Questions for Current Grinnellians from a '12er

<p>Hi everybody,</p>

<p>I’m not sure how many current Grinnellians are on this board, but if there are any of you, I have a few questions.</p>

<li><p>How is the food? I’ve heard mixed reviews. Some people say it’s great, others say it’s blech, and then some people seem to think it’s good and then end up getting tired of it.</p></li>
<li><p>Beds. Are they comfortable? I’m considering investing in some sort of mattress pad/memory foam pad/feather bed/egg crate pad and I’m wondering what you guys think.</p></li>
<li><p>About when during the summer before your freshman year did you receive your dorm and roommate information? I realize that it’s not even technically summer yet, but I’m really excited and impatient for this information.</p></li>
<li><p>Where’s your favorite place to study? I really liked the look of the fireplace lounge in JRC. Is it as amazing as it looks?</p></li>
<li><p>Do you know of anyone who does their federal work study job in a library? I’d really like to do this, and I’d think I’m fairly qualified since I have volunteered in a public library, but I’m not sure if students do this or if it’s pretty much just food service. The sheet I have to fill out makes it look like more jobs are available than just food service but I’m unsure.</p></li>
<li><p>How often do you start feeling stir crazy and need to go to a bigger city? And when you do, which city do you choose, Iowa City or Des Moines?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there anything else that an incoming student should know?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for everything, guys! Responses are appreciated both from current Grinnellians and parents of said Grinnellians. I’m incredibly excited to be a Pioneer :)</p>

<p>Oh, and other future Grinnellians, definitely ask more questions on this thread if you think of some.</p>

<p>The students are in the midst of finals week, so probably pretty busy. I'm a parent of a soon-to-be-sophomore. I'll do my best with your questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The food is quite good with lots of variety. Salad bar, stir fry station, pasta station, deli area, pizza, etc. That said, I think it probably gets monotonous after awhile.</p></li>
<li><p>I did get him memory foam for his bed and he loves it.</p></li>
<li><p>I think they got dorm and roommate info in late July.</p></li>
<li><p>The fireplace lounge at the JRC is wonderful. Lots of students do hang out there. I guess they're studying.</p></li>
<li><p>He never got stir-crazy. There is so much to do on campus that it never got old. He did do a few road trips with his team. He hasn't even left campus yet and already can't wait to get back.</p></li>
<li><p>Anything else you need to know? It gets cold out there and the wind makes it colder. If you have warm clothes, you'll use them. If not, you can get what you need in the area when it starts getting cold.</p></li>
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<p>I am the parent of a Grinnell senior and I second what bethievt has written. Our son seems perfectly content with the food—neither raves nor complains about it. He did go to a modified meal plan after freshman year because he often skipped breakfast. The beds are the extra-long variety and the mattresses over the four years have always been in good condition. There are definitely jobs other than food service, but you might have to wait until after freshman year. Our son endured the dining hall work for a year, and then moved on to much more pleasant jobs as an upperclassman. As far as stir-crazy goes, it never happened. Life on campus is a steady stream of activity. I think he studied mostly in his room because those great lounges lend themselves to social gatherings rather than study sessions. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful experience at Grinnell—it’s a great school!</p>

<p>I'll add that you'll get the list of first-year tutorials earlier than the roomie info. I remember this because, by coincidence, DS and his roomie had picked the same tutorial. I asked my son to give my e-mail address to roomie for his Mom or Dad if they wanted to get in touch. Roomie's Mom immediately e-mailed back and we had a lot of reassuring contact before the school year started. This helped my comfort level A LOT. I hope you'll consider indulging your parents if they make a similar request.</p>

<p>The library is a good place to study too, but DS was on the opposite side of campus so he used his room more. Next year he'll be on the library side and expects to use it more. Kids seem to do group studying in the Spencer Grill in the JRC--noisy studying, you might say.</p>

<p>The beautiful fireplace lounge has apparently become a place to do quiet serious studying (or snoozing). It has such a tranquil aura that it's not the place to do noisy group work or lively chit-chat. You can plug your laptop onto the outlets discreetly dotted around the floor. </p>

<p>(This is according to my just-graduated daughter)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The food is okay. There's a pretty large variety and a lot of it tastes good - my only complaint would be that it's not very healthy. If you want to eat well, you basically have to stick to the salad bar or the sandwich bar, which gets old after a while. Otherwise, it's probably run-of-the-mill college food, and it's certainly a lot better now that the dining hall has been redone.</p></li>
<li><p>The beds are fine, but a mattress pad will make a big difference. The problem isn't usually the comfort - it's the size (too small for two people!).</p></li>
<li><p>I think you find out sometime in mid-July. I remember being ridiculously excited to find out too.</p></li>
<li><p>Oh man, your favorite places to study will change so much in your time on campus. When I got to Grinnell, I really liked studying in Burling (the library), and now I only go there if I'm forced to do an improv show. The fireplace lounge is cool, but honestly, you probably won't want to spend more time in the JRC than you'll already have to. My current favorite study spaces are Goodnow 302 (lots of windows and couches), the Bucksbaum seminar rooms, and the Noyce science library. </p></li>
<li><p>I think you can work in Burling for work study. A lot of people get placed in the dining hall because they need the most employees, so you will probably end up there.</p></li>
<li><p>Honestly, I wasn't stir crazy at all until this year, and I'm a junior. Grinnell always has things going on - the only problem is that knowing all the same people can sometimes feel a little claustrophobic (especially when you've just gone through a breakup). I absolutely love Iowa City - it has lots of restaurants and bars and thrift stores, and it's only 40 minutes away if you drive quickly :).</p></li>
<li><p>Anything else you should know? Hmmm. Things I wish I'd known before I came to Grinnell: if you don't drink when you come in, you probably will by the time you leave. If you do drink when you come in, be careful you don't go insane your first year. Some people seem intimidating and aloof, but they're really just awkward, so never be afraid to befriend people. Join groups when you get here because it makes it way, way easier to cope with the stress. Have fun NSO week and don't worry who you hang out with - virtually no one ends up being four-year best friends with their NSO buddies. Talk to professors, because then when you skip their classes (and you will), they won't think you just don't care. Open yourself to different possibilities in terms of friends and hookups. Sometimes you end up with someone you would never have expected to like, and it's amazing.</p></li>
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<p>Have fun next year! I'm sure I'll see you around campus</p>