Hi, welcome to the blog! I'm a junior from a small suburb in South Carolina, just outside of Augusta, Georgia. On campus (and virtually), I'm involved in club water polo, the America Reads program, and the TAMID student consulting group. In the classroom, I'm super excited to pursue my interest in improving the world through public policy by studying the intersection of government and economics. I hope you enjoy following along as I explore all that Dartmouth has to offer!
Coming into Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to explore the creative writing department and this poetry workshop was a great way to do that! We studied well known political, love, and ekphrastic poems and wrote our own work every week. I really appreciated the small class size the classroom became a safe community for sharing my work, and I was able to get individualized critiques from Professor Francis.
Introductory writing classes are required for every Dartmouth student, but there are a wide range of topics, which makes finding an interesting course super interesting. My class focused on the American education system and gave me a ton of freedom to choose my paper topics.
Media and Politics was a writing intensive class which fulfilled my first year seminar requirement. While honing our writing skills, we studied the impact of news media, advertising, and messaging on campaigns and policy making. The class inspired me to continue exploring the government department, where I eventually declared my major.
Some of the most common questions about Dartmouth revolve around its location. Don't you get bored? Aren't you in the middle of nowhere? Sure, students interested in living in the middle of the city and taking the subway to class are not going to find exactly what they're looking for at Dartmouth, but I've loved my experience in Hanover. Rather than feeling frenzied, the small-town vibe is calming and gives me a place to decompress. Hanover is also super pedestrian friendly because it's directly across from the center of campus and is connected by sidewalks. In addition to being able to walk everywhere, I've never felt unsafe walking around campus or downtown alone because Hanover is so laid back.
When my friends and I do go downtown, it's usually to visit coffee shops or restaurants. Despite Hanover's location, there is a surprising variety of restaurants. In addition to the classic American stops, there's good Thai and Nepalese food within walking distance of campus. One of the nicest places in town is Pine, a restaurant which I've admittedly only been to when others are paying. For example, the Undergraduate Dean's Office sponsors a Take-Your-Professor-Out-to-Lunch program. With their funding, I've taken two professors to Pine and had a great conversation and a free meal. Dartmouth also funds a free gelato program. I've been to Morano Gelato a few times with my floormates to have free ice cream and bonding.
Having lunch with my professor through the Dean's Office!
Some of my other favorite places to visit in downtown Hanover are the local coffee shops. I usually go to alone, when I want some time to myself or am trying to write. However, I've often found that I end up in conversation with people who are Hanover residents and unaffiliated with the college. Because the town and school are small, they are extraordinarily interconnected and, in my experience, people in the community have been super welcoming. One long time Hanover resident even helped me pick out a good winter coat!
Coming back from Spring break usually means coming back to an entirely different campus than the one you left in the Winter – but that was not the case this year! Read on to hear more...
Many small classes at Dartmouth are seminar-style and are the cornerstone of the intellectual exploration and intentionality that define the learning experience at Dartmouth.
I've officially completed all of my English major requirements for Dartmouth. Since I'm now a veteran English student, I'll walk you all through one of Dartmouth's coolest departments!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
