Building a Strong and Healthy College Community (Hope College)

Mentoring relationships (Board of Advisors)

Adapting to a new college culture means gaining new skills while keeping your core identity. In your first year, build a Board of Advisors for guidance: include Residence Life staff (RDs/RAs), your academic advisor, a few professors, your on-campus supervisor if you have a job, community mentors, and upper-level students. These mentors can answer questions, offer perspective, and help you navigate decisions.

Circle of friends and honest dialogue

Develop a circle of friends who support you and offer honest dialogue. Two big questions confront students: Am I good enough to succeed? and Am I worthy of love? Advisors help with the first; friends help with the second. Real friendships take time and should be diverse, challenging you, helping you feel at home, and supporting your health and well-being. Be a good friend to attract the right people, and over time they’ll come to you.

Asking for help and reciprocity

Asking for help signals strength; everyone needs help. When unsure, talk to a friend or a Board of Advisors to decide if you’re facing a speed bump or a wall, or whether you need a minor adjustment or a new plan. Being real and vulnerable is part of community, and helping others in return is the reciprocity that sustains it. Adapted from Ansley Abraham (via Charles W. Green).