My college experience at the University of Iowa looks a little bit different than most students. I have been at the UI for seven years.

While I did spend a year at Kirkwood in Iowa City, I don’t mention that because it was a waste of my time.

However, I did find the Spanish and math classes a lot easier.

Funnily, I actually know what college was like before the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a student, I remember printing off assignments and handing them in, and solving math problems on notebook paper. A lot of my exams and quizzes were in-person, not online.

I struggled a lot as a Health and Human Physiology major, which is what I started as at the UI. I was the student who skipped class to work on homework for other classes — I didn’t take college seriously, but I made sure I did do my homework. I have only missed one homework assignment in my entire college career.

I won’t tell you what class that was for, but when I look back, I wasn’t happy. I tried to find happiness, but it was difficult. The classes were hard and the professors were different. Let’s leave it at that.

I changed when I changed my majors. I went from studying for one major to studying two at the same time: Journalism and Mass Communications and Sport Studies.

I think I’ve missed less than 15 classes since I changed my major.

As a UI journalism school student, I also attend my professors’ drop-in and office hours. My GPA increased spectacularly.

I spend a week working on a writing assignment or studying for a test. All of this actually led me to enjoy my majors.

While burnout has hit hard in the last year or so, it’s been worth it.

I grew up in Iowa City and came to the university to be an orthopaedic surgeon.

I have COVID-19 to thank because when the NBA, NHL, and MLB seasons returned in 2020, I watched all of the playoff games — this is when I realized that I wanted to be on the court or field interviewing the athletes.

I want to connect with athletes in a sports environment rather than a hospital environment.

I changed my major and learned a lot from my professors and got to know some of my professors.

I gained journalism experience with DITV. While I have only been a part of DITV for a year, I have learned so much about what I am capable of. I have been able to do a little bit of everything but I love reporting.

I was the weather anchor several times in between chasing stories this semester — even successfully catching a football during a live shot.

I enjoy being out in the field getting interviews and B-roll to tell stories. I enjoy being a part of live shows getting to do stand-ups and watching the stories I have created. I hope to do this for a full-time career. I’m ready to get out of Iowa City.