Sarah

Hey Hawkeyes!

Well, I have successfully survived the first week of college, well, almost. I still have two more classes today, but they’re not new classes so they can’t be that bad. Some classes/professors I look forward to more than others. I’ve had a few minor panic attacks. One of which was yesterday at 6:00am when I woke up and thought I had forgotten to take a quiz that was due at 8:00am. I sat up right away (hitting my head on the ceiling) and then realized that yes, I had taken it. It had only been 5 questions and had been very simple which is why it didn’t stick in my brain.

My next panic was today when I looked at my schedule and saw I only had three class. Easy day, plenty of time to get things done. While flipping to the right page in my planner, I flipped to the wrong page and realized that I had written a class down for next week when it was this week too, and 2 hours after the class I was in at the time. Mild panic attack being that I had almost ate lunch and went back to my dorm to work on homework without going to my class. Yes, the teacher probably would have understood that it’s my first week if it wasn’t the class that I had worked so hard to get switched to the Friday session. Missing that on the first day probably wouldn’t have looked too great.

One small tip to close the post: Don’t go out and buy a fancy graphing calculator for college. Most of the Calculus classes won’t let you use it and the Chemistry and other Math classes will let you use it on homework but not on exams(which is where you really need it). So if you’re just starting your senior year of high school, go out and buy a scientific calculator and spend this year getting to know it really well. It will prepare you for college a lot more than learning a graphing calculator and then having to learn a different calculator.

Have a great weekend and recover for next week!

Hey Hawkeyes!

I hope all the other freshman enjoyed On Iowa! as much as I did. I had a fantastic small group. And here’s a picture of them!

On Iowa! Small Group Session

We talked about making the most out of our time here since we only have 2 million minutes. We also attended a activities fair to learn about some of the clubs and organizations on campus. There are a few I’m considering. I’ve heard the Ballroom Dancing club is a lot of fun, so that may be a possibility.

Today for On Iowa! we talked about the choices we will have to make now that we’re on our own. We talked about different situations and how we would/should respond.  Next on the list was Convocation.

Convocation at the Old Capitol

We listened to Sally Mason speak about our college careers and how fast our lives will and already are changing.

Herky even got in on the action:

Herky at Convocation

Unfortunately, it began to rain right after her speech. It cleared off enough to go to the Block Party to eat and listen to music, but it sprinkled/poured on and off the entire evening.

President Sally Mason’s house decorated for the Block Party

Just a small glimpse of all the people at the Block Party, the words “free food” mean a lot to college kids

Tomorrow starts the semester of classes. I’m excited and nervous. I’m taking everything a day at a time and trying not to get too ahead of myself. I figure this will be the best spot of all year. I’m cautiously optimistic about classes and I don’t have a semester of classes behind me to worry me. I don’t have to be too prepared for anything because I’m just a freshman, no one expects me to know anything! It’s a pretty good feeling, surprisingly. Here’s to a hopefully successful semester!

Hey Hawkeyes!

How’s it feeling to finally be a Hawkeye?! I hope everyone’s move-in went well. Move-in has certainly been the craziest time around here. Now that OnIowa! has started, I hope everyone is meeting people in their small groups. The Kickoff at Kinnick last night was awesome. It all started with a small group(about 26) meeting to talk about the Iowa Challenge: Excel, Choose, Engage, Serve, Stretch. We also talked about where and when to get textbooks. Next, we attended a lecture about success in college. There we learned the do’s and don’ts of college and how to use technology to help us but not hinder us from learning. Next stop: Burge Marketplace.

Dinner in Burge Market Place after small group meeting and lecture.

It was just a little busy when we arrived with what seemed like every other freshman. In reality, less than half the incoming freshman were at Burge at that time.

After dinner, we headed to Kinnick Stadium.

The view from the steps going onto the field at Kinnick Stadium.

This is where all the freshman assembled so we could make our giant “I” across the field.

Class of 2016 University of Iowa! Go Hawks!
The “I” on the screen.

After the big “I”, the freshman were guided(herded 🙂 ) into the stands so we could learn the cheers and the fight song. The veteran marching band played(and sounded great) while we learned the fight song. We heard  speeches about college success from different athletes, the marching band drum major, and one of the cheerleaders. We sang the fight song one more time to kickoff the fireworks.

Fireworks at Kinnick Stadium

After the fireworks, there were games and bingo in the Iowa Memorial Union. It was a great way to meet people and have fun.

Have a great day! 🙂