intense Grinnell???

sonbot · 05-28-2009, 10:13 AM

I have read some opinions of Grinnell's intense and rigorous curricula and some Grinnellians said that they are so overwhelmed with lots of workloads at the class and don't have lots of time with social activities. Some said that the rigorous program is only fit for those who want to pursue their graduate schools, otherwise, most feel unconfident to find a job after their graduation. Can any one at Grinnell help me clarify it according to your view? Can you describe in general your classes you have taken at Grinnell? Thanks a lot for your posts.

Is that the same problem with Reed?

vossron · 05-28-2009, 10:30 AM

Reed is indeed an intense grad school prep college; I suspect Grinnell (and Carleton, Oberlin and Swarthmore) are similar.

bethievt · 05-29-2009, 05:45 PM

My son is a rising junior. He is able to get good grades and still have time to socialize and even get some sleep. My sense is that Grinnell, Carleton and Oberlin are less intense than Reed and Swarthmore, though all are highly rigorous. My son does say his science major friends have to put in many more hours of study than he does, maybe true at any school. He's having a great time there and doesn't stress much, but he says there are students who do.

sonbot · 05-30-2009, 10:06 AM

Some I know at Carleton said that their study was rather comfortable and fun, not that intense at all. I want to be a double-major so that's why I asked for the degree of rigorousness at schools I love.

Btw, I think the ranking list in term of "Students study the most" on the princetonreview website is rather interesting. For LACs, Reed, Harvey Mudd, Bennington, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Grinnell, Holy Cross, Davidson, US Coard Guard, Williams, Haverford, US Military Academy, Bryn Mawr, were respectively the most intense colleges, I think.

Thanks a lot for your help.

monydad · 05-30-2009, 10:37 AM

"..an intense grad school prep college"

FWIW, this is not a best, first and foremost description of Oberlin, based on Ds college search and my perception of her subsequent attendance there. Many students there do ultimately pursue graduate studies, and are evidently sufficiently prepared for same. Academics are serious there, however student life seems to be more balanced than at a couple other schools she looked at which may have seemed superficially similar in certain respects.

Plainsman · 06-01-2009, 12:04 AM

Hope you are correct, Monydad. My D will be a freshman at Oberlin in August. She's serious about her studies but wants a social life too.

bethievt · 06-01-2009, 10:27 AM

I think it's partly about the rigor of the school and partly about the student. If the student always stresses about academics and *has* to get straight As, that student is likely to feel stressed and have little time for social life at these colleges. Also if the school is a reach for the student, doing the work will be harder and take more time.

Plainsman, I think it likely your D will love Oberlin and be able to achieve the balance she wants.

stepherzzz · 06-18-2009, 05:27 PM

Grinnell's curriculum is very rigorous. That's true. I can't speak for every student at Grinnell, but last year I definitely found time for a social life. The classes I've taken at Grinnell have certainly been harder than the AP classes I took in high school, but I didn't necessarily find the workload "overwhelming" other than a few, isolated occasions. Midsems and finals and the weeks right before are usually pretty tough, but you can find solace in the fact that everyone on campus feels basically the same way. During especially stressful times, there are study breaks held on campus that function as a great way to relieve stress.

I don't know about the graduate school thing, since I'm only a rising sophomore. Personally, I plan to pursue graduate school, but I have quite a few friends who don't want to go to graduate school, and they don't regret coming to Grinnell or feel like they're wasting their time.

I honestly feel like I've had a really balanced college experience at Grinnell: lots of work, lots of play. You'll be stressed sometimes, but you'll also have a ton of fun. Grinnell provides an awesome community.

hornet · 06-19-2009, 09:16 AM

Stepherzzz is so correct about the sense of community. Yes, Grinnell is a lot of work. D is a bio major and has found the chem and math to be challenging. What is so great about Grinnell is the sense of "we are in this together". The students are supportive of each other and study together. There are tutoring centers and the faculty are as accessible as the viewbooks claim them to be. There is also plenty of time to have fun and the friendships formed are deep. D is taking physics at our flagship this summer and misses her study buddies from Grinnell. The lack of the extended peer support this summer has made the course a bit harder for her to focus on. She's actually gotten some help via skpe with some Grinnell friends! The workload is doable and for D, her GPA at Grinnell has been better than her unweighted HS GPA.