What I Study At Iowa

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Hey everyone! I’m going to talk about my major/minors today.

My major is English and Creative Writing on the Publishing Track, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I take English classes like literature, and then writing-based classes. For Publishing, I take publishing-based classes and career prep like English At Work. These classes can be interesting and useful in developing your craft.

My first minor is French, which is part of CLAS as well. I am taking French classes that are level 3000 and above to obtain it. These classes include many speaking and writing ones, as well as grammar. I have taken Oral Expression 1 and 2, which is a lot of oral presentations, and we get pen pals to speak to from a university in France! I will be taking French Grammar in the fall, and hopefully after that, Business French!

My second minor is Media Management. This is through the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, but also the Tippie College of Business. I’m currently taking Entrepreneurship and Innovation for this, and then I have to get the rest fulfilled. I hope to learn how to run social media for a job.

-Solenn

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Rainy Days in Iowa City

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Hello everyone!

Spring is nearly here!! That means lots of rain, but don’t let that bring your spirits down. Rainy days can be awesome.

I love waking up to a rainy, cloudy day. I feel extra cozy. I normally turn on my fairy lights to have ambient lighting. I also like turning on some Lord Huron or Bon Hiver for that moody indie vibe.

A nice, warm shower is the best way to fight the gloom. After that, something cozy like a sweatshirt, zip-up, sweater, leggings, or sweats is a nice combo.

When I have time, I will read a book or do my homework to feel mysterious and in a dark academia novel. It is very motivating! The sound of the rain is a great ambiance, especially if you leave your curtains open.

When it is time for class, I wear an umbrella and rain jacket, paired with AirPods for rainy-day music. It makes being outside so much better.

For food, warm stuff is my go-to. Soup, mac and cheese, anything hearty is great. Accompany that with a warm drink like chai or another tea and you are set.

Make the best of it and really romanticize it, it will always be sunny soon!

-Solenn

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Places to Go After Visit Day in Iowa City

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Hey y’all!

I am here to give you suggestions to do in Iowa City after your campus tour!

If you’re looking for restaurants or coffee shops, check out my other blogs, where I rank my favorites.

  1. Molly’s Cupcakes: It won season 1 of Cupcake Wars, and has so many delicious flavors! You also get a discount with your VIP badge.
  2. Iowa Book: Come get Iowa merch there! That is what I did on my own campus visit. There is also a Dunkin located inside if you need a pick-me-up.
  3. Om Gifts for Body and Soul: Cutest crystal shop ever!!
  4. Old Capitol Mall: Another Iowa Merch store, some restaurants, coffee shops, boba, and a cute little chocolate store.
  5. Yotopia: A fro-yo place, so so good.
  6. Aspen Leaf: Another fro-yo place with a little chocolate shop.
  7. Beno’s: Cutest plant store
  8. Iowa City Public Library: Browse some books!
  9. Prairie Lights: Famous bookstore and coffee shop
  10. Sidekick Coffee and Books: Another bookstore/cafe
  11. Insomnia Cookies: Open all day and night!
  12. Pitaya: Cute clothing shop
  13. Revival: A thrift store
  14. Coralville Mall: A short drive away, this place is perfect to walk around in.

These are just a few of my favorites, but there are so many more places in Iowa City and Coralville, I highly recommend exploring and finding your favorites.

Bye for now!
Solenn

 

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Best Outdoor Study Spots

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Hi everyone!

As the weather is warming up, that means more time outside. Woohoo!

I have found a few amazing places to study when the weather is warm to get those grades and some Vitamin D.

  1. Pentacrest: bring a picnic blanket or hammock, or study on the benches! People-watching is fun, and there is some shade.
  2. T. Anne Cleary Walkway: The tables have umbrellas and the hustle and bustle of campus life makes for great background noise.
  3. Outdoor shops: Get Fresh Cafe has a lovely patio that is fun to use while doing homework and sipping on a smoothie. There are several other shops to enjoy too!
  4. Currier Terrace: A little secret courtyard with plenty of tables to relax!
  5. Iowa Memorial Union: There is a fantastic terrace overlooking the Iowa River.
  6. Art Building West: Shade and an amazing koi pond to get some exotic views.
  7. John Pappajohn: Lots of tables outside!

I highly recommend discovering your own study spots, it is a great way to explore campus.

Bye for now!
Solenn

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Into The Woods Showing

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Hey y’all!

I got to see the Theater Department’s show “Into the Woods” last week. It was incredible!

They were cast perfectly and acted and sang so well. It was comedic, a little tragic, and completely engaging. The stage and set were so detailed and I loved all the costumes. It was a sold-out show, which is great support for theater.

I highly encourage attending different plays at Iowa, there are several going on each semester and they are fun to be involved in or go as a spectator. Tickets are free or discounted for students!

Bye for now,
Solenn

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Final Women’s Basketball Game

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Hello all!

I had the amazing opportunity to see the final home game for the women’s basketball team a couple weeks ago. It was senior night for our five seniors, including our hometown hero Caitlin Clark, who will be entering the WNBA draft this year.

We played a competitive game against Ohio State and ultimately came out as the victors. The crowd was hyped the entire game, especially because it was Clark’s last regular season home game.

College Gameday broadcasted live from Carver, which was incredible to witness. We also had surprise guest appearances from Jake from State From, rapper Travis Scott, and basketball player Maya Moore.

The senior ceremony was bittersweet as we honored Molly Davis, who was tragically injured mid-game, Sharon Goodman, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin, and Caitlin Clark. This past season would not have been nearly as incredible without them.

Cheer on the Hawks as they head into March Madness!

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Spring Break: Arizona Edition!

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Hello all!

I am back in Arizona visiting my family and taking a break from midterms – phew!

During my time here at home, I have enjoyed home-cooked meals like polenta, tacos, and pasta. I have eaten one too many sweet treats because I miss ice cream and fresh-baked goods LOL!

I have caught up with a few friends as well, which has been so much fun. It’s important to maintain old and new friendships!

I have also enjoyed a much-improved sleep schedule and time to watch TV. I’m binging Gilmore Girls and watched Air for the first time, highly recommend it.

The break is also a great time to work ahead on school-related things. I read Shoe Dog, a memoir of Phil Knight, Nike’s founder, for my entrepreneurship class, and drafted some emails and social-media-related things for my literary magazines. The grind doesn’t stop!

I went grocery shopping for goodies to bring back with me to Iowa City, so I’m excited for that.

I attended a book festival in Tucson (and didn’t buy any books, wow me!), which was tons of fun to see a wide variety of authors and booksellers.

I’m looking forward to returning to Iowa, but the break was much needed!

Bye for now!

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Restaurants in Iowa City Ranked

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Hey y’all! I did a coffee shop ranking last time, so here’s a restaurant ranking! (Out of 5 stars)

  1. Get Fresh Cafe: 5/5. A bit on the pricy side, but bomb freaking everything. I’ve heard good things about their smoothies and other menu items. My personal favorites are their acai bowls and spinach salad. I was a bit disappointed in their chia pudding, however. Worth the wait for the food to be made, and super cute cafe decor.
  2. Pancheros: 3/5. Iowa’s Chipotle. I was a bit disappointed. Why have blue corn chips instead of yellow corn? Their burrito bowls do not taste as good as Chipotle’s. I’ve heard their burritos are better though, so maybe get those.
  3. Chipotle: 4/5. Also a Chipotle in town. Obsessed with their tortilla chips and salsa. Their bowls always hit the spot. They need to work on having better chicken though, it’s so chewy.
  4. Airliner 4/5: Fantastic pizza and Caesar salads. $1 slices on Sundays!!
  5. Noodles and Company: 3/5: Depending on what you get it, it can be pretty good. I feel like the quality is meh – I’m picky about my pasta.
  6. Basta: 5/5: Delicious pasta!! Everything is made fresh there and hands-down the best Italian in Iowa City.
  7. Zzmarik’s: 5/5. My favorite place in Iowa City! $5 Mac Mondays and delicious menu. Never busy in there and I love their pasta wall art.
  8. The Webster 4/5: Bougee restaurant! Like the interior and pretty good food. I’m not adventurous when it comes to food so the menu had slim pickings for me. Great dessert though!
  9. Masala: 4/5. Pretty great Indian cuisine! I like their Tikka Masala, which is rare for me to find one I like. Their naan bread is fantastic.
  10. Buffalo Wild Wings: 5/5. Loveee their wraps and mac and cheese.

There are wayyyy more restaurants in town, I haven’t eaten my way through them all yet. Iowa City is definitely a foodie town, so you won’t be disappointed!

-Solenn

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ISLE Leadership Conference Storytime

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Hi everyone!

This past weekend I attended the Iowa Student Leadership Experience hosted at the University of Northern Iowa. Students from Iowa State, UNI, and Iowa were invited to attend, and all expenses were paid. I went solo, with the intention of making friends and exploring a part of Iowa I hadn’t seen since I was out of state.

The bus ended up not coming to pick us up due to miscommunication, so the fifty people who planned to attend did not. Me and three other students ended up carpooling and we were the four to represent Iowa there.

The conference was great! There were a few guest speakers, breakfast and lunch were provided, and we had breakout rooms to choose from. The speakers were very well-spoken and I learned a lot about what it takes to be a good leader. Most students came representing organizations they are involved in on campus and left knowing how to better the leadership for them.

We got to try a new Coca-Cola product, a spiced cola which basically tasted like root beer. Delicious!

We also got free swag like shirts, pens, notebooks, and Linq, a business card that activates via the app. It was fun meeting students from other universities and we were all eager to connect.

I left the conference with three new friends and some amazing connections from that day. Hopefully, next year’s conference goes smoothly, and definitely attend!

-Solenn

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RA Application Process

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Hello all!

I’m going to talk about the resident assistant application process, which I recently went through.

A Resident Assistant is a student who lives on the floor of a residence hall and ensures floor community. They are there to help students living on campus feel safe, comfortable, and happy. They are the first person to go in cases of emergency, roommate problems, and other advice/situations. They also host floor events to help students meet one another and create a fun living atmosphere. Being an RA at Iowa involves a stipend and free housing, a great perk.

RA applications open near the end of the fall semester, and they have short answer questions about yourself. If the committee likes your application, you are pushed forward to the interviewing round. This is a Zoom call with members of the housing department and RAs who ask you questions about yourself and the RA position.

Then there is about a month until you hear back if you got the position, waitlisted, or declined.

You can apply to be a general RA, an Honors one, a Reach RA who works with various disabilities, a Belin-Blank RA for high-school students accepted early, or a Living Learning Community RA who helps run a community for students with a shared interest or identity.

This is a great leadership experience!

-Solenn

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