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!
The thumbnail picture is taken at Queer Britatin by the author.
One of my favorite aspects of studying abroad in London through Dartmouth's foreign study program has been how my time in the city complimented my studies. Over the past two weeks, I've had the opportunity to attend queer events and talks inside and outside of the classroom. Let me tell you about a few of them!
For one of my seminars, Queering Utopia, I have been reading and watching content created by artists from diverse backgrounds. Last week, we read Andra Simons' genre-defying work Turtlemen, which combined features of poetry, theater, and prose writing. Our professor invited Andra Simons for a Q & A session in class and for him to read some of his work. It was incredibly inspiring to hear him perform his poetry; the work took a life on its own when voiced out loud. He had a very calming, warm, and humble presence, so it was lovely to meet him in person.
For my other seminar, London Performance Now, I watched a cabaret-style event called Duckie, performed at the well-known gay club Eagle in Vauxhall, London. I could not stay the entire night because the event ran until 3 am, and I am an old soul that goes to bed much earlier than that, even during the weekends. Despite my relatively short stay there, I was captivated by the atmosphere. I felt comfortable and safe despite night venues not typically being in my comfort zone. The audience demographics were also interesting to observe, as it was mostly old, queer men and women who seemed to know each other. I am excited to discuss this event in class, which is the kind of opportunity I can only get by studying in London thanks to this invaluable experience Dartmouth provides.
Outside of seminar obligations, I went to see the Queer Britain Museum in King's Cross with my friend. It is a free museum about the history of queer people in the United Kingdom. They had a few cool artifacts despite the entire collection mostly fitting into one room. In all honesty, I had seen a much wider range of artifacts in the Bishopsgate Institute during our class visit as part of Queering Utopia. Still, Queer Britain was worth visiting and enriched my understanding of LGBTQIA+ history as part of my studies.
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
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.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
