Learning Communities
Learning communities are small student groups (10-20 students) with common interests who work together during the first year of college. The Horticulture Learning Community is an active group of students who take one or two classes together each semester, study together, and are involved in a service learning project each fall harvesting apples and packaging them for a local food shelter.
Why Join a Learning Community?
- Make the big campus smaller — helps you make a fast, smooth, and easy transition to Iowa State
- Get to know people and make friends in your major or area of interest right away
- Develop a supportive network with other students, peer mentors, and professors
- Connect your learning in multiple classes
- Learn about the possibilities in your major
What types of activities do Learning Communities do?
- Study groups — informal or formal gatherings with your classmates
- Career exploration — field trips, guest speakers, etc.
- Hands-on experience and service-learning — applying classroom learning to real world situations
- Social activities — attend sporting events, plays, or speakers on campus; have dinners with each other and professors; just hang out with each other
- Community service projects — get involved and help the community
What students say about Learning Communities
“I think it really helps academically. I have people I can study with, people with the same study habits who are focused and want to get good grades in class.” “It really helps when you’re starting out. You don’t know anybody on campus or in your major. You form friendships with different people. I’ve stuck pretty close with a bunch of the girls in same major and we get together outside of class. One of them, I plan to live with next year.”— Laura (quote taken from Inside Iowa State article)
