Hello! My name is Cal Shin, and I am a '27 planning to double-major in Economics and Philosophy. Outside of academics and blogging, you can find me drawing (perhaps even designing for The Dartmouth), hosting my radio show as a proud deejay at WebDCR, perusing the Free Market, or hanging out with friends. Ultimately, I am an artist and a storyteller. I hope you enjoy reading about my Dartmouth experience; the journey has just begun!
I took this course with Professor James Binkoski and loved it! I had never taken a philosophy course prior to Dartmouth, so this introductory course in the department was perfect! After all, it combined my interests of philosophy with time and time travel — at least, how time and time travel are depicted in the media. This course may initially seem to be on the more technical side, but Professor Binkoski made sure to break down the various time travel theories — various ways scientists and philosophers think of time and its supposed movement — in a manner that’s easy for anyone to understand. A very popular course overall; I am fortunate to have been able to take it during my first term here!
I took this course with Professor Ha Yan Lee and it was absolutely amazing! I had my initial reservations about this course, mainly because I knew a lot of my classmates would have had some background knowledge while I had none. Professor Lee did a wonderful job of breaking down concepts in a manner that, as she often put it, is easy for even “your grandparents to understand”. Even beyond the course, the level of care Professor Lee exhibited towards her students is significant. She’s one of the most popular professors at Dartmouth, and for good reason! I ate lunch with her at The Pine through the Take a Faculty Member to Lunch program, and she gave me tremendous insight and advice! Because of this course, I have been inspired to explore more courses within the Econ department and potentially major in Economics.
I took this course with Professor Jasmina Savic and examined how the vampire figure evolved over time, starting with Slavic literature, going through Dracula and Twilight, and ending with “vampire” political figures. I realized what the portrayal of vampires could tell me about the thoughts of that society, including the fact that the early notions of vampirism are akin to modern-day diseases. For my final project, I wrote a research paper comparing the gumiho (the Korean nine-tailed fox) to several Western vampires.
SummerNew York City, New York
I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the summer! I met up with a good friend of mine, explored the city itself, and went to a networking event with other college students.
ECON 10 is one of the required courses for the Economics major. Based on my stellar experience with Professor Ha Yan Lee during ECON 1, when I saw that she was teaching ECON 10 this term, I immediately jumped at the chance to take the course with her. Once again, Professor Lee did an amazing job of breaking down concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. (The fact that her slideshows were colorful and featured various pictures of cats helped.)
Downtown Hanover has its fair share of places to go on a weekend with friends, whether that be dining at a variety of restaurants, grabbing a coffee at Starbucks, or going to watch a movie at Nugget Theaters. Where does one go to create and deposit money in a bank account, acquire medication, mail a package, or buy fresh food from a grocery store? Here, I'll break down some key locations any Dartmouth student should know.
Finances:
Bank of America:Located all over the United States, you can find a Bank of America right next to Nugget Theatres. For anyone who lives in the US, I highly recommend you create a Bank of America account at a convenient location before coming to Dartmouth, as it'll save some time. If/when you get a job, you can either choose to physically deposit a paper paycheck, or sign up for direct deposits. Either way, the Bank of America is a useful location to have on your radar. (Bonus: the same building is how you'll access the Center for Professional Development).
Human Resources: When you get a job, you'll have to fill out some legal paperwork that basically proves that you are eligible to work in the United States. You'll have to turn in these forms to the Human Resources Office. Ideally, you won't have to go there more than once. However, if there are any issues with your paycheck, this is the place to go to get those sorted out.
Groceries:
Collis Market: Collis Market is Dartmouth's on-campus convenience store located in the lower level of Collis Student Center. Here, you'll find basic medicine, beauty products, school supplies, snacks, and beverages. Be aware that Collis Market does not accept DBA (Dartmouth's version of dining dollars).
CVS Pharmacy: While the pharmacy itself is not open 24 hours, the store is! You can buy food (unfortunately, there isn't any fresh produce), laundry detergent, dryer sheets, cleaning supplies, cards for any occasion, school supplies, beauty and hygiene products, and much more!
The Co-Op Food Stores: Not to be confused with the Co-Op, Dartmouth's spirit/merch store! In addition to supplies at CVS, you can also find fresh produce, fresh spices, and a variety of international cuisine ingredients at the Co-Op Food Stores. It is a bit of a walk, but you can also choose to take an Advanced Transit bus for a quicker journey.
Walmart and Target:Walmartand Target are viable options, but the only way to get there is by a vehicle, i.e. an Advanced Transit bus or car.
Mail:
Hinman Mail: 99.9% of the time, you will go to pick up your mail at Hinman, which is located in the basement of FoCo. Every student is given a Hinman Box assignment that lasts for the duration of their undergraduate career. You'll get an email notification once mail arrives in your Hinman box, and you have five (5) days to pick up your package. Don't worry—they'll make sure to send you multiple reminder emails as the days pass.
USPS:Want to mail something back home? You could do it at Hinman's shipping station, but give USPS a shot as well! Unlike Hinman, USPS's packaging materials (i.e. boxes) are free, which could make this a more economically viable option.
Medication:
Dick's House Pharmacy:There are actually two pharmacies inside ofDick's House. The first one is a small, regular pharmacy. The second is a vending pharmacy where you can buy certain products 24/7. The latter is great if you find yourself needing some medication last-minute, but the main pharmacy is closed and you don't feel like walking all the way downtown to CVS.
CVS Pharmacy:If you already go to CVS for your medicinal needs, you will likely want to visit the CVS in downtown Hanover.
Help, I need winter clothes! L.L. Bean is a popular place to get clothing appropriate for New England winters. You can either choose to take the Advanced Transit bus to its location in West Lebanon, or you can choose to order online. Incoming students with high demonstrated financial aid need will receive L.L. Bean gift cards to acquire New England-appropriate winter clothing.
No car? No problem! First-year students are not allowed to bring a car. Yes, you could borrow one from an upperclassman friend who has a car, but it is easier to either walk or take the Advanced Transit buses to get where you need to go.
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
Dartmouth changed my life. A large part of that change comes from the support I have received from professors. Learn more here about some mentor-mentee relationships I have made!
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.
