Tyler

I just successfully finished my first semester at the University of Iowa. It flew by…it feels like just yesterday I was moving into Burge. I did not know what I was getting myself into as I was walking in with all my suitcases,  my eyes opened wide and my skin still glowing from the summer sun. Even though it has only been about four months since I have been at school, I feel more independent and  unique. And being at Iowa has showed me the importance of being true to myself even if that means being crazy, spontaneous, studious, or taking risks. As long as I am being myself I will be happy! That is why I want to share a few things that I have learned from going to the University of Iowa…

1. Take risks in all aspects of your life, because taking risks will push you to be a better person academically and socially— As a dancer, I am taking risks in every dance class. Even when it is something simple like trying to do three turns instead of two…Taking the risk of maybe falling on your butt in front of the class is going to push you as a dancer and eventually make you better and stronger in the future! Because of the risks I take in dance, I was able to perform in the Dance Gala!
   

   There is me on the left *photo credit to Erin Fitzgerald

2. Don’t care about what other people think about you. Be yourself, and people will fall in love with the person you really are— I tend to be a shy or reserved person when I am around people I don’t know, but coming to Iowa I really wanted to step outside of my comfort zone by being more outgoing and friendly to people I don’t know. Coming to Iowa, I did not know a single person, and I am so happy to say that I have some many friends now. These friends have fallen in love with my wacky, nerdy, goofy, sarcastic self!
   

   I love my friends

   3. Stay positive!—College is harder than high school, no doubt about it…But when I stay positive, my mood is happier and my work ethic is stronger too! So whether it is with dance, school work, or even with my friends, staying optimistic is always better than being a debbie downer!

   4. Family will always be there for you!— This was the first time I was away from my family for that long of a time, and I definitely missed them. Even though I wasn’t home sick, I really missed seeing them! Especially having home cooked meals, sitting around the fire place, and taking family walks with the family, are things that I took for granted and definitely missed while I was at Iowa. So when I came home for Christmas break, I made sure I took a family photograph, so I can take it with me back to school for the spring semester!

   

   I love my family

   5. Lastly, Have fun!— Life is short, and even though I just turned 18, I am already technically an adult. Next year I will be living in an apartment with my two best friends, and we already had to sign the lease. We will be paying the bills ourselves, and it makes me realize how time flies. I am already done with my first semester at Iowa and time is not slowing down by any means. This just shows that I need to take advantage of every opportunity and have fun and do things that make me happy! Life is too short to hold grudges, stress the small things, and to sit back and watch things happen. I am looking forward to having a great 3 and a half years at Iowa and paving the way to a successful dance career ahead of me, as well as making life long friendships!

    

   

   Go Hawkeyes <3

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 9:27 am and is filed under General, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.