Ei! My name is Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva (yes—four last names!) and I'm a '25 from Governador Valadares, Brazil. My journey to Dartmouth has crossed two continents, three countries, and over 10 schools—and I'm a strong believer that everyone's path to the Big Green was unique in a way. At Dartmouth, I study Linguistics, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and Spanish. I am passionate about social justice, language-learning, and the oxford comma!
As the end of my first term in college arrives, a retrospective, reflective kind of mood has got to me. One year ago, as I clicked submit on my Common App, I would never have imagined my freshman fall would have been like this. I took classes in departments I didn't even know existed; joined clubs I had never thought about before; I met the most exceptional and unique people; and, lastly, I applied for the most fun and rewarding campus job: writing for People Places Pines.
Personally, not much has been going on in my life these past two weeks. I have been studying hard for my finals and hanging out with my friends before we have to say bye — especially as some depart to a term off-campus. Although I have finally fallen into a routine — with a set time to wake up and go to bed, classes and clubs to attend, places to be, and people to see — I find myself excited to leave. Of course, I'll miss the campus, the people, the social scene, and, to be honest, my classes. Nonetheless, I feel like the time has come for me to step away, regather with the people I love, and prepare for winter term!
Thinking back to September, I was surprised to see that Darmouth was not what I expected. I wasn't disappointed, to be clear. But I very genuinely had pictured a whole other thing. I had done some research before applying: I knew I was signing up to be surrounded by woods for the next four years; that classes would be academically challenging; that I would have to adapt to a whole new environment and culture. But, when all of this hit, it was still a surprise. What I had failed to predict, however, was how supportive the college community would be. Because of the friends I made here, going through all of this was much easier. And here I include not only my friends from the class '25, but also the upperclass students I had the opportunity to hang out with and the faculty members who have so dearly helped me.
One of the best advices I got this year came from my faculty advisor, prof. Michele Tine. During the course selection process, she told me that, in my freshman fall, I should allow myself to explore. And so I did. I took classes that had nothing to do with my intended major and signed up for clubs that I had never seen myself in, but where I ended up meeting some of my best friends. I am overall really happy with my term and, through this blog, I can now find a little journal of my time here. My heart is full of joy when I come back to read the stories I have shared with you all, and I hope 2022 brings many more of these!
Dartmouth is known for its outstanding graduate schools of business, engineering, and medicine, but how can undergraduates take part in that enriching environment? Read more to find out!
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how I joined a sorority earlier this fall by going through the recruitment process. I've come a long way since then. In fact, I am living in my sorority house for my sophomore summer!
