Spring Break Catch up

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Happy Spring Hawks,

I’m glad we’re getting some warm weather! I wanted to catch you up on my spring break, where I was in Tampa, FL. During my time here, I attended the Iowa vs. Clemson March Madness game! I absolutely love basketball and March Madness. I had made my bracket long before this, and I did, in fact, have Iowa beating Clemson. This was my first time going to a game in person, and the atmosphere was unmatched. My recommendation to anyone is that if your team is playing, definitely attend a game. It was great seeing the Hawks win and having the amazing memory! I watched the next games at my friend’s house, while cheering them on as they beat Florida and then Nebraska. Sadly, the Hawks lost to Illinois, but had an amazing run to the Elite 8. I can’t wait to watch them again next March Madness!

Until Next Time,
Savannah

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Welcome to New York- “Can we Talk”

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Hey Upper East Siders, Savannah here,

Before Spring Break, I went to a talk put on by none other than Penn Badgley and Dr. Nura Mowzoon.  I was super excited to go to this because I love the show Gossip Girl, and I wanted to get to see one of the cast members. Don’t get me wrong, I was also interested in hearing the conversation between Badgley and Mowzoon surrounding mental health. My friend and I got to the Iowa Memorial Union, where the event was taking place 2 hours early, and we ended up in the 4th row, which was great. Badgley and Mowzoon made many great points surrounding friendships and romantic relationships. What I took away from this was how important it is to have healthy relationships in every facet of life.

I got to experience this wonderful conversation because the University of Iowa Lecture Committee put this on. I am thankful that there are students who are passionate about bringing cool speakers to the University. If you, too, enjoy going to lectures, make sure to check who else is scheduled to speak at the University before the school year is over.

Xoxo,
Savannah

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Building Connections at College

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Greetings Readers,

Recently, I did a takeover on the University of Iowa Admissions Instagram. I used the Instagram extension, where anyone could ask me questions specifically surrounding the University of Iowa. I wasn’t surprised by the number of questions that I got on how to make friends in college. As an out-of-state student, I didn’t have any friends from high school attending this college. I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t make any connections with anyone. I was right that many people keep in touch with people from high school, and that is their main friend group. However, I have made many connections with various people at this college. I am going to give some examples of how I built connections in the first semester and how I continue building connections throughout the year.

  1. Welcome Week: Starting off with Welcome Week. I recommend doing every event that you can, even if it’s not your thing. You might meet someone you normally wouldn’t ever encounter. The story that I will share about this one is that I met a girl in a sorority recruitment meeting who ended up being in the same major as me. Neither one of us ended up joining a sorority, but I still walked away with a great friendship.
  2. Making Friends with people on my floor: During the first week, many people will knock on your door just to say hi. My roommate and I were talking to some girls who lived 2 doors down from us, and I ended up becoming best friends with them.
  3. In class friends: Making friends in your major is a great thing to do, because you will most likely have more classes with these people for the rest of your schooling, so it’s good to build connections early on. You can do this by striking up a conversation with someone in a lecture (this is usually what I do), but many of my friends have met people in their discussions. Memory: Place and Commemoration
  4. Going to Clubs and Activities: I understand that going to clubs and activities by yourself can be a little intimidating. However, every time I have gone to any club meeting, not knowing anyone, I’ve always walked away with a new friend.

To end this post, I am going to mention that you can always make new friends at any time of the year.  In fact, I just made a friend last weekend in one of my clubs. I hope this blog has helped ease some of your worries about making friends on campus.

Until next time,
Savannah

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Set it up- Tips and Tricks for buying dorm Essentials

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Greetings Readers,

Around this time of the year last year, I had committed to University of Iowa and started planning what stuff I would get for my dorm. I thought that I would share some tips for things for a future Hawk’s dorm and some of the most underrated things I bought.  Before I began a little disclaimer, I had to buy a lot of stuff because I am from out of state and couldn’t bring stuff even if I had it at home.

  1. For starters my biggest tip when buying anything off Amazon is to wait for Prime Day that happens over the summer so you can save money. For reference I saved over $100 so it’s worth it.
  2. My next tip is one that I have mentioned before on previous blogs, but communicate with your roommate so that you don’t have 2 of everything. You obviously don’t have to share everything, but bigger items like a microwave, mini fridge, and vacuum can share if you want.
  3. Next, I recommend sticking to a color theme. Almost everything I have is blue and white, I think it makes my dorm cuter for sure.
  4. For my first item I am going to talk about a mattress topper. See I told you some of these things are underrated. Since I had heard that Dorm mattresses were underrated, I actually bought 2 mattress toppers. My first one is from Pure Green; I liked this one because the material was natural. The next one I got is from the same brand of mattress that I have at home. I did this so that my bed would feel the same at school. It is from the Niagara Sleep Solution company.
  5. The next item that is on a lot of dorm lists is a shower caddy. I really like having a plastic one. Mine is aqua and I got it from Target.
  6. Next, I got plastic draw inserts for my desk. I got off of Amazon because I just like to stay organized.
  7. Finally, this one is on a lot of people’s lists, but string lights. I love to have mine on at night when I am winding down for the night.

I hope this list will help you when shopping for your dorm.  Good luck future Hawks!

Until next time,

Savannah

 

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Schoolin’ Life- My favorite study spots on Campus

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Greetings Readers,

For this blog I am going to be ranking some places that I like to go to study. For this post I figured I would have some fun and break it down into some categories. These categories are what are important for me when I am passing time, but really there is no right or wrong answer. We are going to be looking at noise levels, busyness, lock- in level, social atmosphere, and overall vibes. (I will also be rating out of 1 being the least to 10 being the most). Alright now that the descriptions are over let’s get into it.

  1. Tippie College of Business Quiet Floor
    1. Noise Level – 1 (absolutely silent)
    2. Busyness– 7 (usually there are around 15 people up, but you can usually find a seat)
    3. Lock- in level- 9 (I am easily distracted by friends so the fact that talking is not allowed allows me to truly focus)
    4. Overall Vibes- 7(Don’t get me wrong this is a great place to study, but it is not one of my favorites)
  2. Main Library
    1. Noise Level- 5 (really depends on the time or day, however it is a library so most people are respectful and use their inside voices)
    2. Busyness- 8 (lots of people will be studying here, however, you will be able to find a seat)
    3. Lock- in level- 8 (I usually get good work done here)
    4. Overall Vibes- 9 (I go there often, especially on Fridays)
  3. Seamans Center
    1. Noise Level- 6 (Honestly, I’ve noticed its quieter in the mornings, but more people are there in the afternoon for sure)
    2. Busyness- 7 (there are multiple floors where you can sit so it doesn’t feel terribly busy)
    3. Lock- in level- 8 (Definitely a very productive atmosphere)
    4. Overall vibes- 9 (Same with the Library I find myself going there often)
  4. Blank Honors College
    1. Noise Level- 3 (Its pretty quiet here, but people do talk quietly with each other from time to time)
    2. Busyness- 4 (More people come here during midterms and finals week)
    3. Lock- in level- 10 (I always get something done here)
    4. Overall Vibes- (I absolutely love to study here and come here often)
  5. Art Building West Library
    1. Noise Level- 1 (I’ve only come here a couple of times, but its been very quiet every time)
    2. Busyness- 3 (I’ve only seen 10 people here at a time)
    3. Lock- in level- 8 (I have got some work done here; it’s a fun building to explore so I have got off task)
    4. Overall Vibes- 9 (This building is super cool and I would recommend studying here)
  6. Honorable Mentions
    1. Psychology Building
    2. Dorm Building Study Areas (specifically Hillcrest)
    3. Pharmacy Building

I hope you try out some of these places to study!

Until next time,

Savannah

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A New Day Has Come- New Years Resolutions

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Hey Hawks,

It’s the first week back on campus! I hope you are having a good time seeing friends and enjoying all the new classes. I thought that I would pop on here to share some of my New Year’s Resolutions/ goals for the year and this school year. I personally love to set goals at the beginning of each school semester because I feel like it helps me stay on track. Here are some of my goals:

  1. Have a good workout schedule- This is a goal of mine because I tend to hit the gym wayyyy more at home than I do when I am at school, which is silly since the University has a very nice fitness center that is free for all students.  
  2. Eat less candy/sugar- I usually don’t reach for candy when I am at home.  However, at the University I tend to have some sugar cravings.  
  3. Spend less time on social media- This is a problem for many people out there, including myself.  To combat this habit that I have, I set a time limit for myself on Instagram so that I force myself to get off my phone.
  4. Learn New Skills- There’s a lot of stuff that I would love to learn, so to make this a realistic resolution, I’m going to just hope that I complete 2 out of all of these I have listed.  
    • Learn to code (possibly get certified in Python by this August)- this will be helpful for my degree 
    • Learn how to water ski- this is something I have always wanted to learn how to do
    • Start Scuba Certification process (To be honest, this has a better chance of happening Spring of 2027, but we shall see) – another activity that’s been on my list for a while
    • Learn how to film and edit videos- this would honestly just be for fun, but I think it would be a nice skill to have 

These are just a couple of the things that I will be working on in the coming year. Feel free to leave me a comment on what your goals are for the coming year. Remember, no goal is too big or small. 

Until next time,
Savannah 

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Semester Recap

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Greetings Readers, 

This semester has been very eventful, and I loved looking back on all of the incredible opportunities that I had at the University of Iowa. Let’s recap the best parts of my freshman year together!

  • President’s Party: Before the homecoming game, I had an incredible opportunity to go to President Barb Wilson’s pre-game party. I brought my roommate with me, and we enjoyed complementary food and got to hear some great speeches. The highlight was getting to meet President Wilson and chat with her. She was very nice and had great things to say.  
  • Going to football games: One of my favorite parts of college has been going to the Iowa football games. I’ve gone with different people over the course of the semester and have always had a great time with friends. I like to tailgate ahead of time and then get to the games early. The games have a great atmosphere, and of course, we get to do the wave at halftime. 
  • Big Noon Kickoff at the University of Iowa: Another super amazing experience I had that comes with being at a big school was the Big Noon Kickoff on the Fox show happening right on campus. They came to do the show before the Oregon vs Iowa football game. My friends and I got there early so that we could be close to the show. They gave out a ton of free stuff and hyped everyone up before the big game.   
  • Being an Experience Iowa ambassador: I have enjoyed blogging so much this semester! It is always nice to reflect back on your life and see everything that has happened over the semester. However, the most rewarding part of this has been being able to share my experiences with all of you. I am so thankful for anyone who has read anything I have posted, and I hope it helped or inspired you.  

See you in the new year, Hawks! 

Until next time,

Savannah

 

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Cool People- My Tips for Finding a Roommate

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Greetings Readers, 

With roommate matching coming up, I am going to give some tips on how to find a roommate. I am also going to share how I met my roommate and how we decided to live together. However, before I begin, I am going to give you a tip that I wish someone had told me. APPLY FOR HOUSING EARLY!  I applied on the last day that the school allowed me to, and got a very late number for choosing my housing. My roommate got a late number as well, so we ended up in Mayflower. I personally would’ve preferred another dorm, so I wish I had applied earlier.

Finding your future Roommate:

There are two main ways to find a roommate.  

  1. You can go random. Most of my guy friends went random, and almost everyone I know says it worked out for them. As I mentioned, I live in Mayflower, where it is Suite Style. I had no idea who my Suitemates were until I arrived on campus. They were both super nice, and everything worked out. I am not as close with them as my roommates, but I am happy that I am acquainted with them.  
  2. Find a roommate through the Roommate page on MyUI. This is what I chose to do. On the Roommate portal page, there is a way to read people’s bios and a short questionnaire that they filled out. Then, if you like their bio and think you want to get to know them better, you can reach out to them through socials. (Or if you don’t have social media, their emails are listed as well.) Below is a small example of my bio, just so you can see what I shared with people.

Hey! My name is Savannah, and I’m from Evergreen, Colorado. I’m 100% committed to the University of Iowa! I plan on majoring in Business Analytics & Information Systems, and I am Pre-Law as well. I love to hike, ski, shop, read, go to Church, and travel! I love both a night out and a night in! I’m definitely looking for new friends and a roommate, so feel free to reach out!

(I included ways to contact me as well, but for my own privacy reasons, I won’t be adding them to this blog.)

Questions to ask your future Roommate:

When reaching out to someone, it’s important to say who you are and that you are looking for a roommate right away. I also recommend sharing a little about yourself. When I DM’ed people, I shared that I was committed to the school and that I was looking for a roommate.  I reached out to my roommate right after she posted, and she texted back right away that she wanted to get to know me better, too. We talked about our hobbies and where we were from at first. I recommend keeping the questions low-key at first and making sure not to ask any personal questions. My future roommate and I talked for around 2 weeks before she asked me if I wanted to officially be her roommate. I said yes, obviously because at this point, I felt comfortable being her roommate as well. My second biggest piece of advice is only do what feels right and comfortable for you! Since you have to live in this dorm for the whole year, make sure that you are doing things to make yourself feel comfortable.

Best of luck, future Hawks. 

Until Next Time,
Savannah 

 

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Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie-What I am thankful for

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Greetings readers,

I hope you are having an amazing Thanksgiving Break! I would love to tell you all of the things I am thankful for, many of which have come into my life since coming to Iowa.  

  1. My family 
  2. My amazing new friends 
  3. All of my Professors and TAs
  4. My pets 
  5. Getting to go home over break 
  6. Finally, I am thankful for anyone out there reading this blog!  I appreciate all the support!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,
Savannah 

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Sweater Weather: My must haves for Winter

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Hey Everyone,

It is officially November, and the weather is getting colder. Today, I am going to tell you some of my favorite products to help you survive the winter.

  1. Get some hand lotion. My favorite is from L’occitane.
  2. Cozy blanket, my favorite is an Ugg Throw.  The dorm heat is slow to turn on, so it’s nice to have.
  3. Winter coat and winter boots. As an out-of-state student, it’s important to coordinate with my parents to make sure I get my winter attire sooner rather than later. I got my coat this weekend and am planning to bring my boots back with me after winter break. 
  4. Medicine. When the weather starts getting colder, flu season is upon us. Make sure to have cough drops, cough medicine, and anything else you take when you get sick.
  5. Hand warmers. I just like to have these when it’s cold outside and I have to walk or be outside for a long time. 
  6. Chapstick or lipstick.  Nobody wants dry lips. Make sure to have your favorite brand on hand. I love Summer Fridays or Laneige.

Hopefully, these winter survival products will help you combat the cold weather that is upon us. Make sure to stock up on the ones I mentioned and anything else you think you will need! Stay warm, Hawkeyes! 

Until next time,
Savannah 

 

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