Today, I am on the way to Urbino, Italy. This is my second study abroad, but my first time in college abroad. When I first went overseas, I studied with Youth for Understanding in Germany during my senior year in high school. (You can read all about it on the blog that I kept up while there, which you can find right here.) Now, I am going to Italy with my college. The program that I am going under is called A Semester in Urbino--Italy. It goes from the end of January to the beginning of May, and the focus will be on the Renaissance Era of Italy with focus on Journalism and Communication students, such as public relations, journalism, and advertising. Our accompanying professor is Dennis Chamberlin, a Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer and professor.

I plan to keep this blog up with some of my adventures in the land of love. Living in Italy has been my dream for the longest. Before I went to Germany, the plan was for me to study abroad in Italy; I went to the former, however, because it was financially better. I have no regrets, however; I'm simply even more excited to finally get to live in my dream country for awhile. While I am excited to go to Italy (and not even a super touristy part, y'all!) and become immersed in the culture, I am not going with ridiculously high hopes. My mind is open, and I am going to let whatever happens, happen.

When it comes to travelling, I am learning that being super open and willing to experience is the most important trait to have. Anything can happen, so if your expectations are really high, you will end your trip feeling like it was unsuccessful. That's why my goal is to go to Italy, learn the language as best as I can in the 3.5 months I am there, and just...experience.

Throughout my time there, I am going to travel around the country. It's not a goal of mine to leave Italy (unless I cannot find doner; then, I am making a trip to Germany). I want to get to know this country as much as I can, every crevice and unique aspect of it. So, here's to a good few months!

I am going to preface this post by admitting my bias. Larch Hall was my freshman year dorm. Whenever you stay someplace, events, experiences, and people will completely bias you in one way or the other. Before I officially chose to attend Iowa State, I was told during a tour of the college that living in Maple-Willow-Larch would be one of the worst decisions I make. "It is a party dorm," I was told. While MWL can be seen as party dorms, I would also like to digress because any dorm can be one. If you aren't really a party person, MWL would suffice just as well. It all depends on the type of person you are. I happened to be a perfect mix: the first semester, I hardly went out; the second semester, went out a heckuva lot. Note that I am saying I went out. I never partied in Larch Hall. Regardless of whether you like to party or not, there is a multitude of reasons why you should select to live in MWL during your freshman year at Iowa State University.

1. The convenience to central campus

Maple, Willow, and Larch are right off the edge of central campus. There is nothing easier than getting to central campus from these dorms. You have many options: you can catch the Orange 23 bus, walk, or bike. It's that easy. Nothing is more than 10 minutes away from MWL (excluding other dorms, such as Wallace, Wilson, and the University-Schilletter Village Apartments). 

2. Bus Routes

As mentioned above, Orange 23 is the primary bus to get around central campus. It leaves from the commuter lot (near Jack Trice Stadium) and comes to Maple-Willow-Larch, then it takes you to the most of the primary buildings (Lagomarcino, Mackay, Parks Library, Carver Hall, Memorial Union, and Lied gym). Across the street on Lincoln Way, you can also catch the 3 Blue South (or North, depending on which side of the street you stand on) and 1 Red East (or West). 

3. Seasons Dining Hall

If you are lazy like me, you do not always feel like leaving your dorm to go get food. Most campuses set it up where you have to, but Iowa State (thankfully) allowed MWL to have a dining hall right downstairs. Seasons is one of the largest dining halls on campus, and it's definitely the most frequented, I would say.

4. East Side Store (C-Store)

If you are in need of a snack, a late night meal, toiletries, or a blue book, East Side is right downstairs. I love it because they accept dining dollars, meal plans (after 7:30 for Late Night), and regular cash or debit/credit cards. 

5. MWL Commons

If you need a easy, nice place to study, the MWL Commons will make you happy. While there could definitely be more space added, it is large enough for the typical school weeks (don't try to go there during Dead Week). There is also a computer lab that lets you print! I mean, this was a real benefit for the lazy student who didn't want to bus or walk to Parks Library. 

6. Lied Recreational Gym

Lied is a great gym for the athletic person; there are racquetball courts, basketball courts, ping-pong tables, fitness classes, a mini-track, workout machines, and a tennis court outside. Hello? This sounds like heaven, and it was considering it was really easy to get to. Finding the encouragement to trek across campus to State Gym was hard, so Lied made it harder to be lazy and make excuses for not working out. 

7. Convos 

Conversations is literally right across the street, and that's great for Late Night meal bundles. Instead of having to stick to food at the C-Store, you can branch out and go over to Convos for a nice meal (the chicken tenders were A1, and so were the quesadillas, jello, and puppy chow). 

It's so interesting how being in college for a year can affect your judgment and perception. Once upon a time, I hated having to speak up pertaining important things unless I was around my family or friends. While that may have to do with me being a bit socially anxious, part of it was simply me being too embarrassed to speak up, out of fear of saying the wrong thing. Today, however, I am not afraid to ask a question or speak up; I prefer being comfortable knowing what's going on than uncomfortably confused. I guess with age and time, these things get better. 
I look back and think about when I first began to apply for colleges. There's so much that you can find online, and that is basically how I did my research and made a lot of my decisions. However, not everything can be found out online, and a prime example of that is when you're working with financial aid. There were times a call needed to be made to a university - and if you know me, you know that I have a strong dislike for talking on the phone - so I had my mom handle that. And when I went on college tours, I generally let the tour guide talk and I stayed to myself, listening. My mom tended to be the one to ask questions. 
As a college student, I am realizing how that is actually normal, and I wasn't the odd one out. There are so many tours happening on campus throughout the year, and I have observed how seldom potential students do not ask questions, leaving it up to the parents and guardians. I began to think about why this was the case - is it because of shyness? social anxiety? not caring? But one thing that stuck out to me was that maybe - just maybe - high school students do not know what to ask. So much information is being thrown at you at once while you're trying to take in the campus and students, so it's understandable that you're not particularly concerned about what questions to ask. But alas, I'm here to throw some knowledge your way. Take these questions and morph them however you want to fit your college tour, Just be sure to ask; after all, if you choose whichever college you decide to tour, you'll be living and studying there for the next 4 years!

1. What is the best and worst dorm to stay in on-campus as a freshman? 

Remember that tour guides can be pretty bias, and to take their response with a grain of salt! Heed to it, but also remember their experiences don't have to necessarily be yours. When I toured Iowa State for the second time, I met a really nice girl and my mom asked her about the dorms. She told me that Maple-Willow-Larch is not a great place to stay because they're "party dorms." If I would have listened, I probably wouldn't have met my best friends or experienced such an awesome dorm. Honestly, a dorm is what you make out of it - any one can be a "party dorm" and any one can be a laid-back dorm.

2. Realistically, which meal plan is best? 

I wish someone would've told me that I didn't have to get the standard Gold meal plan because I'd waste about 60 meals by the end of each semester. There might be alternatives for you to take advantage of, such as meal blocks instead of a complete plan. Explore all your options!

3. What is it like being a POC/LGBTQ+ at this school? 

This question is specific for minorities who decide to attend predominately white institutions, or for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+. It's an important question because you'll need your other POC or LGBTQ+ friends as a support system, and it's pretty important to know if your school has a history of being discriminatory, racist, homophobic, etc. This information is best to get from a student because they're more likely to be honest with you than staff.

4. How do most students get around here? 

Bus, train, bike, by foot, car? Stanford is a huge biking campus, whereas here at Iowa State, we travel predominately by CyRide, which is our bus system.

5. How are the extracurricular activities and social life on-campus?

This may or may not be important to you; it was very important for me! Coming from a big city, where I can do pretty much whatever I want, I didn't want to move somewhere that there is not much to do. Personally, I decided not to go to Michigan Tech because of this reason. Iowa State is a nice in-between. Figure out whether the school is a party school, or do most people do athletic things, or is there a diverse set of activities to get involved in.

Finals week is officially here! Day one is over (hopefully, unless you have a night final tonight - good luck, then). How are you all keeping up? I can say that I am beat down and ready to go home and sleep my break away. But alas, finals is not over for me and for plenty other students. I realized that I probably should have posted this post about a week ago during Dead Week, but it's better late than never, right? Here are some of the best places to study on campus or near campus when you attend Iowa State!

1. The Library (duh!)

This one is pretty common, as it's a library and libraries are the best place to buckle down and get your head in your books. (Please don't do this literally, as you will most likely fall asleep and defeat the entire purpose of you going to the library.) Park's Library is great to study as there are a bunch of space to study, whether you want a private room, a concealed space, or a large area for a group study session. The only downfall is that everyone is literally thinking the same way as you and like to study in the library, especially during Dead Week. 

2. The Multicultural Center

I love going to the MCC in Memorial Union! It is literally the best place to study because it's rather quiet, there are private cubicles as well as open spaces and rooms to study in. And no, you do not have to be a multicultural student to go there and study. Everyone is welcome!

3. Cafe Diem (Main Street)

This is a cute little cafe that I recently found with a friend. It is literally the most adorable place you might ever go. The decor is cozy; there is free WiFi; and the lattes are amazing! (I am drinking an Eggnog Gingerbread Latte right now. Yum!) It's standard size for a cafe, and it's a semi-popular place, but you most likely will find a spot to study. The later it gets, though, the more crowded it can be.

4. Your Dorm ('s lounge or Mezz)

I like the convenience of study in Larch's lounge. I can literally not change out of my pajamas, yet still get the heck out of my room for the day. 

5. MWL Commons

Can you say food an study sesh? You literally have Season's downstairs (and East Side Market), so if you ever need a break or to grab some food, it's extremely convenient. During Dead Week and Finals' Week, it tends to get pretty crowded the later it gets in the day, so be prepared to have to spread out on the floor (if you don't mind). 

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities that a student can choose to attend in the United States. Some are two-year institutions; others are 4-years; there are also public and private institutions to choose from. I happen to attend Iowa State University, a public 4-year institution in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State was not my first choice; it was my second. But if you were to ask me whether I regret choosing ISU (because I did get accepted into my first choice, which was the University of Central Florida), I would say no with no hesitation. I chose my adventure.

1. Majors Galore

When I originally began to look at colleges, I chose Iowa State because of the vast amount of majors and minors available to study. Anybody who knows me (and maybe even those who don't) knows that I am super indecisive. This means that whatever university I ever considered attending needed to give me options as far as what I could study; a few majors that I considered once upon a time include the following: veterinary medicine, graphic design, interior design, architecture, journalism, and criminal justice. Iowa State provides all of the above, plus more. After all, I am currently double majoring in Event and Hospitality Management and considering minoring in Public Relations.

2. Campus Clubs & Student Organizations

Another reason why I ultimately chose Iowa State is the amount of extracurricular activities, clubs and organizations available for me to become involved in. I was not a super involved person in high school, but I knew that I wanted to be once I attended university. Even if I ended up not participating in anything, I wanted it to be because I chose not to - not because I didn't have the chance to. I am a member of the general assembly for the Black Student Alliance, Society for the Advancement of Gender Equity, Womyn of Colour Network, Connect 4, and the Historian for the Freshmen Action Team (umbrella-ed under BSA). I tried out Develop, which is a photo club, and a couple of other clubs; however, my schedule doesn't really permit me to participate in so many.

3. The Campus is Beautiful

Iowa State University's campus is breathtaking. It was actually named the fifth most beautiful campus by Buzzfeed in 2015. Every campus tour that I went on was rainy. RAINY. Yet I still fell in love with the school. Now that I am a student, I have had the opportunity to see the campus in rain and shine (no snow, yet!), and I still cannot believe that my campus is so gorgeous. There are little pathways that boast the beauty of the campus; the architecture makes my heart happy.

4. Iowa Charm

Lastly, the students, faculty, and staff are friendly! I've been told before that what people consider southern charm is how Iowa really is. I am not surprised. While not everyone might be super open, and some may be downright rude, but the majority will make you glad that you chose ISU.