Hey all! I'm Batuhan: parent to two adorable cats, self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, and aspiring polyglot among other things. I'm a '26 from Istanbul, Turkey, and I am passionate about behavioral economics, sonic arts, postcolonial literature, and social media marketing! Be sure to reach out with questions regarding exploring the liberal arts, study abroad programs, research on campus, international student experience, and study abroad programs!
Academic Program
Cognitive Science and Art History
Favorite Thing Right Now
My personal blog Write Your Tongue! #shamelessplug
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.
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.
As a student at Dartmouth College, I often hear about the "Dartmouth narrative." It's the idea that every student has a shared set of experiences and that we're all part of a larger community. While there's some truth to this, I've come to realize that the Dartmouth narrative doesn't really exist. Each student's experience here is unique, and it's up to us to make this place our own.
When I first arrived at Dartmouth, I felt a lot of pressure to fit into certain molds. I do enjoy the outdoors to some degree, but I wouldn't call myself outdoorsy. I used to dance competitively, but I'm not in a dance group on campus. I love singing, but I didn't pursue joining an acapella group on campus. In some ways, I could embody things that would be considered mainstream. But I quickly realized that I needed some time to reevaluate my comfort zone.
What worked for me was taking a step back, critically thinking about everything I had engaged in thus far and taking ample time to decide which ones to hold onto or to let go. To clarify, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with what constitutes the mainstream. I just wanted to take the time to be intentional with what kind of Dartmouth experience I wanted to have.
I tried out for a bunch of clubs, things I had never dared to pursue before. I also tried out for things I knew I liked. I pursued some, and I let some go. And in doing so, I discovered new interests and found communities that felt more like my own.
Sunset! One of those things about Dartmouth that make me fall in love with this place!
The bottom line is that there's nothing wrong with your comfort zone. Things are comfortable because you enjoy them. However, outside of your comfort zone can also be beautiful in ways you don't even know. After all, things you consider outside of your comfort zone might seem scary merely because it is uncharted territory.
All in all, I started feeling like I belong here when I took the time to intentionally evaluate what works for me at Dartmouth. By that rationale, making Dartmouth my own has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors I have undertaken here thus far. I encourage every student to take the time to figure out what works for them, embrace their comfort zone and to not be afraid to step outside of it at the same time. Because at the end of the day, there is no one Dartmouth narrative. We each have the power to create our own story here.
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.
Growing up in New England and transitioning to living at Dartmouth, I'm all too familiar with the unpredictability (and beauty) of New England's weather. Let me tell you about it here!
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!
