Hello, Eda here: full-time learner, part-time writer, and pretty much a happy amateur at everything else. My hobbies include reading, discovering new movies, and looking at the pictures of my cat. On campus, you can find me peer supporting for the Mental Health Union and SAPA, writing for Spare Rib, doing research in psychology, or listening to Turkish & English alt-rock. Feel free to ask me about taking a gap year, transitioning to a new cultural space, or college in general!
This class discusses the concepts of sex and gender in the broader context of issues related to race, class, national identity, and more. I loved this class because it helped me better understand how systemic inequality affects individual lives and made me think about ways to change it. Professor A'Ness is such an inspiring prof!
In this first-year writing seminar, we discussed how avant-garde movements from futurism to punk rock have constituted a rebellion against the status quo. I loved all the readings for this class and Professor McCann inspired me to take more courses in the English department!
In this course, we learned all the basics of fiction: character, plot, setting, etc. My favorite parts of the course were receiving feedback from other students, reading my peers' work, and having fiction readings as assigned course work! I also appreciated all the guest speakers we had, who were experienced writers in their respective genres.
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this course has been one of the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth so far. The class focused on the etiology, diagnosis, characteristics and treatment of various mental disorders. Professor Hudenko has been one of the greatest lectures I had the pleasure of meeting. As a clinical psychologist himself, he had extensive knowledge in not only the theory, but also the practice of clinical psychology. He also succeeded in making a lecture-based class feel interactive and dynamic.
We covered the complex neural and biological mechanisms of multiple mental health disorders ranging from common conditions like anxiety to more complicated illnesses such as schizophrenia. In addition to reading about the cutting-edge research in this area, we also read memoirs and watched documentaries about the mental illnesses to focus on how these conditions are affecting people in real life. Professor Funnell is one of the best profs I had!
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this has been one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth. We learned about different therapy methods, how and when to use them, their advantages, and shortcomings. The class was incredibly engaging with Professor Hudenko's frequent demonstrations of methods, therapy videos, and guest speakers. I would recommend this class to every psychology major.
I worked at Dimock Health Center as part of my community health internship. I was part of a team of summer interns who were college students like myself. We worked as patient advocates that helped people reach out to resources regarding housing, food, utilities, etc. Most of our work involved calling patients, helping them fill out forms, and researching resources. I learned so much about community health resources and how to communicate with a diverse set of patients. It was an invaluable experience!
I took classes in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London. My favorite class of the term was called London Performance Now, which involved going to different performance events in London and discussing them in class. It was the perfect opportunity to explore the cultural landscape of London.
As the title of the course suggests, this class was about food: its history, economics, and cultural practices. I learned a lot through this course thanks to guest speakers, thought-provoking readings, and engaging assignments. My favorite assignment in this course was writing about a family recipe; I learned so much about my family's history as well as the cultural conflicts in my home country. Overall, it was among the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth. Plus, we even got to eat delicious food cooked by our classmates!
I have been off-campus for the past two terms, the longest I have been away since I started going to Dartmouth, so, of course, there are people and places I miss at Dartmouth. Here are a few of them!
People
I have been lucky I could keep in touch with people who are close to me even when I am not physically at Dartmouth. My partner is currently doing an exchange program at the University of Copenhagen in sociology, so he could visit me a lot in London. I have interviewed him about his study abroad, so check my profile if you want to read about it! One of my closest friends has also been participating in a University College London exchange program in economics. On the other hand, I miss one of my friends terribly, who is still in Hanover during winterim, busy with the Tuck Business Bridge Program. I also miss the campus communities I am a part of, especially the people in Spare Rib. I miss going to the weekly meetings, discussing themes, and color schemes, or just doing some crafts and hanging out. I also miss the people at Alpha Theta, the gender-inclusive Greek house, and the weekly Friday night tails we host for the entire campus. There are a lot of other people I did not have the space to mention here, so I hope they forgive me!
Places
I never thought I would miss the middle of nowhere that is Hanover, New Hampshire, but here I am. Despite the somewhat remote location, I find Dartmouth's campus quite pretty. There are a lot of places on campus that bring me a sense of safety and comfort. For instance, I miss the Spare Rib office, furnished with comfy bean bags, a fridge full of drinks and snacks, our very own kettle and tea bags, and bookshelves filled with books. I love having quiet study sessions with other Spare Rib members or just taking a quick lay-down between classes. Speaking of studying, I miss Dartmouth's libraries, especially the Sherman Art Library. It's the ideal study spot with plenty of natural light, spacious tables, and near-perfect silence.
Pines
One thing that is never exaggerated about Dartmouth is the beauty of the outdoors. While I am not the biggest outdoorsy person out there, especially not at Dartmouth, where everyone does at least one outdoor activity, I appreciate the fresh air, the serene atmosphere, and the gorgeous trees surrounding our campus. After living in Boston for the summer and London for the fall, two big, bustling cities, I am more than happy to catch my breath in Hanover.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
