I came to Iowa because it was a good place for my major, I liked it when I visited, and I felt there was opportunity here.

There are a lot of options here as far as the direction you want to go after graduation. Often, people feel limited as far as what they can do with their field of study, but with the “Building Your Portfolio” seminar I went to recently and just observing what grad students here are doing, I don’t get the feeling that I’m limited at all.

I’d say to succeed here, you should keep an open mind in everything you do and don’t limit your options.

I try to talk to my professors any time I can. Even if they just know your name, it’s important. They see a lot of faces, and it benefits the students to have some type of communication with them. That’s important especially if you have any concerns or you are struggling in a class. You never know, you might need a recommendation from one of your professors one day.

For me, there’s a lot of prestige associated with research here at Iowa. In coming here, you come in contact with all types of people. It’s kind of like getting the small-college experience at a big university.