University of Iowa | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Megan

Class: Junior
Major: Psychology
Gender: F

High School: Columbus Catholic High School
Transfer Student: Y

Big Picture

The best thing about Iowa is that it's big....but not too big. I love the size of The University! It's big enough that you don't see the same people every day...especially if you don't want to! However, I often run into my friends on campus, and I feel very comfortable walking around the campus. While I feel like I know the campus well, I still learn new things about it daily! I'm always saying, "Wow! I never knew this was here!" When I tell people I attend Iowa they always say, "Ohhhhhh...." I know they're usually referring back to the stereotypes that they have about Iowa so I usually just smile, and say "Yea, I love it." I love the amount of school pride that Iowa has too! When I transferred here, I was amazed at the amount of students I would see dressed up tailgating and going to all of the football games. My first football game was awesome! I know nothing about football and I was still so involved in the game and all the hype that I was hoarse when I left! Tailgating is fairly fantastic here...where else is it acceptable to start drinking with your roommate's parents at 9:00 in the morning? Definitely at Iowa! One of my favorite memories was calling my Dad during this year's Michigan State game when it had gone into overtime, and being so excited that I was at the game because my Dad was watching it on television. It was so cool to hear my Dad getting excited and telling me how weird it was that he could hear the game through my phone and on the television! :) I spend a lot of my time at the library, I hate going there, but it's one of the few places I can get work done! :)

Academic Life

Professors usually don't know your name unless you make it a point for them to know your name. You have to make the effort to get to know your professors....go to them for help, attend their office hours and study sessions! You'll be rewarded for it later! Once you get higher up in your major, your classes get smaller and your professors definitely know your name then! :) I have a couple of smaller classes this semester, and my professors made it a point to learn our names because the classes were smaller. Students are competitive at Iowa, but I usually feel like students are competitive with themselves. You're here to better yourself and get farther along in life....why compete with your peers? Do your absolute best for yourself! Some students study a lot here, and some students don't study a lot. It all depends on the kinds of classes you're taking, as well as, how well you want to do in those classes. I'm a Psychology major, and the classes are pretty interesting. However, I'm hoping to attend graduate school for Social Work which is my real interest! :) I believe that the education at Iowa is geared towards learning for its own sake, and towards getting a job. Some classes make you say, "Really?! I'm never going to need this!!" While others make you say, "Oh! That totally makes sense! I can definitely use this in the real world!!"

Student Body

It seems like most Iowa students are from Iowa and Illinois. The majority of students come from Iowa and the surrounding states. Financial backgrounds vary among students here, and because of that, I don't think anyone would feel out of place at Iowa. Students on campus seem very accepting, and I believe that Iowa is pretty open-minded. But, I have noticed that there is a large amount of girls here who sport a combination of Ugg boots, Northface jackets, humongous sunglasses, and bleached blond hair. I'm not bagging it....it's just merely an observation. Most students wear jeans or sweatpants to class. Class wear is definitely casual which is nice....especially for those early morning classes! Iowa does have many different student organizations that support various religions, races, sexual preferences, and interests which I think is awesome!!!