<p>I'm transferring to Smith in a couple of weeks from a community college where I felt like a big fish in a small pond. I was an officer in the honors society and though I only had a 3.7 GPA, I had to work full time to pay my rent and volunteered at several women's shelters. I worked really hard to get into Smith, but now I feel totally over-whelmed with the realization that the academics are more difficult. Community college doesn't exactly offer the same preparation as Smith does for first-year students so I feel like most of my freshman and sophomore years of college were hit and miss. I'm up for the challenge but I like to know what I'm getting into before hand. I've spent the entire summer studying in my field to ground me (I'm studying English lit), but I was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions of campus resources or tutoring? Or if anyone could give me any other study tips I'd really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. If you do find yourself struggling, there are plenty of resources available to help you. In addition to office hours, there's the Jacobson Center, which is devoted to helping people write. Appointments with peer tutors and professional assistants are available to you at any stage of the writing process (you could come in with just an outline or an almost completed paper). The English department is also fairly large, so finding peers to help you out whenever you have a question won't be difficult.</p>
<p>Lastly, if Smith didn't think you could do the work, you wouldn't have been accepted. :)</p>
<p>Thanks, your advice helps a lot!</p>
<p>Yeah, I second smithiegr. Don't be so nervous, if they didn't think you could do it, you wouldn't be there in the first place. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself as you go through your classes. Don't think that it's a sign of weakness or failure if you need help. Profs are great resources and going to them for advice is a great way to build relationships as well as help your academic performance. If you're staying in an on-campus house, find out who your Student Academic Advisor (SAA) is, they can help guide you through the tutoring options that are avaialable. And remember that while help is available, you may not need it, you're not the first community college transfer to do well at Smith. Trust in your own skills, and don't be afraid. We'll see you on campus !</p>