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FactsSlang
- Blue & Red Route, Hawkeye-Interdorm, Interdorm - Bus routes most students take; they run by every dorm and most major areas around campus.
- Career Center - UI’s job placement center.
- CIC - Campus Information Center. This is the place to go if you have any questions about UI.
- DI - The Daily Iowan, the student newspaper. It arrives on every students' doorsteps Monday-Friday and does the news every night at 9:30 p.m. on Channel 17.
- Dirty Burge - Nickname for Burge Residence Hall.
- EPB - The English-Philosophy Building. Everyone has at least one class there at some point and it’s the least favorite building on campus. Built during the hippie era, it’s made of solid concrete brick to be riot-proof—very ugly.
- FAC - “Fridays After Class;” usually 3 p.m.-8 p.m. on Fridays when students head to the bars that have very cheap drink specials.
- FSG - Facilities Services Group, the organization that maintains the University campus.
- HawkID - A student’s username to log into UI Web sites.
- ICON - Iowa Classrooms Online. Professors and TAs post assignments, lecture notes, and grades here. ICON also has a dropbox for papers and discussion boards to communicate with your teachers.
- IMU - Iowa Memorial Union, the student union that has a food court, conference room, and the bookstore.
- ISIS - The Web site all students use to register for classes, check grades, vote for student government, pay the U-Bill, and check progress toward your major.
- ITC - The Information Technology Center, or computer lab.
- KRUI - The UI student-run radio station.
- Ped Mall - The Pedestrian Mall, the heart of downtown Iowa City; lots of bars restaurants and shops are located here.
- The Res - The beach along Coralville Lake where students relax during the warmer months of the year.
- SA - Studio Arts. After the flood destroyed the arts campus, classes have been moved to an old Menards Building. The SA bus takes you out there.
- "Scum" - Nickname for The Summit bar.
- "SpoCo" - Nickname for Sports Column bar.
- TA - Teacher’s assistant. Usually graduate or PhD students, they will be the ones leading your discussion sections and will be your main resource for help in huge lectures that don’t allow one-on-one time with the professor.
- UBill - Your University bill. It reports your tuition and class costs, and you can charge books, food, and supplies to it from any campus location.
- UIHC - University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics; one of the best in the nation.
- UISG - University of Iowa Student Government, the students who represent the student body to the University Administration.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- Be like Noah—bring two of everything (deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.).
- Don’t go out on weekday nights. The bars are the cheapest then, but you’ll never make it to your classes the next morning.
- Dress in layers. UI is just like any other place in the Midwest that requires a winter coat at 9 a.m., but by 1 p.m., you’ll be sweating in a T-shirt.
- Leave your dorm room door open as much as possible—it’s the best way to make friends.
- Look at all the food in the dining hall before choosing what to eat or else you’ll end up with a tray of pizza, a burger, a hot dog, and tacos. That’s where the Freshman 15 comes from.
- There is a really good chance you’ll change your major before you graduate.
- Walk through your class schedule before your first day. It will save a lot of time.
Tips to Succeed
- Don’t study in your dorm room—you’ll never get anything done. Go to the library, lounge, or coffee house instead.
- Don’t take early classes if you know you’re not a morning person. No one is going to force you to wake up and go, so chances are you won’t.
- Keep up with the readings for class.
- Take advantage of your TA’s office hours. If your grades are on the border between an A and B, your TA will give you the benefit of the doubt if you see them every week.
- Take classes that interest you, not just the easy ones—they end up being harder because you don’t like the subject.
- Take time to relax! Too much worrying over grades will not make you a happy person.
- Use the Writing Center to your advantage.
Urban Legends
- Burge Residence Hall—Burge is said to have the most STDs of any college dorm in the nation. Also, Playboy named it one of the best places to get laid in the '90s.
- The Black Angel—A statue at Oakland Cemetery on the north side of Iowa City is allegedly haunted. It is said that if you kiss the angel’s feet, you will die within seven years. Many students go there on Halloween night to try it out.
- False Alums—Ashton Kutcher, Tom Brokaw, and Tom Arnold are all said to be UI alum. They attended, but they all dropped out before graduating.
- Slater, Floor 9—Legend has it that a student jumped to his death from the ninth floor. Even since, students have reported hearing footsteps, screaming, and some have seen the young man’s ghost walking late at night with an ax.
Traditions
- Dance Marathon - A fundraiser sponsored by the UI and Greek community to raise money for cancer patients at the UIHC. Students spend months raising money and chilling outside of the bars with cans, and their reward is a 24-hour dance party in the IMU.
- Football Pre-Games - Everybody, from the smallest children to the elderly, are out showing their Hawkeye pride before football games. Whether that involves alcohol or not is up to you, but if you’re sleeping in instead of getting pumped up for the game, expect to be ragged on by your friends.
- Homecoming Week - Basically, there’s a large party every night during Homecoming Week. Many head out to bars or house parties, and the week culminates in a parade sponsored by the Greek houses and features various floats and famous UI alumni.
- Jake’s on Your 21st Birthday - Jake’s has become a staple for UI students when they are able to legally drink. The bar offers 21 pitchers of beer for $21 on your 21st birthday.
- Weeks of Welcome - During the first weeks of classes, the University, along with Iowa City, provides many different events to welcome students back to campus. Some of the events include a city-wide barbecue, a fireworks show along the banks of the Iowa River, and stations where new students can get basic information about campus and classes.
School Spirit
School spirit is very dominant on Iowa’s campus. Students can often be seen wearing clothes with the Iowa logo, and, of course, sports and activities are very popular and have a high level of participation. Beyond this, however, the city tends to cater to UI and lends its support in many different ways, not the least of which is a great atmosphere and a positive attitude toward the University and its students.
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