Professors
When you are having academic difficulty, your first stop should be your professor's office hours. All instructors at the College maintain regularly scheduled hours specifically for appointments with students. If you cannot make those hours, then ask your professor for an appointment. Professors at Dartmouth are extremely accessible to students - and you are strongly encouraged to approach them if you are experiencing difficulties in a class.
A word about communication. Chances are, you are about to become addicted to BlitzMail. It is fast and extraordinarily convenient. Many professors rely on it as much as students do. At the same time, BlitzMail is not always appropriate. Certain kinds of communication are better carried out face to face. And some faculty do not read blitz at all (very few faculty or administrators read blitz evenings or weekends). Remember that, in college, a crucial part of your education takes place via interactions with faculty outside of the classroom. Often, conversations begun by students seeking help blossom into rewarding mentoring relationships and friendships that are some of the most rewarding educational experiences undergraduates have at Dartmouth.
Deans
While it may be true that students more often receive a letter from a dean when something is wrong rather than when things are going well, such letters are usually an opportunity to rectify a problem by exploring sources of help or repairing a bruised relationship to the community. Deans are not like high school principals; you should not expect to be scolded or lectured. Even unpleasant or difficult topics can usually lead to a useful exchange of information or ideas. Of course, if you have taken the initiative to see your dean before there is a problem, later exchanges will be that much easier.
Your dean, however, can also be a source of help for you in all sorts of matters, and you should not wait until you have received a letter to go in to see your dean. The First-Year Deans in particular are there to help with all kinds of questions and problems ranging from course selection, roommate conflicts, planning your enrollment, time management, study skills, to homesickness. Do take advantage of this valuable resource.
Other Academic Resources
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