Student teacher relationships at Grinnell are as great as you want them to be. You might find them shocking, if you're like me and come from a school with a big gap between the teachers and students. At my high school, the teachers and students only interacted during class. To get to a teacher outside of class was very hard – there was no time you could guarantee a teacher would be in the staff room so students would have to wait and most of our questions ended up not being asked or, possibly, ignored. That's why for me, it is just so surprising to see professors that have time to talk with students.
Professors at Grinnell are always eager to answer student questions. Here, students and teachers are often seen eating lunch together. Professors even invite students home for dinner with their families. Professors all hold office hours during which a student can come in and ask questions.
On numerous occasions, I've sat with professors (whose courses I haven't yet taken) who have helped me decide on the subjects I should study and have no problem discussing my possible career options. After I expressed my interest in cryptology, my adviser urged me to talk to Professor Stone in the computer science department. I ended up having a very in-depth conversation with Professor Stone about cryptology and he spent time with me structuring a list of courses I should consider taking that relate to the field.
At Grinnell, it isn't difficult to obtain a good relationship with your professor; they are here to help whenever it's needed.
