Housing, please! :D

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
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<p>MinPin–there is a nice small grocery store just a few blocks from campus where you can get almost anything you need. The prices are probably higher than at the supermarkets farther away, but the location is very convenient. It won’t be open at 3am though. I’d be surprised if anything in the town is open at 3am. This is Little Town on the Prairie, not Manhattan, but you will find plenty to do on campus. Keep a few extra Ramen packets on hand for those 3am munchies attacks.</p>

<p>I hope we are being clear that first year students do not pick their dorms. They get assigned to them. If my son’s first year dorm was the worst on campus, there are no bad dorms, so I wouldn’t worry. Second year and beyond, you will get a room draw, sort of like a random number. If you get a good draw you get more choice in your housing for the next year. You do get to choose your roommate after first year which is, imo, much more important than the room.</p>

<p>My son has no trouble with the workload, but some students get stressed out. Some of it depends on what classes you take. My son says his science major friends have more work than he does as a history major.</p>

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<p>MinPin, your advisor will help you come up with a schedule that isn’t too overwhelming. S-the science guy-was advised to take only 3 ‘real’ classes if 2 of them are science courses with labs, because the workload for those classes is intense. Of course, in addition to those 3, he still signs up for fun courses that are 1-2 units and not a lot of homework-more like an EC with credit attached.</p>

<p>Cut yourself some slack the first semester. There’s a lot to get used to and you want time to get to know your classmates, try out the facilities, and, if you didn’t attend an academically intense place, getting used to that bigger workload and higher standards.</p>

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<p>It varies a lot by classes and professors. E.g. Intro to Computer Science is insanely hard for some. Languages classes tend to assign a lot of busy work, and social sciences and humanities a lot of reading. The main problem is that work tends to pile up. The week before spring-break for example is one of those weeks. There are probably two things Grinnell will teach you, regardless of your major: Manage your time! and how to survive on less than 3 hours of sleep.</p>

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<p>Wow–I think my son is taking Intro to Computer Sciences this semester and finds it mostly review. This just illustrates why we can’t tell anyone here how difficult the work will be for him or her. Depends on your preparation. Yeah–manage your time is always good advice!</p>

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<p>^ The professor who is teaching it this semester is much better than my professor last semester. I am also not really that good at Computer Science and the programming language they teach is pretty hard.</p>

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<p>I was reminded of one little thing while reading your replies – I still need to complete the housing form X_X… I haven’t even started college and I’m already procrastinating. </p>

<p>bethievt, I’ve never won one good thing out of draws but you telling me that there are no bad rooms gives me much relief. I was imagining being assigned some kind of prison-like, tiny room. Also, I’ll make sure to store some extra Ramen cups! (Maybe some chocolate too… Freshman 15, here I come~) </p>

<p>M’s Mom, the higher standards are what worry me. I come from a very small, third-world country and my school didn’t really emphasise learning – rather, making us into living Wikipedias by memorising tons of useless data, but no critical thinking or discussions in classes. I know Grinnell’s academic is top-notch and participation is almost a requirement; I worry that I won’t be able to follow. I’ll try my hardest, though – that’s why I’m interested in Grinnell, anyway, to get challenged! </p>

<p>_Silence, time management is something I have trouble with – and procrastination. I remember cleaning my whole bedroom before studying for a big exam – just to delay studying! I still got a good score and a clean bedroom but still… I felt so guilty! </p>

<p>… 3 hours?!! Well, I can always sleep all I want on weekends – I can, can’t I? Haha. Probably not, but I can still hope.</p>

<p>Do students have classes every day? What do people do usually on days they don’t have classes? </p>

<p>Any must-have item(s) I should take along with me to Des Moines?</p>

<p>Is the Alumni network any good? I know Smith’s is – which is one of the reasons why I can’t decide between the two colleges!</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments! :smiley: It’s really interesting reading your/your son’s opinion/experience at Grinnell. Luckily, I’ll be adding my own comments next year.</p>

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<p>MinPin–the college wouldn’t admit you if it thought you couldn’t do the work. There is a lot of help at Grinnell if you need it. I’m sure the same is true at Smith. They want you to succeed. The alumni network is great at Grinnell too. You have two amazing options. I don’t think you can go wrong by choosing either. You must be an exceptional student. We can deal with your packing list later. Enjoy that you have been admitted to two great schools. Keep asking questions and we’ll do our best to answer. There will be no prison-like dorm rooms at either school and both will encourage you to be creative and curious in your learning.</p>

<p>At Grinnell, there are 5 days of classes and two days off. I think students often take some free time on Friday night and Saturday, get extra sleep on Sunday morning and then start studying again. Basically every student I’ve talked to there is having fun, even if working hard. I’ll bet I’d hear the same from Smith students. Relax and enjoy your success. Some women feel they would do best being at an all-women’s school. Others want a more mixed environment. There is no right or wrong answer. You will figure out your answer by May 1. It’s all good.</p>

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<p>And, MinPin, if you decide to go to Smith instead of Grinnell, you can still come here and ask for packing advice. Both schools have similar climates and what you would need would be quite the same.</p>

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<p>hahaha Silence I WAS thinking that, good analysis.</p>

<p>South campus sounds cool but then again the whole college kinda does sooo I’m not too picky.</p>

<p>oh and SCORE, I met someone today who had heard of Grinnell and didn’t think it was Cornell! And he said it was a great school! Which I already knew but still it was pretty exciting, exciting enough to warrant exclamation points! Woo!</p>

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<p>The Erica Kuhlmann letter is an important reminder to never admit to anyone associated with the University that you have a problem - whether it is psychological, chemical, financial - whatever you and your family should deal with it yourselves.</p>

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<p>No Schmerold. Erica’s letter was a reminder that if you have a life-threatening condition like anorexia, and you don’t pro-actively work with and follow the advice of the health professionals assigned to your case, you will not be allowed to slip through the cracks and potentially end up in the hospital or worse. Erica’s letter clearly indicates that she mishandled her situation, which raised grave concerns among the professionals looking out for her best interests. As a parent (and I’m sure they consulted with her parents, although they are not allowed to present ‘their side’ due to confidentiality constraints), I am glad to know that they err on the side of safety first. That Erica was able to appeal the decision and get a responsive audience means the school continues to be attentive to individual needs, even in situations that appear most risky to them and to the student.</p>