With NSO behind us and fall classes starting, S&B writer Mayo Sueta ’20 (suetamay@grinnell.edu) and photographer Reina Shahi ’21 (shahirei@grinnell.edu) went out to talk to returning students about what they wish they’d known in their first semester.

“If you find a reason for it, the college will basically pay for anything you want.”
– Ahon Gooptu ’21, left

“On principle, I must object.”
– SGA Treasurer Amanda Weber ’21, right

“I wish I knew that I would have time to do everything I wanted to do.”
– Avery Lewis ’21

“What I wish I knew the most is that getting an A is not the only way to be good at something.”
– Aarzoo Bhimani ’21

“I wish I knew that college was like a different step of life, it’s a different stage of life, and we need to kind of embrace that things can change, and things need to change.”

– Puravi Nath ’21

“I wish I’d known that there’s a spice rack in D-Hall.”
–  Megumi Konishi ’22

“It’s okay to not know what you want to do.”
– Kedam Habte ’21

“One thing I wish I knew during first semester was that professors are super accessible and they’re more than willing to help you through assignments or whatever class you’re stuck on.”
– Vidush Goswami ’21