Advice from Students

Many students at Grinnell face challenges adapting to the rigors of college and may struggle in their early semesters. However, these challenges can often be overcome with appropriate strategies for choosing courses, studying, seeking help, and taking care of yourself.

Of course, your individual context is important and not all strategies will be appropriate for everyone, but students who overcame such challenges to find success at the College reported using the following strategies.

Course Choice

Choose a variety of classes early in your Grinnell career, even if you think you know your major.
Register early for classes, paying attention to class times and faculty teaching the section.
Ask friends about different faculty members pedagogical styles, and consider what will work for you.
Do not take all courses that are known to be difficult in one semester.
Strategize about whether you can or should take a reduced course-load in any semester.
If you do well in a class, consider other courses in the same discipline or with the same professor.
Discuss the implications of course choices with your advisor (work load, type of work, topics).
Choose courses in which you have a genuine interest.
Consider a short course if you are not sure you have an interest in a subject.
Organize your classes so you have different types of work a mixture of worksheets, problem sets, reading, and writing.

Studying

Study for learning s sake, not for a grade.
Take charge of your learning, and find a faculty collaborator to help you identify what skills and knowledge will complement your existing skills, knowledge, and interests.
Try to participate in class regularly, and prepare with this expectation in mind..
Make friends with people in your classes, and try to discuss material outside of class together.
Form a study group if that helps you.
Strive to connect what you are learning in the classroom with your lived experience.
Even if you can't keep up with the homework, attend class.
Find a location that is conducive to effective studying.
Create a daily routine with scheduled study time.
Study earlier in the day when you even have a short period of time available.
Ask older students how long they spend studying for particular classes to get a realistic sense of what you should be doing.
Experiment with different study techniques to find what works for you.
Find a work-study job that allows you to study while performing your duties (such as desk attendant).

Help-Seeking

Talk to the faculty member as soon as you start to fall behind.
Introduce yourself to faculty members early in the semester, and attend office hours to discuss your progress several times a semester.
Know that faculty prefer you to talk about areas where you are struggling than to keep quiet about them; they will not judge you poorly for asking for help.
Go see Academic Advising staff members if you start to fall behind.
Do not judge yourself harshly if you struggle to keep up academically many students feel that way.
Ask for help from faculty, friends, tutors, mentors, and all the academic resource centers.
If you are nervous to going, ask friends to walk with you to go to see professors or attend office hours.
If you see friends starting to miss class, talk to them, and encourage them to reach out for help (faculty, CAs, RLCs, academic advising).
If you do not feel comfortable asking people in the college community for help, talk to your parents.

Helpful Behaviors and Self-Care

Prioritize your sleep and a regular sleep schedule.
Remind yourself of all the things that you are accomplishing even the basics, like attending class.
Schedule regular exercise.
Join a club and attend it regularly.
Find an extra-curricular activity in which you are really interested and consider how you can apply or further that interest in your academic work.
Schedule your days, prioritizing tasks and allotting them adequate time.
Remember that you got into Grinnell, therefore you belong here academically.
Go home during Fall or Thanksgiving breaks, if at all possible.
Track your grades for each assignment carefully, so you are not surprised by your final grade.
Build and nourish your support network.
Ask you friends to hold you accountable for studying and hold them accountable too.
Do not feel the need to be a counselor to your friends, but be a good friend if they are in need of support.
Offer to walk with friends to office hours, to help them feel more comfortable going.

Grinnell College Office of Analytic Support and Institutional Research. Academic Success: Barrriers and Strategies. January 2017.