Student Orgs and Where To Find Them?

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Opening Thoughts

One of the things that helped me feel like I belonged on campus was finding student organizations that felt like a second or even third family. I will say it is hard to find those organizations on campus that make you feel at home. Still, I’m here to tell you a little about how to find those student organizations so you don’t get overwhelmed by the selection the University offers every student.

What Are Student Organizations?

They are self-explanatory because they are different organizations run by students from the University of Iowa. Most are entirely run by students and usually run during the academic year.

The Student Org Fair

The Student Org Fair is where different clubs, greek life, and organizations can show the students what the clubs are about. The fair is split into sections corresponding to their activities, like athletic clubs, multicultural clubs, and Greek life. It usually occurs near the beginning of the Fall semester because that’s when sign-up happens to get everything going for the year. There are also over 600 organizations registered with the university. You may also meet people that you have a lot in common with. The fair can also help you make friends that aren’t in your classes.

What Student Orgs Am I Apart Of

Dance Club at the University of Iowa

By the name, I’m guessing most of you think this is a dance club, and you’re right. This club allows students to dance like they are in a studio setting. I used to dance at my old dance studio for about 13 years, and I wanted to continue dancing because I love it so much. You can either have some dance experience or just get a few classes. Different classes with many styles of dance focus on technique and learning dance combinations. There is also an opportunity for dancers to learn and perform full routines in our benefit show at the end of the school year. This benefit show allows our dancers to showcase our skills, and donation proceeds go to Dance Without Limits. This non-profit organization provides dance classes to children and young adults with disabilities, and the DEA Youth Dance program.

The styles of dance I love are Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, and sometimes Ballet if I’m feeling it. Contemporary and Lyrical have always been my strong suit because I love to feel the emotion they both bring to the table of dance styles. I did competitive dance for 4 years and did 1 lyrical and 2 contemporary solos. Plus, I always loved the costumes that Contemporary and Lyrical bring to the dance community.

Walk It Out

Walk It Out is the most prominent multicultural organization on this campus. East Asia, South Asia, Latin America, LGBTQIA+, Hip Hop, and Africa are some groups we represent in our organization. This organization combines diversity and culture to create something unique. Each spring semester, we put on a show to showcase the different cultures through fashion and dance. It’s a really cool event, and you can learn a lot about the different cultures on this campus.

This is my first year doing Walk It Out. I didn’t know this was a thing until one of my great friends did a performance with their group last year, and it was AMAZING. All the groups did good at showcasing who they are and what it means to represent their community. This is, overall, a great experience and community.

I’m a part of the hip-hop group, and I love it. The hip-hop group is one of the most prominent groups within WalkItOut, but still, it’s so much fun. Hip-hop has never really been a style I liked as a kid because I never did hip-hop as a kid. Then, my old studio decided to add it when I was a freshman in high school. I did a few classes, but it wasn’t for me. Mainly because most of the moves felt a little childish, but when I saw the WalkItOut performance of the hip-hop group, I realized that is the style of hip-hop I like to dance.

How I Choose My Student Organizations

I chose mine because I wanted to keep dancing, and they sounded the most appealing to me. Dance Club was something I wanted to do last year, but I decided to take a break from dancing to see if it’s something that I wanna keep doing, so I did Dance Club this year. I chose to do Walk it Out because of the meaning and multicultural aspect of the groups. Everyone deserves to be represented in one way or another, and Walk it Out represents culture through fashion and dance.

Closing Thoughts

There are SO MANY student organizations on our campus that it can be overwhelming to figure out. Look at something you did in high school or try something you wanted to do. These student organizations range from Greek life to intramural sports and clubs. If something catches your eye about the group, go to a meeting and see if it’s the right pick for you.

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Registering for Classes (Spring 2024)

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Opening Thoughts

It’s time to register for classes. That means that the semester is almost over. I thought I’d come and tell you about registering for classes and what it can look like when meeting with your advisor for the first time. It will always be slightly different, but I’ll tell you about MyPlan and Schedule Builder, how to ask your advisors for advice on other classes, and what you will gain from taking specific courses.

MyUI

So, MyUI is basically the hub for everything you need to get ready to register for classes for your upcoming semester. We must meet with our Academic Advisors, depending on major(s), to register for courses for freshmen and sophomores. For your first year of college, you’ll mostly be doing General Education classes required for your major. Each criterion is different for each major and its sub-categories. I’ll use my majors, for example.

I’m a Psychology and English and Creative Writing major on the publishing track. For the most part, my general education classes overlap very nicely. Still, sometimes, if you wanna switch your major to something from Engineering to Translation, it might be hard for some general education classes to transfer over. I have two/three academic advisors to help me create a schedule for my majors. They also created a Plan to help me stay on track for graduation. They use MyPlan when your academic advisor goes in and has placeholders for classes, so you don’t have to do an extra semester of courses. A remarkable feature lets you look at classes through schedule builder and put it on your plan. That way, you can see how many semester hours you will need. Then, once you have an idea about what classes you wanna take for that semester, you can click a button that exports those classes into the schedule builder. That way, you don’t need to go fishing around in the schedule builder to find the courses you are considering doing.

Once you’ve met with your advisor, the schedule builder opens up, and you can start looking at classes to take for the upcoming semester(s). Once you have a couple of schedules, you’ll get a date and time to register for courses. I know that freshmen must meet with their advisors to have their classes approved before they can register. Ensure you keep an eye on the classes you want and remember you may not get your number 1 schedule. Just make sure you have extra schedules you can use for other courses that fit your plan to stay on top for graduation.

My Ideal Schedule

My registration is coming up soon, so I’ve been figuring out which classes align with MyPlan in MyUI. To stay on top of my classes, I’ll need to take a historical English class, foundations of creative writing, a basic level psychology class, research methods and data analysis 2 in psych, and a statistics class to stay in line for graduation.

After meeting with both of my advisors, I was able to gauge what classes I’d need for both of my majors. All of the courses for my next semester will be for both of my majors, so I can take a break from the gen-eds. I also have varied schedules in case I can’t get my number 1 schedule, but fingers crossed I can get it. Always have extra schedules and classes that work for you because you create your own schedule each semester.

Truths/Myths About Registering for Classes

I’m gonna be honest: there are a lot of half-truths about registering for classes. I don’t know all of them, but I do know some because of how the undergraduate programs work here at the University. Here are some of the things I have heard about registering for classes.

Freshmen get to pick first, not true, well, mostly not true, let me explain. Most freshmen undergraduates don’t get to like first because they are first getting used to college and how it works, and they’re mostly taking general education classes. Here is the truth: Upperclassmen, like third, fourth, and even fifth years, generally get to pick classes first. Along with students going to the University and transferring into the United States armed forces. Like the army, navy, air force, or any military branch. They are usually the ones that get to the earliest registration dates and time for classes. But wait, there is more; it can also depend on how many credits you have from the University. The more credits you have, the earlier your registration time is. The credits have to be earned through university classes. You can also register early enough during the registration period if you are a part of different academic programs on campus.

Closing Thoughts

Registering for classes can be a fun and stressful experience, especially if you are new to campus and how the University does their registrations. Remember that if you don’t know what to take, talk to your academic advisors for their opinions on classes. You can also talk to people you know who have attended the University for classes. And remember, classes count for different programs, credits, and majors, so check and ensure you are doing the right things to stay on track for classes. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, and I hope some of these tips and tricks can help you when registering for classes. I hope you all have a wonderful day, week, month, and year!

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October In Iowa City

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Opening Thoughts

October has many fun activities at the University and downtown Iowa City. We have Homecoming the first week, midterms during most of the month, and the best holiday, Halloween. October is one of my favorite months, not just because it’s one month away from my birthday but because of the season change and Halloween spooks and scares waiting for everyone.

Homecoming Activities

Our homecoming theme this year is The Golden Age; we’ve had many activities throughout the week to get people’s spirits up for the football games. Things for students, facilities, and alumni. Some activities included the Parade, the Multicultural Block Party, and the Homecoming Game.

Other events were going on that week, but one of my favorite parts of Homecoming this year was being a part of the parade. I was with the Dance Club at the University of Iowa. We did a pom dance going down the street; it was so much fun. The Dance Club has been a campus for a little bit, and it’s a way for dancers who don’t major in dance to do what they love to do.

The Homecoming Game was so much fun as well; it was my first official football game at Kinnick Stadium, and let me tell you guys, even if you don’t like football, you will love the energy at Kinnick Stadium.

Midterms, Papers, and Projects Oh My!!

When October hits, it usually means midterm season is in full swing. Most classes are doing midterm exams, papers, and even projects. Not gonna lie; I’ve been struggling this midterm season primarily because of the weather and a lot of other personal problems. Midterm season is never easy, so I’ll give you some tips on surviving midterm season.

Midterms

So far, I’ve had at least 3 midterm exams for 3 out of my 5 classes. I know that most people don’t like exams, but I personally think that exams are one of the best ways to test your knowledge. They were for my psychology classes and my natural science class. Honestly, for me personally, it can get hard to study and find the discipline during the middle of the fall semester. So, one of the things that hold me accountable for getting my work done is having my friends in my classes check up on me and vice versa. Mainly because during the spring semester, we have a middle-of-term break that can help us with school work. But one thing you can do is reward yourself by getting food, hanging out with friends, and other rewards after you have done enough school work during the week. That’s what I do when I feel I can’t do my work on time.

Papers

So far, I’ve only had one paper that I needed to do for my Foundations of the English Major classes, and it was a struggle to say the least. It was a research and close reading assignment, and the topics were pretty easy to choose, but still, finding the sources to back up your reasoning was more challenging than I expected. Like I said before, with the midterm studying, find a reward system that helps you feel motivated to do your work. When writing this last essay, I struggled, to say the absolute least, but I made a reward system for every time I finished one or two paragraphs within the paper itself.

Projects

Honestly, I haven’t had a midterm project since last Spring semester, but some classes do have midterm projects. I have a paper connected to a final project later in the semester. If you find yourself struggling with the motivation of the project, just remember to reward yourself with treats and hanging out with friends. I know it can be hard to try and push through the Fall semester, but it is a reward when you feel that weight lift off your chest. That way, you can enjoy Halloween with friends and family.

Halloween

Halloween this year falls on a Tuesday, but everybody will celebrate the weekend of the 27th to the 29th. One of my great friends had a house party, which was so much fun. Even though Halloween is a lot different from when we were kids, it can still be so much fun. That’s one of the best parts about Halloween as a college kid. We can dress up from our favorite movies, TV shows, fairytale characters, and even memes that have become popular within the past month or two. The city comes alive during Halloween, and it was very active during Halloweekend this year. My costume this year was a Ravenclaw student from the Harry Potter franchise. My wand even lit up at the end so we could brighten our path.

Even if Halloween isn’t your favorite holiday, you guys should find a costume and dress up. It’s so much fun whether you and your friends are going out or having a casual night with movies and games. Halloween is such a fun holiday and day in general. It is just one of the things that makes October in Iowa City so unique.

Closing Thoughts

October is one of my favorite months of the year, and these are just some of the significant things that make the city come alive during the month. My favorite part of the month was a tie between the Homecoming Game and Halloween. I hope you guys decided to come up here to the University that you go to the Homecoming activities and the Halloween fun all around town. Thanks again for reading this post; I hope you all have a wonderful day, week, month, and year!

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My Top 10 Study Spots (Fall Edition)

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Opening Thoughts

After being on campus for about a year, I’ve had a lot of time to figure out where I study best. I’ve done some trials and errors when it comes to studying places on and off campus. These are some of my favorite places to study during the fall season. (These are my opinions and you don’t have to agree with me)

10: Study Lounges in the Residence Halls

There are multiple places on campus to study, but one of my top 10 favorite places is going to the study lounges in the different residence halls. Every residence hall has a big study lounge on one floor of the building or multiple on different levels. The residence hall I lived in last year, Stanley, had a big study room on the 3rd floor and study lounges on each floor. Although most of the time, we used it to talk, play games, and have fun with each other. In Currier, there is a huge study lounge and game area on the ground floor. Lots of tours of the campus come through that area because it has study rooms and games for everyone, along with a computer lab that Currier and Stanley residents can use if they need to print something off or need a bigger computer screen to look at.

I will say these are some of the common places I like to study because they are close to my classes. Usually, I always try to stay close to the next building my class is in. If I have a class in the Chemistry Building, I’ll go down to the study rooms in Burge basement. They redesigned some new study rooms this year, and it really utilized the space a lot better. So, the Residence Hall study areas are my #10 on the list.

9: Outside on the Pentacrest

Usually, you see more people during the summertime sitting or sleeping on the Pentacrest. I love sitting here and doing my homework when a cool breeze is blowing. I usually do this a lot of the time when it’s not too cold but also not too warm. It can be distracting on the Pentacrest with the city in the background, but there is something about being outside in fresh air, trying not to die, because of homework. This is a great place to pause and enjoy life with a good book as well. That’s why this is my #9 spot.

8: Outside Tables Within The Campus Grounds

There are multiple places on campus that have black tables that are outside different buildings. I love studying in these places because, with a nice cool breeze, it’s a nice way to not keep yourself inside all day. Even as it gets cooler outside, I still love being able to sit outside and do some homework. Mostly because you get fresh air and you can people watch. That’s one of my favorite things to do, is people watching coming from the Pentacrest and all over campus.

7: Blank Honors Center

The Blank Honors Center is one of my favorite places to go in between classes to do a little bit of homework. That way I’m still on campus and don’t have to go too far to my different classes. Most of the time I like coming here after my early morning lectures and reading the chapters before my other lecture starts. Plus it’s usually really quiet in the morning because most of the classes don’t start until like 10 am in that building. There are multiple floors with study rooms you can use with your friends to do homework and group projects.

6: Van Allen Hall

Since I’m a psychology major, I spend a lot of time in this building for discussions and lectures. I mostly like to spend my time near the lecture hall, whenever I have my discussions. Honestly, the basement of Van Allen scares the crap out of me a lot of the time, but sometimes if I don’t want to go up the stairs, I’ll stay down there for a little bit. This takes my number 6 spot because I have most of my psychology discussions within the building so I know it fairly well, not the best but we’re getting there. The rest of the building does have a cozy feeling to it, so it’s easy to stay in the building if you have multiple discussions during the day.

5: Main Library

This was the first place I had ever studied when I first got onto campus. The main library is one of the best places to study because each floor has different places to study. Usually, if I’m on a tight schedule I try and stay on the 1st floor. The 2nd floor is a little bit quieter than the 1st floor. The 3rd to the 5th floor are the quietest floors within the whole building. I like each floor for different reasons.

The 1st floor is great if you just need a place to go during a break from classes. A lot of the time when I’m on the 1st floor I always try and reserve a study room with a door so I can practice concepts from my math classes, specifically statistics and the equations that go with the data.

The 2nd floor is great if you still wanna be around people, but it’s not as quiet as the floors above and not as loud as the floor below. During my first week of classes as a freshman, I explored the library like crazy. Almost got lost multiple times but the 2nd floor is a great place to focus on homework.

The 3rd to 5th floors have a very Hogwarts feeling to them. On the 4th floor, there are group rooms where you can get keys to work on projects with a group of friends from class or a group of friends in general. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the higher floors of the library but I always love going to them when I’m down the lower part of the hill. (Let’s be honest the hill is hard to walk up)

4: Tru Coffee

Tru Coffee, I think has one of the best aesthetics to study in the fall. This place is one of my favorite places to study off campus because of the huge windows and drinks. It also has my favorite iced chai in all of Iowa City in my opinion. The coffee shop itself is a little bit off of downtown and is usually open in the early hours of the morning and into the afternoon. This is one of my favorite places to go during finals week because everybody is working to pass their classes. I highly recommend you go there because of the food, the coffee, and the teas they have along with having seasonal drinks for the different seasons.

3: Pappajohn Business Building

This is my 3rd choice to study because it is very close to campus and there are multiple places within the building to study. Mostly the business students hang out in there but I like popping in every once in a while between classes. It can be chaotic in there, but they have multiple places to charge your devices and the business library. Plus there is a Starbucks on the third floor where the business library is and I love going up there on my long days. If you are taking a tour of the campus, you should definitely see if you can get into the business building. It’s a very nice building with everything you need to make your study day just a little bit better.

2: Java House

The Java House takes my number 2 spot mostly because it has one of the best chairs and tables out of all the coffee shops within Iowa City. Usually, it is one of the busiest coffee shops in the city, but it’s one of the places I know that I can always focus on my work. They have pretty good coffee, chai, and teas but I mostly like to go because it’s pretty much the center of downtown Iowa City. I always come here on my days when I’m mostly on the campus. It has a very cozy atmosphere and the lights are dimmed down very low. I can always focus more when there isn’t a lot of light around me. So I highly recommend you try studying in the Java House, because it’s one of the best places to study off campus.

1: Prairie Lights

Prairie Lights is everything I’d ever want in a coffee shop and a bookstore. The store itself sells books and the cafe is on the second floor. I love going there when I need a break from everything. It plays classical music that is said to help you focus more on what you’re doing. As a creative writing major, I like to spend a lot of my time in the store. I mostly like to look at the books and figure out what I wanna read next. I’m a huge book worm so I always love being in the store. It’s very cozy and warm in the cafe part of the store. Plus the store itself has a bunch of books, old, new, and everything in between. There are also a lot of authors who like to come to Praire Lights to promote their books, read things, and just show love to an iconic bookstore. The atmosphere within Praire Lights is kind and sweet, and everyone is nice. And their chai/lattes are the best within ALL OF Iowa City. Come here if you get the chance.

Closing Thoughts

Even with all of these amazing places on and off campus, there are so many places and buildings in all of Iowa City to get your work done. These are just my go-to’s to get work done. I highly recommend that you look at the coffee shops around Iowa City, because it makes the city feel more like a small town. This campus is amazing with that feeling. Thank you all for reading this post, and I hope you all have a great day, week, month, and year.

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Tips and Tricks to Succeed in College

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Opening Thoughts

We all want some tips and tricks to see how college is. Because to most people college is a new experience for most people. You may get advice from siblings and their insights on their experiences, but sometimes, it’s better to get those experiences from people outside your social circle. I’ve got many tips and tricks from trying things out, asking friends, and diving into the deep end of college head-on. These are just some of the tricks I went to college with and some I learned along the way.

Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks I wish I had known when I started college. During my first year of college, I was always scared that people around the campus would be judging me, but then, as I was on campus for a couple of weeks, I realized that everyone was just worried about how they appeared to everyone else as well. I just decided to do what I wanted, along with being scared to ask for help. I struggled with that a lot during high school, which carried into my first semester of college. I slowly started going to office hours for my professors and TAs, and it gradually became less scary. This is one of the things that students sometimes struggle with when thinking about starting college. I needed to get over that hill to feel okay to ask people for help. These helped me a lot with my major-related classes because that’s where connections happen. My major is Psychology and English and Creative Writing (Publishing Track), and connecting with professors in the field I want to go into has opened up some doors for me. I’m more than likely going into research in the psychology department and eventually going to graduate school after graduation. Getting recommendation letters from my professors and TAs will help me in the long run into graduate school. Another tip is to ensure you know how to successfully study in each class. Everybody studies differently in different classes. I have other study methods for my psychology, reading, writing, math, and science classes. Figuring out how you study for each class will help you succeed. When I first got to college, I had an idea of how I learn things, but that was only for specific subjects. I did trial and error for different study methods that helped me in various courses. Trying out different study techniques like Feynman technique, Activite recall, Blurting, Mind maps, Flashcards, Pomodoro technique, and others will help you in the long run.

How I Study for Certain Classes

I study for each class differently, which means different study methods. A lot of the time, when it comes to natural science courses, I find myself using a lot of Mind maps. Mind maps are something you can do to connect different concepts about a natural thing that happens in science. This makes you see the facts that are right in front of you. With psychology courses, I often use the Feynman technique, which is basically like teaching a concept you’re learning to someone who doesn’t understand anything about that concept. You use clear language, almost like you’re teaching a child. This helps me out a lot when explaining concepts within psychology. Most of these concepts are hard to understand, making you think and analyze things within your life. This has helped me when going through the world on campus and in other places to see different psychological processes within the world itself. With creative writing and reading classes, I make a lot of summaries of the different materials I read. This helps me refer back to it without having to waste extra time trying to search for something. I do this often with my workshop classes because sometimes you don’t want to go back and skim over the text. This helps when making discussion points within the course, so you don’t have to keep referring back to the piece you read. Everybody studies differently, so learning how you study best for different subjects will help you in the long run.

Closing Thoughts

Some tips and tricks can be picked up along the way at college. Figuring out study methods, going to office hours, and forming study groups are just some tips and tricks you can learn before and during college. Thank you guys so much for reading this post. I hope you learned some tips and tricks to help you prepare for college. Have a wonderful day, week, month, and year!

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Move In, On Iowa! Week (As An On Iowa! Leader), and Start of Classes

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Opening Thoughts

My friends, welcome to the Experience Iowa blog page. Let me introduce myself. My name is Sam; I’m a second-year Psychology and English and Creative Writing (Publishing Track) double major. This is my second year of doing the Experience Iowa blog; I wanted to come back and give advice as a returning student learning a little bit more about campus to help you future Hawkeyes out. I will talk about Move In, On Iowa! Week, On Iowa! Leadership, and Starting Classes.

Move In

This is the second time I’d be moving into the dorms; I lived in the dorms my first year as a part of the Iowa Writers Living Learning Community. I’m back in the dorms this year with my same freshman roommate. I lived in Stanley for my first year, and now I’m living in Currier for my second year. I knew what would happen with move-in because I’ve been through it before. This year was a little different because I moved onto campus before all of the freshmen. Usually, freshmen can move onto campus way earlier than returning students (except for Resident Assistants). However, this was different for me because I helped as a leader at the orientation week called On Iowa! Week. The campus was quiet other than some other On Iowa! leaders moving into the dorms. We had about 6 hours to move my stuff into the dorm. Overall, it was a very chill move-in day.

On Iowa! Leaders

I’ve been throwing around the On Iowa! Leaders program, but I haven’t talked much, so let’s talk about it. On Iowa! Leaders is a volunteer program that, seconds and up, can help welcome freshmen and transfer students onto campus. Since we’ve already been on campus, it’s a great way to help ease the freshmen and transfers into campus. We can help volunteer at On Iowa! events like silent disco and bingo, and we can give students some great advice on how to keep each other safe on campus. We also get to help with getting the freshmen over to this event called Kickoff at Kinnick, which kind of kicks off the welcoming to campus in general.

Being able to be a part of welcoming new people onto campus is something I wish I had gotten a bit more of in my freshmen year of college. I plan on helping out my third year as well, so you future Hawkeyes, if you recognize me, then come and ask me for some advice on how to succeed on campus.

On Iowa! Week

I’ll give a brief summary of what exactly On Iowa! Week is. It’s the week before classes start, which is a way to welcome the new freshmen class and transfer students on campus. It only happens at the beginning of the Fall semester (the start of an average school year), and there are multiple events during the week where people can meet new people, network, and have fun overall. That’s how I met most of my friend group and others in my program. It’s just like a big party to welcome our new family members. This is such a fun event that I recommend trying to attend as many events as possible. There is always something for everyone.

Starting Classes

Classes started long ago; that’s why this post is so late in the month. The first week of classes was great, but then they became real. Most of my classes this semester are for my majors (Psychology and English and Creative Writing Publishing Track), so I’m having a lot of fun with most of the material. Still, both of my majors are different in the workload. Being able to balance my social and school is becoming a little bit of a struggle this year, but slowly, I’ve been falling into a rhythm of a 50/50 balance. This is the most challenging semester I’ve had, and it will only get more complicated from here. Yet, going into week 5, I’m feeling good about most of my classes.

Closing Thoughts

So far, returning to school and being back on campus has been a great time. I still can’t believe I’ve only been at college for a year, but it is such an experience that I think you guys will love Iowa. This is such a great campus, and one thing we always do for students is involve everyone. We make sure that you have a community within the university. So overall, move-in day was good; being an On Iowa! leader was one of the most incredible things to do, and classes are becoming more challenging. Thank you for reading this post; I hope my experiences can help you see that this campus is just a fantastic campus filled with love and community. Hope you all have a wonderful day, week, month, and year!

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A College Students Guide to Surviving Dead Week and Finals Week

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End of the Year

It’s that time of the year again, the week before finals, and finals week is coming. When you see this post it will be after I’ve taken my two finals for spring semester and you’ll be able to see the whole process of what I did to prepare and give you tips and tricks in order to survive Dead Week and Finals Week.

Dead Week

This was my first dead week with “real exams” and take-home exams. I of course had papers and final projects so it wasn’t too bad. I got all of my projects done during the beginning of the week along with one of my final portfolios for my Creative Writing class. Not gonna lie, it was hard but I was able to get my papers and projects done before having my final exams. So my piece of advice is to get your final projects and papers done well before you have to study for your exams. That way you can have more time to study for your exams. I also made sure to take care of my mental health so I didn’t burn myself out for finals week. Get a good amount of sleep because you need to be at your best when it comes to dead and finals week. You then give yourself more time to do practice tests and create study guides for exams.

Finals Week

I only had one in-person final and a take-home final. So I spent the majority of my time studying and hanging out with friends. I didn’t try myself out because I knew most of the material on my tests. One of the things I didn’t do was burn myself out. Mostly because it is not good for your mental health or your physical health. I of course was nervous for the test, but I made sure I didn’t overdo myself. Right before the test, I put on my hype music to hype me up. This helped a little bit but also having most of the material I had learned in class. I was also very nervous after handing in the test but I also didn’t feel like I did terribly. I didn’t really study for my take-home final because I knew most of the answers would be in the slide shows and stuff we talked about in the discussion. I did good on both of my exams passing my class with A’s and one B, which is perfectly fine.

Closing Thoughts

I’m very glad that the school year is over but I’m also sad that it’s over. I also hope that these tips can help out with everybody dealing with finals and studying. These helped me get through dead and finals week. Hope you enjoyed reading this and got some useful advice from this post. Happy end of the first year and enjoy summer!!!

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First Year Coming To An End

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End of Year

You know what time it is, the first year is ending. It was a good ride but it also meant many stressful things arose. This post will discuss my advice about classes, homework, social life, self-care, and moving out. These things are coming up as the semester ends and summer is coming.

College 101

Classes

I’m not gonna lie; I’m counting down the days left until the end of the semester, which means I also have to keep track of my classes. Even though I’m done with half of my classes, I will still take time to finish them strong. Rather than looking at my classes as a chore, I see them as a time to experience college before summer comes. Doing that may seem extra, but it helps me know what days I need to attend class and how each subject I’m learning corresponds to my final grades. When reviewing your syllabus at the beginning of the semester, look at the attendance policy for each class you take. Some of my classes require attendance in lectures, while others only require attendance in discussion sections. That is how I can know when and what days I have to go to class. Now this may seem lazy, but it can benefit different courses differently. This is also a time to reflect on what is and is not working for you to succeed in your classes. After seeing my midterm grade, I changed how I needed to study in my theatre history course.

Along with my developmental science course, I brought some new study methods to the table to help with my second midterm of the semester. Changing something that may or may not work can help you finish your classes because each professor, ta, and graduate student teaches classes differently. These tips can significantly help your grades and help you complete your second semester strong.

Homework

I wish I didn’t have to do homework leading up to finals week, but beggars can’t be choosers. The way that I keep up with the homework I have to finish over the rest of the semester is to make an end-of-year to-do list. This helps me see what needs to be done and what days things need to be done. Over the semester, things sometimes change because of falling behind or going ahead of schedule. I regularly keep my end-of-year to-do list updated daily because of a slight change in the syllabus of some of my classes. You can make time throughout the days and weekends to finish assignments, quizzes, papers, and projects. This can help your stress levels if you get stressed about things like this. I worry about a lot of things, so being able to put in front of me what I need to do before the semester is over helps me out a lot. I understand that this may not be the best thing to do, but trust me, checking those items off your list will be satisfying to make it less stressful by the end of the semester.

If you also lose focus on what you must be doing, try setting a timer or getting yourself a reward. I do this a lot when it comes to stressful times. Even if I finish the most minor task in the world, I still take time to give myself a break and reward myself with something good. You can even make the reward something later in the week to look forward to something in the future.

Social Life

You can still have a social life, even when the semester is about to end. Even though you might not go out during the dead week, you can still make time to study with your friends. It’s a technique called body doubling when you set aside time to work on your homework, projects, and assignments. I plan to set up body doubling sessions with most of my friends because we have similar and different classes. My people who also like to go out might not like this stuff, but it will help you stay on top of classes so you feel accomplished by the time the end of the semester comes around full circle.

For example, I have two friends who have birthdays during the last few weeks in April. We are making time for them to hang out before we go home. One of the birthdays was my roommate’s birthday, so it gave some of us an excuse to hang out as a small group and just take time to talk, hang out, and do whatever we wanted. You don’t need to isolate yourself from your friends during these last couple of weeks because you don’t need to. They are your college family, and you need to spend time with your family.

Self-Care

Could you do this during these last two weeks of the semester? It is essential not to burn yourself out because you can’t be your best. I do several things to keep up with my self-care. I like to do my skincare, watch tv, color, and write whenever I need to do some self-care.

Regarding skincare, it can sometimes take work to find time because of either being too tired or wiped out after a long day of academics. I do an in-depth skincare routine on hard days but I won’t get into that. I much rather do my skincare in the morning to feel good about the day. I like to wash my face after a long day on campus. Taking care of yourself also means taking care of your body and being able to use it for good.

Generally, during this time, I like to go to my comfort shows like Criminal Minds, Modern Family, and other tv shows. Mostly because I know what is coming, and I’m not surprised. It is good to watch a little bit of tv after you have done a lot of studying and academic things during the day. Though sometimes, if you are like me, you can get hooked on something and never want to stop watching your favorite tv show. I like to set a timer for how long I need to take a break. Afterward, the timer is up. I close out Netflix or whatever app I’m watching something on. This helps me a lot to keep track of time.

Coloring is therapy for me because it calms my mind. I love it and always do it whenever I need to escape the world of screens and social media. I have gel pens of different colors and coloring books with mindful and motivational things inside. Try this because it can get you back in touch with a time when we didn’t need to be entertained by social media and other items. I like this and have been coloring for a couple of years whenever I feel stressed.

Journaling and working on my novel is amazing self-care for me. Writing is also another type of therapy for me. Even if you are not creative in any way, journaling can help you so much. It can help you reflect on the day beforehand, manifest what you want for the day ahead, and an overall way to clear your mind. I do it often because I go through at least 900 different emotions daily. It’s always good to brain dump because keeping those thoughts in your mind can and will drive you crazy. Speaking from experience, it’s always good to let your mind experience the activities from the day. Do this if you think about these different thoughts, and do not let your mind rest with non-toxic feelings.

Moving Out

I’d be lying if I said I was relaxed about moving out of the dorms. Mostly because I got so many more things when I was in the dorms than I did at my house. I’m nervous also because of finals coming up; I’d appreciate it if you could give me advice for that will be in a later post, but I also need to move out at least 24 hours after your last final. I could rant about handling this better, but I don’t want to. One thing that keeps me sane during this stressful time is friends. If anything fails, we can ask each other how exactly moving out will work. It won’t be as stressful as it looks on paper, but I still haven’t been able to go to our floor move-out.

Summer

I will spend my summer in my home town, but I plan to do many things during that time. I plan to work as much as possible and earn as much money as possible. I also have summer classes that will be online because I cannot stay up in Iowa City. It’s gonna be weird being back in my hometown for this long, but it will be fun. I also like to make a “summer bucket list.” It’s not an actual bucket list but a fun list of things I want to do before returning to college. I’m gonna be missing this campus like crazy, but I’m gonna be bettering myself to succeed in my second year of undergrad. You should choose whether or not you want to go home and work, hang out with friends and family, or start looking for jobs and internships. I’m gonna use my time to work and do school as well.

Closing Thoughts

It’s still so crazy that my first year of college is almost over. Yet I don’t want it to end. Mostly because I’m gonna miss my friends like crazy and miss the campus so much. It’s also gonna be stressful with finals and moving out coming soon. I hope some advice can help you survive your first year of college. You got this, and thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you all have a fantastic day, week, month, and year. Remember, SELF-CARE IS IMPORTANT, and DO NOT BURN OUT EVEN IF IT COSTS YOU A GRADE.

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Spring Has Come (Fun Spring Day Activities)

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Spring Has Come

We are finally in springtime, my third favorite season. It’s getting warming, which means we are getting out of our seasonal depression funk. This is one of the more exciting times for me to be able to look forward to. Mostly because were are almost done with the semester, warmer weather, and getting through the first year of college. This has been a fantastic year and semester so far, and the warm weather gives me a reason to keep going and finish the semester intensely as more outdoor activities are also happening. So in this post, I wanna talk about spring activities, prepping for finals, and how to stay positive during these stressful times.

Spring Activities

Sitting or Sleeping On The Pentacrest

Once the weather starts getting better, that means getting outside to enjoy the weather. One of the things I did during the fall semester was sitting or sleeping on the Pentacrest. Either on the east or west side. Mainly because of the nice breeze, the sunlight, and the multiple activities to people watch. I’m not an outside type of person, but I like to admire nature and the people within Iowa City. If it is nice, I like to bring a book or homework to work on. Sometimes I’ll bring food to snack on or get coffee from one of the many coffee shops around campus. I’ll sometimes sleep on the Pentacrest but not for very long because there are many things around downtown Iowa City. Even though it may seem cliche to have your main character moment when spring is coming, take it because we all deserve it. I’ll tell you, it’s so relaxing to just watch the world go by and see nature in general. So definitely go on the Pentacrest once it gets warmer.

Take A Walk

If you’re like me and can’t get to the gym all the time, then take time to walk around campus or downtown Iowa City. Even if it’s just after class to clear your head, it will help. Once it started getting warmer, I started walking around after I was done with classes. Sometimes if some of my friends aren’t busy, we’ll go on walks together. Mainly because we all have different schedules, so we try and spend as much time together as we can. If I’m feeling anxious, I grab my purse and earbuds and start walking around different places on the east or west side of campus. Mostly to just get out of the school air because it can be very stuffy at some points. Even if you work out most of the week, exercising while looking at the campus is still fun. I highly recommend that you guys walk around campus and downtown Iowa City.

Picnics On The Pentacrest

During OnIowa week, my friends and I would sometimes go grab something to eat and gather around on the Pentacrest. It’s fun grabbing some sodas or eating some cookies with your friends. Recently a couple of my friends and I had a mini picnic. When the weather is nice and warm, it makes it easier to eat outside in the warmth. So have a picnic with your friends because they are your chosen family.

Events Downtown

There are going to be several events going on in the downtown area of the city. Especially in the outside regions because of the nice weather. I know that I keep saying this but go and enjoy the nice weather because then the humidity will go up, and then it won’t be fun anymore. The farmers market will start soon, so you can get healthy foods. Street performers will start back up as well. Plus, everything will be much more lively around the shops and restaurants. This also gives you and your friends an excuse to go shopping and enjoy campus before the end of the year. So enjoy the events downtown along with the nice weather.

Melting Away The Seasonal Depression

Spring is my third favorite season, after summer, because the weather is getting so warm. Once the weather gets nicer, my seasonal depression is no longer there. Mainly because the sun is warming me up, I can freely walk around without fearing freezing my butt off. During the start of the semester, it’s cold, and you can’t really do much outside, but once it gets into the 50s through the 70s, that means it’s time to go outside. For me, at least, my seasonal depression starts to melt away when I don’t have to wear layers to be comforting. Even if you are still feeling down in the dumps, doing some simple activities can turn your whole mode around. I know it does for me. I understand how it can be challenging to get out of that mind state, but if you simply do self-care acts for yourself, you can have a great spring and end the semester strong.

Closing Thoughts

Once it started getting warmer, I started feeling so much better. Going on walks, sitting on the Pentacrest, and having picnics with friends. These may seem like simple things to do, but they really help. Going downtown to see the activities happening always will help you a lot. The warmer weather and getting out more can help you so much and not get you in a funk before you finish the semester. I know that I will be taking care of myself a lot in these upcoming weeks so I can finish strong. Thanks again for reading this post; I hope you all have a fantastic day, week, month, and year!

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Coming Back To School After Spring Break

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Spring Break

I hope all of you had a great spring break, but I’m not here to talk about spring break but how to get back into college after a pause. Spring Break is a time to relax before finishing the rest of the semester strong, or at least trying your best. I pretty much spent my spring break doing nothing. Mostly because I needed a break from the academic work and college stress.

Back On Campus

Honestly, I didn’t want spring break to end, primarily because of being able to be back home with my family and my dog. But once I returned to campus, I understood why I love this school. One of the first things I did when I was back on campus was hanging out with my friends after we were done with classes. We talked about our breaks and how we were also struggling with our classes returning. I sometimes find myself unable to put my discipline as a student into gear very fast, but I like to listen to a playlist I haven’t heard to in a while, change my surroundings, and try some new things.

Listening to new or old songs I hear occasionally gets me back in focus mode because I’m distracted by the music or the lyrics. Sometimes this doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me. I have multiple playlists for my specific moods, along with instrumental music. Particular playlists help me focus because either the songs are upbeat, or I’ve heard them so often that they are just white noise. You don’t even have to listen to music. It can even be white noise like rain, a fan, or a fire burning in the background.

I like to cafe hope every once in a while when I have long days on campus when I don’t wanna go home. Along with trying different places or going to places I haven’t been to. Staying in your dorm is unsuitable for your mental health, so even if it just takes a walk around the residence hall or campus, it’s good to surround yourself with different surroundings. Whenever I’m stuck in a place from studying or even after classes, I sometimes walk around campus. It gives my brain a break from looking at a screen and is a great way to clear my head.

I didn’t like walking because I feared being unsafe, but I feel much better when walking with people during the day or at night. Mostly because I’m out in nature and away from the inside stuffy school air. This is a way to clear your head and get the fresh air because it’s getting warmer. Spring is coming, and I hope it’s staying because that means summer is coming.

Studying

Sometimes I like to do a reflection halfway through the semester to see if I need to change anything when it comes to my study methods for my different classes, along with the struggles of getting back into studying after a week-long break right in the middle of the semester. But one thing that keeps me going when it comes to finishing a semester is knowing all the hard work I put into the semester will come together in a new pretty or semi-pretty bow. With being able to have the week-long break, I’m able to understand and change studying for each of my classes.

I know it can be hard to be able to finish studying with coming back with a lot of work on your hands. It’s a struggle, but you can make it through the semester strong.

Take Time To See Your Friends

You only have a couple more weeks with your campus family, so spend as much time as you can with your campus family. Trust me, you’ll understand when it comes to the end of the semester. I’m doing my best to spend as much time with my friends as before the end of the year. Because you may or may not be seeing them over summer break, make the most of your time before the semester wraps up and make plans with your friends to visit each other over the break.

Closing Thoughts

Just make sure you guys take care of yourself. Along with being able to know that C’s get degrees. With the fact that you guys got this semester and that we can finish strong together. Hang out with your friends, take a walk, or just unplug. Remember that you guys are not alone, and you guys got this. Thank you for reading this post; I hope you all have a great day, week, month, and year. You got this!

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