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!
This past college application cycle, I received many messages from prospective Dartmouth students who found me through this blog, asking me about application advice, life at Dartmouth, and how I managed to get in. I have no answers to the last question. I do not know why I got into Dartmouth, truly, but I can tell people why my friends and peers got in. They are passionate learners who care about making a difference in the world. They are one of the reasons why I applied to Dartmouth; I wanted to be in the company of people who would challenge me to grow. I had heard from students who got into Dartmouth before me that the environment at Dartmouth was not cutthroat despite the rigorous academics. I could be amongst peers who encouraged me to do better without putting me down. I am now two and a half years into my career at Dartmouth, and I believe this observation holds.
Speaking of people, I also chose Dartmouth for a faculty that is committed to teaching, who were interested in getting to know you not merely as learners, but as complex individuals. In this, I have not been disappointed either. Most of my professors have been not only great at teaching, but also great at connecting with students. I still remember being bewildered when Professor Aness, who taught the popular class WGSS 10: Sex, Gender, and Society, asked me to grab coffee with her after class to talk about the international student experience. Similarly, my professor at lab, Professor Donna Coch has always been interested in our lives beyond the lab, asking us about our other academic and social interests, discussing the complex sociopolitics of life at Dartmouth, and celebrating our birthdays in the lab with a chocolate cake.
Another big reason why I applied to Dartmouth was the chance to conduct research as an undergraduate. I have been fortunate enough to be involved with research since my freshman winter. I also have many friends who do research in some capacity. There are many funding opportunities to pursue research on campus and beyond.
Last but not least, I picked Dartmouth because of its affordability. Dartmouth offered the most generous financial aid package among the selective colleges I applied to. Since then, Dartmouth has become need-blind for international students as well as domestic applicants. Not only was Dartmouth's financial aid generous, but many opportunities on campus are super accessible. For example, ski lessons are free for students on financial aid who attend at least five of the six classes. Similarly, all tickets at the Hopkins Center for the Arts are no more than 15 dollars for all Dartmouth students.
It has been four years since I applied to Dartmouth, and I still do not know how I managed to get in, but what I do know is why I applied, which is, to this day, why I stay.
After returning from an enriching study abroad program, I'm diving into a bustling spring semester here at Dartmouth. Here are my four courses I'm taking this term!
Dartmouth's liberal arts curriculum pushes students to explore new departments and draw connections between seemingly disparate disciplines. Come explore my Economics, Physics, and Asian, Societies, Cultures, and Languages classes!
