Discuss “CMU should better inform students of resources”

I got straight A’s in high school. But this is Carnegie Mellon; most of us did. It came as a shock to me when, at the midterm of my first semester, I received a less-than-stellar grade in a class directly related to my intended major of civil engineering. I began to wonder whether CivE was the right choice for me. Why was something I thought I enjoyed turning into such a burden? Could I possibly be in the wrong major?

So I asked around. I talked to some upperclassmen, other first-years, and my family — basically anyone who could possibly feel, or have felt, what I was feeling. To make a long answer short, I learned that it’s okay to be in my position. Classes may start out rocky at first and you might just have to study for the first...