Hey! I'm excited to welcome you to my blog page! I'm Andrea Agola, a '26 born in Kenya and raised just outside of D.C. As the eldest child of three, I'm the first to go off to college! I'm glad Dartmouth will enable me to explore both the sciences and humanities. Don't even get me started on the numerous extracurriculars that pique my interest, like the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, research projects and dance groups. Follow along as I navigate this unique college experience!
Academic Program
Sociology major, International Studies Minor, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing Right Now
Studying abroad on the French LSA+ in Toulouse, France!
When I began my first term at Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to explore the French language and culture more after having been a French music and film fan for as long as I can remember. This was an accelerated course that covered French 1 and 2 in one term and offered an exciting and fast-paced atmosphere. The small nature of our class allowed us all to have more speaking time in class from partner activities to performing creative skits. One of the best assignments was a scavenger hunt! I was also able to learn and make a presentation about francophone countries. This class really prompted me to apply for the ‘24 Winter–Toulouse, France Study Abroad which I got accepted into!
This course considers the discipline and political happenings of Black Feminist Thought by highlighting interlocking issues related to gender, sexuality, race, and economics. The professor was amazing! I was always genuinely excited to do her assigned readings/viewings and remember being sad when she canceled class one day (imagine!). I reveled in the thought-provoking, warm, restorative (the list goes on & on) ambience that she fostered. I even took advantage of a cool opportunity that Dartmouth offers, the “Take a Faculty Member out To Lunch” program at Pine Restaurant across from campus. I enjoyed the lovely conversation we had over delicious food. Her class was such a great source of empowerment!
This course examines the epidemiology and social impact of past and present infectious disease epidemics. It was a great and insightful class to take for the Global Health Minor! I had the chance of hearing from many influential guest lecturers like the Former Minister of Health of Rwanda and a key member of the U.S Covid Task Force.
This course explores causes and patterns of global poverty and links this with the urgent need for care and care ethics in our lives and in society broadly. Not only did the class feel like such a caring environment but it was especially interesting because it had a Social Impact Practicum (SIP) component. A SIP is a project-based experiential learning opportunity connecting undergraduate courses at Dartmouth with community needs identified by nonprofit organizations. In other words, a SIP is a real-world project with real-world impact. My SIP was my care work as a UGA within Dartmouth's Residential Life.
I'm definitely excited that this will be my second go at a Dartmouth Fall term on-campus. This term, I'm continuing to fulfill pre-med requirements by taking General Chemistry with lab. I'm also working towards my Sociology modified with Geography major through my other two classes. Take a look below for a more in-depth description of each class I'm taking, well, as in-depth as 2 weeks exposure can provide.
SOCY 1- Introduction to Sociology:
My professor Casey Stockstill is new to Dartmouth and is a sociologist and race scholar whose research focuses on race, class, and the micro-level of social life. I have this class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:50am. Some of the questions that the class investigates are: How have societies developed historically? How are societies stratified by wealth, income, and other resources, and how has this changed over time? How are the opportunities and outlooks of individuals shaped by the communities in which they reside? How do individuals come together to produce meaningful social change? By reading many interesting ethnographies throughout the term, I'll be able to see how sociologists and other social scientists conduct research, key theories and concepts that guide the discipline, and explore a wide range of topics including race, class, gender, inequality, collective action and social change.
CHEM 5- General Chemistry:
I have this class directly after my sociology class at 10:10 am and it is actually just in the next room down the hall. This will be my first term of a two-course sequence (Chem 5 & 6) that introduces the fundamental principles of chemistry, including chemical stoichiometry; the properties of gases, liquids, and solids; solutions; chemical equilibria; atomic and molecular structure; an introduction to thermodynamics; reaction kinetics; and a discussion of the chemical properties of selected elements. My lab for this class occurs on Mondays from 2:10 pm-6:10 pm (Yes, that's 4 long hours). The lab work usually emphasizes physical-chemical measurements, quantitative analysis, and synthesis of concepts we learn about in lecture.
Chem lab shenanigans :)
GEOG 22: Global Poverty & Care:
I have this class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:25 pm-4:15 pm. This course explores causes and patterns of global poverty and links this with the urgent need for care and care ethics in our lives and in society broadly. Lectures focus particularly on how care work is devalued and globalized through international flows of care that contribute to global inequality. Through the analysis of global interconnections, my classmates and I will think about our responsibilities to care for those who are near and those who are across the globe. Geographical questions emerge about how presumably universal ethics that frame social, political, and economic relations within and between countries and populations are (or are not) actually enacted. This class is also a Social Impact Practicum (SIP) class! An SIP is a project-based experiential learning opportunity connecting undergraduate courses at Dartmouth with community needs identified by nonprofit organizations throughout the Upper Valley. In other words, a SIP is a real-world project with real-world impact.
This is the great view I get to see during the mid-class break my Prof. gives us!
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.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
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.
Witnessing an eclipse was one of the most exciting days in my life to date, and a solid reminder of our place in this universe. Read on to hear about it!
