Hey all! I'm Batu. I'm a '26 from Istanbul, Turkey, and I am passionate about the cognitive science of design, developmental psychology, aesthetics research, postcolonial literature, and social media marketing! Be sure to reach out with questions about exploring the liberal arts, learning a new language at Dartmouth, cafes in town (one of my favorite blog series dare I say), study abroad programs, and research on campus!
Writing 5 is one of the courses that count towards the first-year writing requirement. The course covered content relating to the self, transformation, and social dynamics relating to majority and minority. Dr. Godley is simply phenomenal. Her instruction was extremely accessible even though she covered intense topics. I could not have enjoyed my Writing 5 more!
Design Thinking was above and beyond my expectations. The course is structured around weekly projects, where we apply different cognitive strategies to cover topics like design principles, human need-finding, brainstorming, scenario building, and visual thinking.
Introduction to Cognitive Science covers a variety of fields including psychology, computer science, linguistics, and philosophy to provide insight into cognitive processes. This course helped me develop an understanding of all facets of cognitive science and which ones I would be interested in further pursuing as part of my major.
SummerIstanbul, Turkey
I was home during my first summer! A non-exhaustive list of things I've done includes sunbathing, coding my personal blog, and going on runs. #rest #relaxation
Psychology 10 is a deep dive into almost everything you might need to become well-versed in conducting research, analyzing data, and interpreting findings in a statistically sound manner. Professor Pfister is the most approachable professor I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. Statistics isn't exactly my forté, but I now feel confident in my stats foundation!
I loved taking this class with Madame Alverde, a professor from Université Toulouse ; Jean Jaures was an incredible experience. She made sure to correct our mistakes on the spot and improve them eloquently.
This course allowed me to explore the intersection of aesthetics and digital media, focusing on how digital environments reshape traditional concepts like materiality and form. I particularly enjoyed comparing human and AI-generated analyses of art and examining the frameworks that shape contemporary digital studies, from visual culture to design philosophy.
SummerHanover, NH
I was on campus pursuing full-time research in the Cognitive Science department. My research focuses on children's capacity to imagine and reason about possibilities!
In the fall, I started a series called Cafés in Hanover on this blog, and it turns out we have a new café in town since I've been gone: The Works! Of course, I had to put it to the test as I did with most cafes in town (the ones I haven't gotten to yet, I will get to this term. I promise).
The Works is located conveniently on Main Street, approximately a 2-minute walk from the Green. Right off the bat, The Works has ample seating, a definite plus for catch-up meals/coffee dates with friends. As I walked up to order, I realized the diversity of their menu items. Whether you want to pay The Works a visit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they have something for you. Compared to most cafes in town, they are open until a later hour (8 PM at the time of this blog post).
Seating area!
As I was expecting my large, iced coffee to power me through the day, I was perplexed after being handed an empty cup. Then, I pleasantly realized that they gave me the cup for me to self-serve from their coffee section, as many times as my heart desired! This is huge for me!
Refillable iced tea as well as iced and hot coffee options. Game changer.
I sat down with my lovely salmon cream cheese bagel and cold brew with oat milk and got to the taste test. I don't want to sound bold, but this might be one of the best bagels I've had at Dartmouth.
Scrumptious bagel (iced coffee is just iced coffee but it was nice)
The pictures are from my first time at The Works, but between my first time there and now, I've found myself getting breakfast at The Works almost 2-3 times per week. Overall, The Works gets an A+ from me. Whether it's the unique self-service coffee or the scrumptious bagels, The Works is setting a high standard. Hmmm…I'm hungry now. Guess I know where I should go for breakfast tomorrow!
I applied through Questbridge's National College Match, but did not match. To others who also did not match, this is not the end of your application process! Here's what I did following match decision day.
Unlimited buffets, flavorful drinks, an assortment of breakfast pastries—Dartmouth has so many great food and drink options to choose from! Join me as I rank my favorite ones.
Walking around the Wellelsey campus, it's clear that it was built with intentional incorporation of the surrounding nature. The architecture of many buildings were also mindfully crafted to support Wellesley's unique principles.
