Four weeks into the fall 2024 semester, Edwin “TJ” Tjardes says he’s successfully dodged “freshmanitis”-the lack of motivation that college first-year students sometimes feel for school work as they join a vibrant new campus environment. As an intended biology major at the University of Iowa, Tjardes has spent the past few weeks diving into his pre-medical studies, making new friends, and getting involved in extracurricular activities.