choose from on campus, sometimes I feel … Continue reading Views: My Student Orgs
encoded: In my sophomore year, I have started getting really involved with my student organizations. Here on campus, I’m on the executive board of Her Campus Iowa as Director of Social Media and a Director of Public Relations for my sorority, Delta Gamma. With over 500 student organizations to choose from on campus, sometimes I feel like being involved in just two of them isn’t enough. However, I pour my heart and soul into the positions I have because I know they’re building a huge portfolio for me to use one day if I want to be in the Social Media Industry. Her Campus Iowa About a year ago, I was introduced to an organization on campus by my advisor through this admissions blogging project (Hey Aly!! ). She said she came across an organization that made her think of me and let me know that they were accepting new members. I can’t thank her enough for directing me to Her Campus because it has seriously impacted my college experience for the better. For those who don’t know, Her Campus Iowa is a branch of the national Her Campus brand with chapters all over the country. Our goal is to provide an online platform for collegiate women to gain experience in journalism, social media, marketing, event planning, and so much more. Our editorial team writes pieces similar to articles you’d read in a magazine like Cosmo, but oftentimes with an Iowa City/University of Iowa twist. When I realized what Her Campus was all about, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard about it sooner! As a student minoring in journalism and majoring in media communication studies, my mind was blown; this was the perfect student organization for me. However, when doing research on the University’s webpage of student orgs, it didn’t show up. I’d later find out that Her Campus is a for-profit organization so the university doesn’t allow it to be a registered student org on campus. Some may see this as a negative thing, and it sure is frustrating now when trying to get our name out in the community, but I knew I’d …

Second Semester Lineup
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2018-01-31T02:35:29Z
subject: General
description: Hey Hawkeyes! To be honest, some of my favorite things about a new semester include planning my class schedule and signing up for new classes. This is the most excited I’ve been for school so far because I’m finally done with gen-eds! There’s a reason I’m in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, so … Continue reading Second Semester Lineup
encoded: Hey Hawkeyes! To be honest, some of my favorite things about a new semester include planning my class schedule and signing up for new classes. This is the most excited I’ve been for school so far because I’m finally done with gen-eds! There’s a reason I’m in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, so never having to take a science or math class ever again is a great feeling. All of my classes are now within my major (Communication Studies) and I’ve decided to work toward a minor in Journalism, too. When constructing my schedule a few months ago, I really wanted to try to have my Fridays off. This time last year I didn’t have Friday classes and absolutely loved it. If I have the ability to give myself an extra day off school, I will definitely take it and I was so happy to find classes that let me do this again! So this is what my week looks like: <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-487" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/Screen-Shot-2018-01-30-at-1.37.35-PM.png" alt="" width="737" height="460" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/Screen-Shot-2018-01-30-at-1.37.35-PM.png 800w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/Screen-Shot-2018-01-30-at-1.37.35-PM-300x188.png 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/Screen-Shot-2018-01-30-at-1.37.35-PM-768x480.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px" /> Despite having Fridays off, I did have to sacrifice most of my mornings. I know I’ll be showing up to my 8:30 lectures every Monday and Wednesday in my pajamas and am already regretting scheduling a class this early, but its a specific class required to get a degree in my major so I’ve gotta suck it up. Since I’m not doing choir this semester, I figured I’d fill that 1-semester-hour time slot with something fun. I took an introductory weightlifting class for two semesters during my senior year of high school and absolutely loved it. The only issue was t…

First Semester Re-Views
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2018-01-08T14:18:07Z
subject: General
description: Hi. I know, I know. I was really bad at blogging consistently this semester. This writing became something I’d constantly set aside these last 16 weeks and I feel really bad about it. I’ve experienced so much change that I haven’t shared publicly yet so I’m worried it’s going to be a little intimidating to … Continue reading First Semester Re-Views
encoded: <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-450 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/december-semester-re-view.jpeg" alt="" width="202" height="304" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/december-semester-re-view.jpeg 533w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/december-semester-re-view-200x300.jpeg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px" />Hi. I know, I know. I was really bad at blogging consistently this semester. This writing became something I’d constantly set aside these last 16 weeks and I feel really bad about it. I’ve experienced so much change that I haven’t shared publicly yet so I’m worried it’s going to be a little intimidating to read (and even harder to write) but here goes nothing! Here’s a monthly review of my first semester of sophomore year. August <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-451 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/BFA6ED39-506C-4CED-86ED-AD25B8542ACB.jpg" alt="" width="293" height="220" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/BFA6ED39-506C-4CED-86ED-AD25B8542ACB.jpg 800w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/BFA6ED39-506C-4CED-86ED-AD25B8542ACB-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/BFA6ED39-506C-4CED-86ED-AD25B8542ACB-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 293px) 100vw, 293px" /> The first day of school is usually pretty exciting, but here at Iowa, it also happened to be the day of the Solar Eclipse. I don’t remember anything from my two classes that day, but I do remember barely seeing the moon cover the sun while sitting on the Pentacrest. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-452 alignright" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/1504042316626.jpeg" alt="" width="321" height="241" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2018/01/1504042316626.jpeg 800w, https://bl…

My Top 3 Study Spots on Campus
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-11-30T14:21:36Z
subject: General
description: With finals creeping upon us these next few weeks, I figured I’d give away my favorite spots on campus to study during this stressful time. I try to stay away from places that are too loud or too quiet because that’s where I lose my focus the easiest. If it’s too quiet when I’m trying … Continue reading My Top 3 Study Spots on Campus
encoded: With finals creeping upon us these next few weeks, I figured I’d give away my favorite spots on campus to study during this stressful time. I try to stay away from places that are too loud or too quiet because that’s where I lose my focus the easiest. If it’s too quiet when I’m trying to work, I’ll hear every little page turn or sniffle and it’s actually the ~worst~. On the other hand, if it’s a busy and bustling place, like the library café or Starbucks, I can’t help but listen in to every conversation near me or beverage order being mentioned. The following places are areas that I find a lot of solace and productivity in; the key ingredients to success when studying for finals. I hope you try them out when you’re studying for Finals Szn this winter too! 3: Main Lounge – Adler School of Journalism I may be a Communication Studies major, but I spend a lot of time here. Some Comm classes are held in this building, but I’ve also been taking a few Journalism classes to maybe build up enough credits for a minor. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-440 alignright" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/11/study-2.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="251" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/11/study-2.jpg 800w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/11/study-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/11/study-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/11/study-2-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px" /> The Daily Iowan newsroom makes up quite a bit of the first floor, but to the right of the main entrance, there’s a neat media lounge/atrium that I’ll study in from time to time. About three stories of windows surround the room and 9 flat screens playing news and various other programs cover one of the walls. It’s a neat space that’s usually pretty quiet in the afternoon so I’m a huge fan. 2: Study Rooms – Main Library You’ve p…

Treat Yo Self
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-10-28T22:27:23Z
subject: General
description: Let’s just say, it’s been rough. Midterms officially consumed my life these past few weeks so I’m currently recovering and catching up on everything I fell behind on during that stressful time. Before the semester started, I set a goal to significantly raise my GPA, and this has led me to be a thousand times … Continue reading Treat Yo Self
encoded: Let’s just say, it’s been rough. Midterms officially consumed my life these past few weeks so I’m currently recovering and catching up on everything I fell behind on during that stressful time. Before the semester started, I set a goal to significantly raise my GPA, and this has led me to be a thousand times more conscious of the work I’m putting into my classes. It was a good goal because I’ll ultimately be able to apply for more scholarships, but that means putting in more effort than ever before. Now that things are slowing down a bit (and I’m all caught up on laundry) I’ve finally had some time to chill. After asking friends and previously experiencing the wonders of treating myself after a busy time, here are the best ways to ~actually~ relax in college. Start a new Netflix series As soon as things start slowing down in my school work, I begin binge-watching new series on Netflix because I actually have the time to sit down and enjoy them at night. This time, I started watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Even though the plot is a little far-fetched, I can definitely relate to a character who pushes through hard times and knows the importance of being tough in a cruel world. Go to the Gym I know participating in physical activity is literally the opposite of relaxing, but I find that working out – running and hot yoga specifically – really gets my mind off of things. Plus, I always feel super rewarded and good about myself afterward. I know that taking an hour out of your day to work out doesn’t seem worth it during a busy time like midterms, but I just like to make up for all that late-night-study-sesh-snacking by letting out some steam on the treadmill and improving my mind-body connection. Paint some dinnerware I recently found out about a cool little gem in town and I was so excited to finally have time to go. Fired Up is a studio located on 520 E Washington St where you can paint your own pottery. There’s a business like this in my hometown and it was a go-…

Apartment Hunting
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-09-20T01:10:16Z
subject: General
description: One of the most grown-up things I did in college as a freshman happened around this time last year; I signed a lease. I can vividly remember how great it felt to have the newfound freedom of not “living under my parent’s roof” when I was adjusting to life in the dorms. However, even there … Continue reading Apartment Hunting
encoded: One of the most grown-up things I did in college as a freshman happened around this time last year; I signed a lease. I can vividly remember how great it felt to have the newfound freedom of not “living under my parent’s roof” when I was adjusting to life in the dorms. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-414 alignleft" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/09/apartment-hunting-cover.png" alt="" width="285" height="428" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/09/apartment-hunting-cover.png 533w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/09/apartment-hunting-cover-200x300.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px" />However, even there you have an RA who is specifically there to guide and look after you in most cases. So just the idea of living in a place with even more freedom than what I was experiencing seemed too good to be true. Towards the end of high school I’d constantly be fantasizing about what my future apartment would look like, even if I was thinking two years ahead of myself. I made Pinterest boards, watched HGTV way more than usual, and was constantly curious to know what my place would look like one day. I really did put a lot of thought into planning my apartment now and am very happy with the outcome, but I remember feeling like this was so far into the future when I was living in that dorm last year. I went through and learned a lot in the process of getting “my own” place and I want to make sure all of you consider these three things when looking for your first apartment on campus this leasing season. Be proactive There’s nothing I hate more than the feeling of missing out on a great opportunity. When it comes to apartment hunting, you want to get this done quick. My roommate, Celia, and I had already found our current apartment around this time last year and ended up signing a lease at the beginning of October. When we were apartment hunting, our current building only ha…

Pre-Views: Sophomore Year
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-09-03T16:49:50Z
subject: General
description: And just like that, another school year has begun. With two weeks of my sophomore year already completed, I can say with a good amount of confidence just how excited I am to be pursuing this next chapter of my life. So many things are looking up for me. However, I’ve found some pros and … Continue reading Pre-Views: Sophomore Year
encoded: And just like that, another school year has begun. With two weeks of my sophomore year already completed, I can say with a good amount of confidence just how excited I am to be pursuing this next chapter of my life. So many things are looking up for me. However, I’ve found some pros and cons to my overwhelming feeling of excited-ness from these last few months. To summarize this feeling, I’ve basically never felt more confident in my life’s path. I’m growing more and more fond of what I’m learning in school, I moved into my very first apartment, I start working at Northside Bistro again soon, I’m going through sorority recruitment (more details about this later once everything is official), I’m co-directing social media for a really great online magazine here on campus, and have an interview later this week for a ~second~ (really awesome) job opportunity. Being so immersed with all of this excitement has been such a great feeling, but it has caused some parts of me feeling significantly drained. I put off writing, and even thinking about, this first blog post for weeks because I couldn’t find anything specific I wanted to create. I had writer’s block. But while sitting here, in my first apartment, struggling to culminate an interesting topic for my readers because there are just too many interesting things for me to talk about isn’t something I should necessarily see as a problem. I’ve sought out inspiration countless times these last 14+ days by taking, what I think are, visually pleasing and interesting pictures of what I’ve been “view”-ing on campus. None of the pictures I captured seemed to relate to one another other; it was all sporadic. I’ll show you what I mean. Here are just a few examples of these random, exciting moments I’ve had recently. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/09/IMG_4086-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://blog.adm…

Dos and Don’ts of Packing for College
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-05-05T21:31:29Z
subject: Campus Life
subject: General
description: Right now, it feels like everything is coming to an end and I’m actually super excited. With less than one week until finals, I’m ready to be done with school and just go home. However, there are still quite a few things I need to do before I can leave Iowa City. As far as … Continue reading Dos and Don’ts of Packing for College
encoded: <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-389 aligncenter" src="http://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/05/currier5.jpg" alt="" width="553" height="356" srcset="https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/05/currier5.jpg 800w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/05/currier5-300x193.jpg 300w, https://blog.admissions.uiowa.edu/rachel/files/2017/05/currier5-768x494.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 553px) 100vw, 553px" /> Right now, it feels like everything is coming to an end and I’m actually super excited. With less than one week until finals, I’m ready to be done with school and just go home. However, there are still quite a few things I need to do before I can leave Iowa City. As far as my remaining homework for classes goes, I only need to do extra credit for my Interpersonal Communications class (and yes, I need to do it). The rest of my time here is going to be spent studying for my three finals, working a few shifts, and packing up all of my belongings. In an attempt at being productive and wanting to effectively use my move-out time, I decided to take home a few things a week early. I’m visiting home to do some Prom makeup for one of my friends in high school and wanted to take advantage of this trip to lighten the load for move-out day. Last weekend, I packed up half of my closet and realized just how much stuff I actually have here. A lot of it surprisingly came in handy, and other things I found were just completely useless. When moving in, and over the course of the school year, I over-packed and definitely over-estimated how much I’d be using some items. So, for my final blog post of my freshman year, I wanted to take the time to give incoming freshmen some advice on what/what not to pack when you move up to the dorms in Iowa (and probably any college) in the fall! DON’T BRING… Heels I had one pair of heels here and never wore them. When packing to move in, I thought “Oh, I’ll bring these just in case I ever …

College: Expectations vs. Reality
type: item
creator: Rachel
date: 2017-04-17T15:39:11Z
subject: Academics
subject: Campus Life
subject: General
description: If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my overall experience during my first year of college, it’s that I shouldn’t have set my expectations so high. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a pretty great time so far at the University of Iowa. But it’s hard to know how any experience is going to play … Continue reading College: Expectations vs. Reality
encoded: If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my overall experience during my first year of college, it’s that I shouldn’t have set my expectations so high. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a pretty great time so far at the University of Iowa. But it’s hard to know how any experience is going to play out, especially if it’s a major change like going to a university for the first time. With that being said, here are some of the major expectations I had coming into college and how they actually turned out. EXPECTATION: I love the dining halls! I definitely won’t get tired of the food here REALITY: *avoids the dining hall as much as possible by the end of first semester* The dining halls may seem to have a wide variety of options to choose from, but trust me, you’re going to find that there’s maybe a total of three meals you like. Then once you’ve eaten those enough, you WILL get tired of them. I was a huge fan of the burritos at Burge first semester, and since I loved them so much, I’d get them just about every night of the week. Except now, I can no longer stand the taste of the chicken they use in them (no matter how tasty it may be). For some reason, it doesn’t feel like there are nearly enough options anymore and I’ll actually end up spending money on food some nights just to avoid eating in the dining hall. Flex meals have become a really great alternative to eating in Burge or Hillcrest, and so far I’ve used up about twice the amount of flex meals I used last semester in an attempt to eat a wider variety of food. EXPECTATION: All-nighters totally won’t suck REALITY: They totally do I learned this the hard way earlier this week, actually. I pulled my first all-nighter ever on a 5-7 page rough draft of a research paper for my Interpretation of Literature class and I would never in a million years recommend this to anyone. In high school, I anticipated the idea that I’d probably end up going through with an all-nighter at least once in my first year of college and now that I…