Grinnellian93

Every professor I've had has imbued me with some sort of perspective changing knowledge. Our faculty is incredible and will always give you their time if you are putting in effort.

SELF-GOVERNANCE YO! Grinnell is extremely lax when it comes to almost everything. We have concerts on the loggia (roof) of buildings, climb academic buildings, have parties in college buildings (Harris / Gardner), drink where we want (don't cross the street with alcohol though!), smoke where we want (although security may come give the occasional ticket).

But don't worry! Grinnellians are pretty tasteful about it, and if you express discomfort with people smoking pot or cigarettes on your floor, your fellow students will respect you. Self-Gov is a magical thing...

Also, keep in mind if you don't want to be around substances (very little around other than alcohol and marijuana), there is ample substance free housing available!

In terms of health, Grinnell is great. We have a student health facility that always has plenty of availability and provides excellent service. The nurses are very mom-like when you're sick, and will give you everything you need if you come down with a circulating cold. If they can't help you out, they'll get you to a doctor off-campus ASAP that takes your insurance.

Safety wise, Grinnell is extremely secure. I've never had a moment where I have felt at risk on campus or in town. Most students feel so safe that they go as far as leaving their dorm room doors open 24/7. I will say that I have heard of one instance where something has been stolen from a room, which has caused me to lower the grade from an A+ to an A... But c'mon... One instance of theft on a campus where almost everyone's door is open. In the grand scheme of things, that's nothing!

Grinnell has been exceeded my expectations in every way. I dove in with very little to go off of other than internet reviews from sites such as this one. The experience has been incredible so far! Professors are amazing, people are really interesting / kind / great to talk to, resources abound, the campus is beautiful... I could go on. Also, self-governance allows us to create the vibe and rules for our own community, rather than policies being enforced from the top down by administration. COME TO GRINNELL. If you're an offbeat academic, you will love it!

The Girls at Grinnell are top notch. I've seen comments that talk about needing "Grinnell goggles" and such because of unattractive females and I have not had that problem at any point. There are plenty of cute ones and the best part is, they're mostly very intellectual and interesting. Come visit, you'll see what I mean.

There is quite a bit of alcohol and marijuana use here at Grinnell, but, if you are a student who is substance-free, you will not have a problem fitting in. There are many students here who choose not to use and they are not pressured. You will still have plenty to do on the weekends. Also, substance-free housing is available to all students who request it.

Computer labs are all over the place, most of which equipped with pretty powerful mac workstations, but some with lower end windows workstations. All of them are pretty reliable, though, and tech support is always available for both school and personal computers. Printing in B&W is free, and color is a small fee. Overall, I'd say Grinnell has top quality technology and service.

Friendly/quaint small town, but not much off campus.